"Expanded Cinema"

Sorry to be so scarce here lately; I've been working on another big project. The 25th Dallas VideoFest opens on Sept. 26 with a screening of new video art works created especially for the LED display on the exterior walls of the Omni Dallas Hotel. I'll have a new piece of my own in the program, and have also been the coordinator/compiler for it, and before that, Ben Britt and I also created a template to enable myself and the other artists to make their works. We expect the audio for the initial screening to be simulcast on public radio KXT 91.7 FM public radio.

The show is called Expanded Cinema, in honor of pioneering new media art theorist Gene Youngblood (whose seminal book by the same title is seen as the first to propound video's potential as a fine art medium, and who will speak at the Dallas Museum of Art as part of the fest on Sat., Sept. 29). (Image left shot by Danielle Georgiou at a test screening.)

The show will include works by 14 artists selected by Bart, Michael A. Morris, and me, including Kari Altmann, Frank Campagna, Tim Capper, Rebecca Carter, Jeff Gibbons, Andrea Goldman, Mona Kasra, Kyle Kondas, Phil Lamb, Shane Mecklenburger, Mike Morris, Edward Setina, Jenny Vogel, and me. Expanded Cinema starts at 8:00 PM; pls watch for announcements re- a viewing location (generally, the best views will be from the south near the Houston St. Viaduct and Jefferson St. Bridge, along the far levy from the hotel).

The remaining 4 days of the 25th Dallas VideoFest will take place at the Dallas Museum of Art. The all-fest pass is a steal at $50; tickets here. In past years there've been some 250 videos to choose from; I think there may be slightly fewer this year, but with perhaps a greater proportion of the kinds you might find in an art gallery, for what that's worth, since I, Mike Morris, and Dee Mitchell helped curate in addition to the festival Director, Bart Weiss.

PS: I wrote an article for art+seek in honor of the 25th VideoFest, here, discussing some of my favorite videos shown at VideoFests past and how they relate to some of my favorites in the present, including works by Cindy Sherman, Sadie Benning, Martha Rosler, Mary Reid Kelley, and many more.

UPDATE: You can now see the piece I made for the program, Braille, here. More info about Expanded Cinema and the works in it here.

Dallas VideoFest 25th Anniversary Party!

I'm throwing a party tonite F-U-N it's called "Experiments in [Video]," bring everything that you own! (paraphrasing one of my fave videos brought to you by the Video Association of Dallas). And it's coming right up, on Sept. 14! But I'm not throwing it, AMS Pictures is; and you don't need to bring everything you own, just $25.

The event will feature a micro-fest of old VideoFest faves, a silent auction, and of course, a preview of what's to come at the 25th Dallas VideoFest! A panel of guests will also discuss their favorite VideoFest moments; the guests include:

Ed Bark, TV critic and blogger
Manny Mendoza, former DMN TV critic and filmmaker
Mark Birnbaum, filmmaker
moi, video artist
Katie Gimenez, Director of Networking at Plano Chamber of Commerce (and former DVF Festival Coordinator)

Come get prep'd for the fest, help re-create the world as a more interesting, fun place (another quote from Treetin: [s]how me something beautiful and I will go on) by contributing to a great organization, and party! – more info here, and tickets here!

Dallas VideoFest 2011

. . . is Sept. 21 - 25!

To my extreme regret, I have to miss it 'cuz I'll be out of town, and before that, I'll be too busy to put together the kind of chronologically-ordered schedule I've provided in previous years.

However, the Fest website is here, with lots of info and, I'm sure, more to come.

And I guarantee that if you go and see all you possibly can, you'll see things you'll remember with interest and pleasure for the rest of your life.

UPDATE: Something just happened to penetrate into my hard-at-work space today, about a program called Women Art Revolution; and if I were able to make the Fest this year, I wouldn't miss it.

Barbiecam Does the Dallas VideoFest

Barbie turns out to be a pretty good shot, people seem glad to "talk to the glam", and you don't have to compress for the 'net. About her only shortcoming is, she doesn't see well in the dark. Here's her handiwork.

UPDATE: For photos of the Fest, see Roderick Cordova's FB albums here, here, here, here, and here (thanks, Roderick!)

VideoFest Tonite!

My submission to D Magazine 's Textures of Dallas" competition made it into the top 10, so I'll be there for the Q&A (screening at 7, Angelika Dallas).

I didn't have my own video-shooting phone at the time I made my entry, so had to borrow one; but I DO have my own handheld now: BARBIECAM! Compares favorably to the Canon 7D. She'll be in attendance.

Dallas VideoFest 2010 is Almost Here!

Opening night is this Thursday, September 23, and it runs through the weekend. The whole thing is at the Angelika Mockingbird. There will be 3 different channels of programming on 3 screens at all times.

So, time to start deciding what to see.

If you prefer to see more titles at a glance and don't mind clicking for each program blurb, see the online schedule for the Fest here. The Fest website also has trailers and other good stuff.

If you prefer not to have to click for the program blurbs, you can download a PDF of the complete schedule in chron order here. This is the "classic" version I've been putting together for some years, with the programs in chronological order WITH the blurbs right there. The PDF is also (yellow-) highlighted to indicate which programs sounded most interesting to me based on my own idiosyncratic preferences, what I've seen before, etc.

I haven't kept up with all the info coming out about particular programs (see the Fest's Facebook page), so please feel free to add info in comments to this post.

Hope to see you at the Fest!

UPDATE to share the benefit, such as it is, of some additional notes for an art-oriented friend:

On the chron schedule, in some cases I just highlighted the first letter – those also sounded interesting but maybe not quite as much, for me. Most of my guesses are based solely on written descriptions – I didn't have advance access to any Festival submissions this year – and I could easily change my mind.

Beyond that, I CAN say . . . I think more than one doc on Thursday will be very good – I'd pick one of those based on your interests.

On Friday, DON'T MISS the Alt Animation compilation. Re- Lethe, I've seen just one other Lewis Klahr piece – with my co-curator, Danette Dufilho, for the I Heart Video Art series – and it blew both our minds. And I've seen David Reilly's Please Say Something, and it's brilliant.

On Saturday, if you haven't already seen a lot of Ant Farm, the doc on them would be good. I think Bela will be educational for me; and I don't want to miss the Macbeth piece, although Shakespeare inspires not-so-great as well as great stuff, so you never know. I'm looking forward to the doc on Jeff Koons and The Girl with Black Balloons, and Mars.

Sunday, I'm curious about Webisodes. I think the Vid Garbage compilation shd be considered "do not miss" – in particular, I've seen Prim Limit (which is sort of a sequel to the eteam installation I wrangled for The Program 2008), and I think you'd really like it. I'm v. interested to see Erasing David. Curious about Memories of Overdevelopment. And I never miss The Texas Show, as a way to keep up with the Texas-based community.

All that said, there's usually something I failed to focus on that turns out to be wonderful.

FURTHER UPDATE: Just uploaded a slightly revised chron schedule with one correction and reflecting additional info from Bart about what he'd thought I'd like – here. His estimates re- my likes aren't 100%, but helpful.

"The Second Program" Starts Tomorrow!

As usual, short of hoofing it to multiple venues in NY and LA, this will probably be your best if not only chance to see these exciting new works. Here are the details:

THURS. 7/22, 7:30PM, Dallas Museum of Art, Horchow Auditorium
Brent Green's feature film premieres, Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then (some of you may recall Green's Hadecol Christmas, shown at the 2007 Dallas Video Festival). "The film, which belongs firmly to the American Eccentric School, tells the true story of Leonard Wood, a hardware store clerk in Kentucky who built a crazy-quilt house in the 1970s as a healing machine for his wife, Mary, hoping to save her from cancer. . . . [Green] shot Gravity in stop-motion animation – much of it in his backyard, where he rebuilt Leonard’s house – giving [the film] a dreamlike quality that carries over to the narrative." Q&A with the artist via iChat after the screening; one night only.

SAT., 7/31, 6 - 8:30PM, Conduit Gallery
An exhibition of installations curated by Charles Dee Mitchell opens, featuring work by David Askevold, Jon Gitelson, Matthew Day Jackson, Luke Murphy, Jason Rhoades, Erin Shirreff, and Bill Viola. This exhibition runs through August 28.

SAT., 8/4, 7:30PM, Angelika Dallas
Dallas premiere of Rape of the Sabine Women by Eve Sussman & the Rufus Corporation. Presented by Creative Time at the 2007 Armory Show; shot with a cast of hundreds in Greece and Germany and scored by Jonathan Bepler (Matthew Barney's collaborator). The piece is "a re-interpretation of the Roman myth, updated and set in the idealistic 1960's." One night only; made possible by a donation from Karen Weiner.

SAT., 8/7, 7 - 8:30PM, Conduit Gallery
A program of shorts curated by Bart Weiss: New York Night Scenes by Jem Cohen, Second Nature by Guy Ben-Ner, Vienna In The Desert by Wago Kreider (of The Yes Men), Below Sea Level by Pawel Wojtasik, Happy Am I by Erin Cosgrove, In G.O.D. We Trust by Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung, Afterimage: A Flicker of Life by Kerry Laitala, and My Voice Would Reach You by Meiro Koizumi. (Some of you may recall other works by Cohen, Ben-Ner, Hung, or Koizumi screened at the first The Program or the Dallas Video Festival.) One night only.

WED., 8/18, 7:30PM, Angelika Dallas
Double Take by Johan Grimonprez. Described by the NYT as "the most intellectually agile of this year's films"; it also made John Waters' Top Ten list in Artforum. One night only; made possible by support from Half Price Books, Records, and Magazines.

I've been really excited to see all the Second Program events; but this week I got asked to review Lady GaGa's concert tomorrow night, so unfortunately, I'll have to miss the first screening. (Not that I'm trying to be a music reviewer; but I can't resist this chance to see GaGa live and maybe meet her.)

But I hope to see you at all the other Second Program events!

THE SECOND PROGRAM Schedule

"Our mission with The Second Program remains as before--to bring to Dallas international work that for the most part would not have any other venue in this area. The format for 2010, however, is very different. Here is our schedule of events:

"July 22 - Premiere showing of Brent Green's feature film Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then at the Dallas Museum of Art.

"July 31 - Opening night of The Second Program at Conduit Gallery, an exhibition curated by Charles Dee Mitchell featuring work by David Askevold, Jon Gitelson, Matthew Day Jackson, Luke Murphy, Jason Rhoades, Erin Shirreff, and Bill Viola. (Exhibition continues through Aug 28.)

"August 4 - Dallas premiere of Rape of the Sabine Women by Ann Sussman and the Rufus Corporation at the Angelika Mockingbird Station. (This screening is made possible by a generous donation from Karen Erxleben Weiner.)

"August 7 - An evening of short films curated by Bart Weiss at Conduit Gallery.

"August 18 - Area premiere of Double Take, a film by Johan Grimonprez at the Angelika Mockingbird Station. (This screening is made possible by a generous donation from Half Price Books, Records, and Magazines, Inc.)

"More information on all these events can be found on facebook."

(By the way, some of you have assumed I'm involved in The Second Program; I am not. The Video Association invited me to co-curate again, and I'm grateful for their support of my efforts past and present; but the main reasons I did the first The Program were to get to see a ton of work and bring my video art education up to date {as well to share as much of it as possible with you}, and after the first The Program, having accumulated ca. 90,000 words of succinct notes on works I'd seen, I felt I'd gotten far enough along with that for a while and wanted to focus more energy on other projects. I'm delighted that Bart Weiss and Dee Mitchell are carrying on without me, and I plan to enjoy every bit of The Second Program. Hope to see you there!)

Wrap-Up Re- the 22nd Annual Dallas VideoFest

As always, although I was there most of the time, it was impossible to see everything I'd have liked.

But of the things I saw, I loved American Casino by Leslie Cockburn, Space Ghost by Laurie Jo Reynolds, Dropping Furniture by Harald Hund and Paul Horn, In Transit by Lisa Abdul, Gogol Bordello – Non-Stop by Margarita Jimeno, Beaches of Agnes by Agnès Varda (opening soon at the Angelika Dallas), The Art Guys Retrospective by The Art Guys (get the anthologie DVD here), Chickenshit by Ricky Gluski, the Nicolas Provost videos, Gravity and The Divers, the Lossless videos by Rebecca Baron and Douglas Goodwin, 14 Americans by Michael Blackwood and Nancy Rosen, Blank City by Celine Danhier, Chase by Liz Magic Laser, a selection of YouTube videos entitled, Click Play: One Billion Times a Day curated by 2 UTD grad students whose names I don't find listed (I think they're going to make a list of URL's availabe through the VideoFest's website), The Glass House by Hamid Rahmanian (which will soon air on the Sundance Channel), Body Trail by Willi Dorner and Michael Palm (the performance on which the video is based, Bodies in Urban Spaces, played at the Fusebox Festival in Austin earlier this year), Burma VJ by Anders Østergaard (I believe this will air soon on HBO), Burning Palace by Mara Mattuschka and Chris Haring, Evening's Civil Twilight in Empires of Tin by Jem Cohen (available on DVD here), and Western Brothers' Adventure Story by Andrew Xanthopoulos.

And I missed a bunch of others I'd probably also have mentioned.

VideoFest (f.k.a. Dallas Video Festival) '09 Is

so far (like the others past) great.

The Art Guys were actually in town for their retrospective tonite, among other cool (in the highest sense) people.

Dallas VideoFest 2009 Chronological Schedule

You can download a PDF of the chron schedule below here. You can also "build your own" or download the complete programme at the VideoFest's site. I just find the chron format easiest to deal with.

I have not filled in the descriptions of all the individual videos in compilations, but sometimes randomly picked up one or two to get a feel for what they might be like. Yellow-highlighted items are rec'd because either I've seen them and liked them, I've seen and liked the artist's other work, or the piece happens to sound interesting to me, given my peculiar interests (so yeah, the yellow's pretty random).

Need I say, video's now fully, forcefully, shaping our lives; but opportunities to see the best of it remain scarce.

All programs are at the Angelika Dallas – hope to see you there!

THURSDAY, NOV. 5

7:00 PM
American Casino
Leslie Cockburn
Documentary | 89 min.
It was a subprime mortgage gamble and the working-class were unwitting chips on the table. This debut feature gets to the guts of the matter by explaining how $8 trillion vanished into the American Casino. We hear from a teacher, a banker who sold us out, a mortgage salesman who inflated incomes to justify loans, and a billionaire who won a $500 million bet that people would lose their homes. We see the casinos endgame: Riverside, California a foreclosure wasteland of rats and meth labs, where mosquitoes breed in stagnant swimming pools of yesterday’s dreams.
Angelika - Screen 1

7:00 PM
Dangerous Places Compilation
Video Art | 52 min.
plays with...
* Space Ghost | Laurie Jo Reynolds
* Nashi | Daya Cahen
Angelika - Video Café

7:00 PM
* The Tale of Nicolai and the Law of Return | David Ofek
Documentary | 54 min.
After the collapse of communism, Nicolai (who plays himself in this true story) leaves his tiny, remote village in Romania to seek his fortune overseas. For three years he worked and was exploited as a guest laborer in Israel. When Nicolai fled his employer and became an 'illegal' he was sent to prison, but suddenly his life took an abrupt turn. If he can find the proof he's Jewish, he can become an israeli citizen.
. . . playing with
* A Dallas Jewish Journey | Cynthia Salzman Mondell, Allen Mondell
Step back in time to experience the rich history of our Dallas Jewish
Community! A Dallas Jewish Journey takes you from the first Jew in Dallas,
Alex Simon, to Soviet Jewry’s flight for freedom—and beyond.
* 4 Questions For A Rabbi | Jay Rosenblatt, Stacy Ross 2008
Angelika - Screen 2

8:00 PM
Getting Oriented Compilation
Video Art | 22 min.
plays with...
* Home Movie | Reinhilde Condin, Martin Bruch
* Dropping Furniture | Paul Horn, Harald Hund
* In Transit | Lida Abdul
* Orientation Video | Gregory Gutenko 2008
Angelika - Video Café

8:30 PM
Gogol Bordello - Non Stop
Margarita Jimeno | Documentary | 90 min.
Gogol Bordello is a multi-ethnic Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of New York City known for its theatrical stage shows. Much of the band's sound is inspired by Gypsy music, as its core members are immigrants from Eastern Europe. The documentary film follows the band's rise from underground legends to international fame from 2001 to 2007.
Angelika - Screen 2

9:00 PM
Orgasm Inc.
Liz Canner | Documentary | 80 min.
In this documentary Liz Canner takes a job editing erotic videos for a pharmaceutical company that is developing a drug to treat Female Sexual Dysfunction. But Liz begins to suspect that her employer, along with a cadre of other medical companies, might be trying to take advantage of women, potentially endangering their health, in pursuit of billion dollar profits. The race for the Female Viagra is on!
Angelika - Screen 1

9:00 PM
Vistas Compilation
Experimental Video | 65 min.
plays with...
* Set In Solitude | Malak Quota
* Chicago Corner | Bill Brown
* Postcard to Owen Sound | Jen Di Cresce
* Scenes from a rooftop | Paul johannessen
* Sitting | Leighton Pierce
* Stone Moss | Leighton Pierce
* The Nightgardener | Jennifer Hardacker
* Wax And Wane | Cassandra C Jones
* West Texas | Colby Allen
Angelika - Video Café

10:00 PM
There is Never a Reference Point
Thomas Riccio | Documentary | 66 min.
A performance installation inspired by the journal writings and watercolors of Jamie Dakis, a woman diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, commonly known as multiple personality disorder. The performance will take the form of an immersive, interactive “walk-through” presentation where “visitors” explore and experience each of Jamie’s personalities.
Angelika - Screen 2

10:30 PM
Elektra And The Vampire
Edward Rankus | Experimental | 31 min.
Chicago video artist Edward Rankus's work is masterfully edited and deeply ironic, and he is able to wring drama from mundane subjects. The play of symbols is very important in his work, which in some ways approaches still-life painting in its juxtapositioning of essential elements to create moods and meanings.
Angelika - Video Café

FRIDAY, NOV. 6

7:00 PM
Legend Of The Dot Race - Chuck Morgan
Talk | 90 min.
Chuck Morgan is the Auteur of Stadium Entertainment. Anyone who has been to a Texas Rangers game knows that the music, video and everything about the presentation is great night after night and perhaps has more consistency than any baseball team. We are happy to pay tribute to a man who brings the art of video to the people every night . Presented by Ben and Skin.
Angelika - Screen 1

7:00 PM
Guts & Glory
Live Show
[I think this is the results of the film version of the 24-hour Video Race.]
Angelika - Screen 2

7:00 PM
BQE
Sufjan Stevens | Experimental | 50 min.
Singer, songwriter Sufjan Stevens presents a symphonic and cinematic exploration of New York City’s infamous Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The critically applauded performance features 36 performers including a band, a wind and brass ensemble, string players, a horn section, projected film footage of the expressway and five hula hoopers.
Angelika - Video Café

8:00 PM
Beaches Of Agnes
Agnes Varda | Documentary | 110 min.
Beaches have always struck a chord for Agnès Varda. She visits coastlines that correspond to chapters in her life, from the Mediterranean port of Sète, of her first film, La Pointe-courte, to Venice Beach, representing the years she spent in California with her husband, the late Jacques Demy. This film can be enjoyed simply for its touching, eloquent reflections on life.
Angelika - Screen 2

8:00 PM
The Toe Tactic
Emily Hubley | Animation | 86 min.
In this hybrid of live-action and animation, a young woman grieves for her father while unaware of the magical world around her.
Angelika - Video Café

8:30 PM
The Art Guys Retrospective: 1984-2008
The Art Guys | Video Art | 90 min.
Best known for their numerous staged performances and public spectacles, The Art Guys have presented their work in grocery stores, movie theaters, airports, restaurants, sports arenas, and other non-traditional venues for experiencing art while also exploiting mass media and entertainment to explore contemporary society and issues. Both artists will be in attendance. So who knows what could happen.
Angelika - Screen 1

9:30 PM
Neveneffecten
Luc Lemaitre | Narrative Fiction | 97 min.
A huge comet is heading for earth threatening global destruction. In a secret hide-out the governments of the world decide not to inform the general public. Meanwhile, in Belgium, Desire, 40 years old and still living with his parents, is unaware that the comet is heading straight for his head.
Angelika - Video Café

10:00 PM
R.E.M : This is not a show
Vincent Moon | Documentary | 60 min.
Ventures back to July 2007 when R.E.M. set up in Dublin, Ireland for five nights and tested new material before fired-up crowds. Documenting a self-described "experiment in terror" for the band, French filmmakers Vincent Moon and Jeremiah provide a fascinating up-close look at these ambitious live rehearsals.
Angelika - Screen 1

10:00 PM
Odd Stories Worth Staying Up For Compilation
Narrative Fiction | 58 min.
plays with...
* Killer | Adam Leon, Jack Pettibone Riccobono
A 17-year-old is consumed by an intense, dangerous game called KILLER (based on a real game). The film provides a glimpse into an urban rite of passage as it follows him and his group of friends in their hunt for their opponents across the five boroughs of 1989 New York.
* ChickenShit | Ricky Gluski 2009
* The Sheep And The Ranch Hand | Loretta Hintz 2009
* The Spam Job | Padraic Culham
Paddy was class clown, Casanova, and attention-hound. In the summer of 1997, his friends hatched a plan to feed Paddy a taste of his own eclectic medicine. What follows is an epic mystery that starts with the theft of Paddy's most prized treasure, spanned years of clandestine taunting from across the globe, and finally culminates in the fate of America's most honored and ridiculous canned food.
* Too Bare or Too Bush | Shannon Silva
Angelika - Screen 2

SATURDAY, NOV. 7

12:00 PM
Surface Of The Pixel Compilation
Video Art | 75 min.
plays with...
* Oscilator Color | Sabine Gruffat
* Before Departure | Jason Klorfein
* Gravity | Nicolas Provost
* Lossless 2 | Douglas Goodwin, Rebecca Baron
* Lossless 5 | Rebecca Baron, Douglas Goodwin
* Nanosporin AI | Stephen Hal Fishman
* R+B+G | Gregory Gutenko 2008
* The Divers | Nicolas Provost
* The Sky Socialist Stratified | Ken Jacobs
* Untitled (2 axes) | Timothy McConville
Angelika - Video Café

12:00 PM
The Name of God
Jon Racinskas | Narrative Fiction | 103 min.
The son of a prominent evangelist in the midst of searching for a personal identity, ventures into a mosque to pray. He is met with wariness by the Muslim community and hostility from his own congregation. When his mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she tries to communicate that God goes by many different names, but the most important one is "Love."
Angelika - Screen 2

12:00 PM
Siggraph 2009
Multiple | Animation | 123 min.
Angelika - Screen 1

1:00 PM
Student Animation Showcase
Animation | 45 min.
Angelika - Screen 1

1:15 PM
Chinese Ghost Story
Documentary | 29 min.
The 17th century Chinese ghost tale placed alongside a retelling of the Chinese participation in the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad establishes two parallel tracks, intersecting at the horizon of one immigrant’s story of his sixty-year separation from his family in the mainland. Chinese Ghost Story is a poetic essay in which history and landscape converge along the undisturbed railroad grade.
Angelika - Video Café

1:45 PM
Stephen Vitiello: Soundtracks
Video Art | 57 min.
plays with...
* Balance Inquiry | Andrew Deutsch
* Buoy Remix | Seoungho Cho
* Cinema | Eder Santos, Stephen Vitiello
* Green Tunnel | Kevin Gallagher
* Trifornix. (Take Two) | Nic DeSantis
* Imago Dei | Matt Flowers
Angelika - Video Café

1:45 PM
Lover or Logo
DeeDee Halleck | Documentary, Satire | 28 min.
“Lover or Logo” features the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir and Reverend Billy. It was produced by Big Noise Films in collaboration with FSTV and the Church.
Angelika - Screen 2

1:45 PM
London International Awards
Advertising | 143 min.
Angelika - Screen 1

2:15 PM
Tales from Pakistan Compilation
International
plays with...
* Color of the Sand | Amar Mahboob
* Emergency PLUS | Gulab & Afifa
* Essential Rag
* In the Name of Honor | M. Waseem
* Let Them Meet | Beena Sarwar
* Mitt da Bawa
* Music and the Message | Umbreen Butt
* Putting the Police in Order | Maheen Aiz
* Small Camera: A Heart in Exile
* The Miseducation of Pakistan | Syed ali Nasir
Angelika - Screen 2

2:45 PM
The Gruen Transfer
Mark Fitzgerald | TV Entertainment Show | 30 min.
The Gruen Transfer deconstructs advertising. A panel of industry experts analyses commercials - what works and what doesn't, and what techniques the advertisers are using to make us, the consumers, buy their product. Its light hearted and interesting and at times is reveals something about human nature.
Angelika - Screen 1

3:15 PM
Landeplage: Take On Me
Nick Ingman | Documentary | 30 min.
[No description yet.]
Angelika - Screen 1

3:15 PM
24hr Film Race Winners
24hr race | 90 min.
plays with...
* Pixelvision 1: Landdolphins
* Pixelvision 2: Digital Death
* Pixelvision 3: Team Swine
* Futurevision 1: Shoot or Die
* Futurevision 2: Siloencer Films
* Futurevision 3: View Finder Productions
* Auteur 1: Elephant & Castle Productions
* Auteur 2: Blocknaw Productions
* Auteur 3: Original Dub Master
* Guerilla 1: Monochromatic Productions
* Guerilla 2: Curtis Needs a Ride
* Guerilla 3: GuD Films | director
* Hollywood 1: Brownian Motion (tie)
* Hollywood 1: Whispering Eye (tie)
* Hollywood 2: Palatia Motion Picture Group
Angelika - Screen 2

3:15 PM
Texas Filmmakers Showcase Compilation
Shorts | 90 min.
plays with...
* Color By Number | Marshall Rimmer
* Fury | Van Blumreich
* Skip and Lester: Here's The Stapler If You Need It | Lance Myers
* It's For Her | Travis Johns
* My Mom Smokes Weed | Clay Liford
* Quarter To Noon | Kat Candler
* Smokey | Scott Thurman, Billy Loftin 2008
Angelika - Video Café

3:45 PM
A Sea Change
Barbara Ettinger | Documentary | 83 min.
In this documentary about climate change we see the long-term effects of ocean acidification. Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is dissolving into seawater and changing the pH, making seawater more acidic. This water is dissolving the shells of certain shellfish and coral reefs. The effects are working their way up the food chain and into your home.
Angelika - Screen 1

4:45 PM
14 Americans
Michael Blackwood, Nancy Rosen | Documentary | 91 min.
Making art after the end of illusionism led 14 artists in the 1970’s including Laurie Andersen, Alice Aycock, and Chuck Close to create performances, sculptures, earthworks, tableaux, furniture, shaped canvases, and more using unusual materials. They explore the process of making forms and giving meanings to those forms. In this idea art, their focus is as often social and psychological as artistic.
Angelika - Screen 2

5:30 PM
Heckler
Michael Addis | Documentary | 79 min.
When Jamie Kennedy moved from stand-up comic to actor, he encountered a new breed of heckler -- the on-line film critic. Heckler features interviews with a number of comics and musicians discussing their experiences with loud-mouthed spectators (including Bill Maher, Rob Zombie and David Allen Grier), but Kennedy goes a step further, confronting writers who've bad-mouthed his work.
Angelika - Screen 1

6:00 PM
Lost Faces
Massimo Monacelli| Narrative Fiction | 27 min.
A story of a person who, during a dream, has visions of his previous and past lives.
Angelika - Video Café

6:15 PM
Animated Shorts Compilation
Animation | 38 min.
plays with...
* Set Set Spike | Emily Hubley
* I am so proud of you | Don Hertzfeldt
* Lezzieflick | Nana Swiczinsky
* Missed Aches | Joanna Priestley
Angelika - Screen 2

6:30 PM
Wednesday Morning 2 AM
Lewis Klahr | Video Art/ Animation | 30 min.
Wednesday Morning Two A.M. is a film of a new series entitled “Couplets”. These generally, but not exclusively, organize themselves around the pairing of various pop songs and just as in these songs lyrics, the theme of love.
Angelika - Video Café

7:00 PM
Life Stories Compilation
Narrative Fiction | 32 min.
plays with...
* Umbrella | Ryan Kline 2008
* Hot Route | Casey Gooden
* Words Unspoken | Renee O Conner
Angelika - Screen 2

7:00 PM
Writing with Pictures: The Emerging Art of The Video Essay
Matt Zoller Seitz, Kevin B. Lee and Steven Boone | 90 min.
A discussion about film criticism changing from something you read in a scholarly book to something you download on your computer. Matt Zollar Seitz will show and speak about his video essays and the work of Kevin B. Lee and Steven Boone. It’s a new world where the critic of a medium uses the tools of that medium as a response.
Angelika - Screen 1

7:15 PM
Blank City
Celine Danhier | Documentary | 106 min.
A tribute to unique individuals during the mid 70s No Wave movement of retreating art away from the establishment. Filmmakers Amos Poe, Nick Zedd and Jim Jarmusch describe how someone in the Village came into a bunch of cameras and sold them to locals inspiring many to take up filmmaking. The films are raw and the cameras hand held. Look for a young Vincent Gallo, Julian Schnabel and Steve Buscemi, also Fab Five Freddy, Warhol, and Basquiat whose success killed the movement.
Angelika - Video Café

7:30 PM
Life Cycle Compilation
Experimental Video | 102 min.
plays with...
* Overlays | Justin Lincoln
* Remember | Jane Terry
* She Used To See Him Most Weekends | Penny Lane
* Young | David Lawrence
* For Memories' Sake | Ashley Maynor 2009
* Annie Lloyd | Cecelia Condit
* False Aging | Lewis Klahr
* Forget My Name | Julia Kots 2008
* Frankie | Darren Thornton
Angelika - Screen 2

8:30 PM
Albert Maysles Presents:
Albert Maysles | Documentary | 105 min.
plays with...
* Muhammad and Larry | Albert Maysles
* Get Your Ya-Ya's Out | Albert Maysles
Angelika - Screen 1

9:00 PM
Chase
Liz Laser | Installation | 20 min.
Nine professional actors perform their assigned roles in branch locations of their respective banks. The play’s cycle extended over the course of a month as she collaborated on a daily basis with the actors. Their videotaped activities attempt to rearticulate a physical and verbal relationship with these bank spaces and their inhabitants.
Angelika - Video Café

9:15 PM
Died Young Stayed Pretty
Eileen Yaghoobian | Documentary | 95 min.
A movie about Rock Posters that are both vulgar and intensely visceral onto the gnarled surfaces of the urban landscape. The film gives us intimate look at some of the giants of this modern subculture. These indie graphic artists have created their own visual language for describing the underbelly of western civilization. Along the way, they create posters that are obscene, blasphemous and often quite beautiful.
Angelika - Screen 2

9:30 PM
72 Musicians
Robert Moczydlowsky | Documentary | 72 min.
Sometimes success and failure is the same thing especially with independent bands. Tour schedules, unemployment, day care, divorce; drinking... it’s the 23 hours you’re not on stage that’s the hard part. Shot on one stage, in one club, during four days, this documentary empowers every almost-made-it musician to speak with a single, honest, anonymous, resonant voice. And it’s funny.
Angelika - Video Café

10:15 PM
Psychoville
BBC | TV Show | 45 min.
When a group of seemingly unrelated strangers all receive a note stating, "I know what you did," it sends their lives into a downward spiral. They include a birthing coach nurse who believes her practice doll is a real baby; an alcoholic, one-handed clown; a telekinetic dwarf; and a miserly old man with the world's biggest Beanie Baby collection.
Angelika - Screen 1

SUNDAY, NOV. 8

12:00 PM
To My Great Chagrin
Jeff Sumerel | Documentary | 67 min.
Sumerel along with collaborator Jeter Rhodes, have completed a 3 year journey to create a most compelling and exhilarating account of the remarkable history and career of a man known as “Brother Theodore”. Theodore’s television appearances spanned from Jack Paar to Johnny Carson to Merv Griffin to David Letterman. His diverse movie experiences joined him with Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, and Tom Hanks.
Angelika - Video Café

12:00 PM
A Reason To Live
Allen Mondel, Cynthia Salzman Mondell | Documentary | 52 min.
This poignant documentary adds a personal perspective to a major public health crisis, highlighting that while there is a need for suicide prevention and intervention, current treatments for depression are promising and offer hope.
Angelika - Screen 1

12:00 PM
Click Play: One Billion Times a Day
[I believe this is a curated selection of YouTube videos.]
Event | 60 min.
Angelika - Screen 2

1:00 PM
Birds And Other Creatures Compilation
Musical Comedy | 40 min.
plays with...
* Gillface | David Mcginnis 2008
A true fish-out-of-water story, this musical follows Gil, a lakeman (or "Aquatic-American"), as he encounters prejudice and bigotry at his desk job in the city, where he falls for the new girl in the office.
* The Three Ravens | Bobby Abate
* Silent Among Us | Dana Levy
* The Commoners | Penny Lane
A short story about growing up, a certain love song, and the apocryphal memories of childhood. Simple animations create a picture book whose story is scrambled by time and loss. Penny Lane creates an imaginative look at childhood memories and how what we remember can be completely subjective. Simple animation is used to create a black and white storybook.
Angelika - Screen 2

1:15 PM
Radical Disciple: The Story of Father Pfleger
Bob Hercules | Documentary | 58 min.
Mike Pfleger is a white priest in a nearly all-black parish, an outspoken maverick in a rigidly conservative arch-diocese, a preacher whose sermons are more akin in style and tone to Black Baptist traditions than White Catholic. Pfleger has transformed a dying parish into one of Chicago's most vibrant.
Angelika - Video Café

1:15 PM
How I Am
Ingrid Demetz | Documentary | 49 min.
Set in a small, Italian mountain town, and using only Patrick's words, this beautifully filmed documentary reveals how painfully lonely life can be for a teen with autism. At school and at home, his inability to communicate and lack of social skills make it nearly impossible for Patrick to build relationships, yet he remains optimistic for the future.
Angelika - Screen 1

2:00 PM
Eggshelland
Christopher Noice | Documentary | 60 min.
The film chronicles a year in the life of Cleveland couple Ron and Betty Manolio as they prepare their annual Eggshelland display--a unique, inspiring, and downright quirky suburban celebration of Easter, Spring, and life. It's a beautiful, funny, strange and poignant story of the never-ending joy of childhood and the inspiring legacy of one man's dream.
Angelika - Screen 2

2:15 PM
Open House
Diane Nerwen | Documentary | 31 min.
Documents the brutal nature of the development spree that has occurred in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. With images of a neighborhood being literally torn apart by developers capitalizing on a frenzied housing market, and property owners desperate to cash in before the market collapsed, 'Open House' chronicles the re-branding of Williamsburg from working class/warehouse/artist into 'cutting edge' cosmopolitan.
Angelika - Video Café

2:15 PM
The Glass House
Hamid Rahmanian | Documentary | 92 min.
With a virtually invisible camera, The Glass House takes us on a never-before-seen tour of the underclass of Iran. This groundbreaking documentary reflects a side of Iran few have access to. It introduces us to a group of courageous women working to instill a sense of empowerment and hope into the lives of otherwise discarded teenage girls.
Angelika - Screen 1

2:45 PM
Urban Dance Compilation
Shorts | 20 min.
plays with...
* Proverbial Wisdom | Jan Roberts Breslin
* Body Trail | Michael Palm, Willi Dorner [documents Bodies in Urban Spaces]
* Hero | Skip Blumberg
* Waterfront Access? | Floanne Ankah
Angelika - Video Café

3:15 PM
Migration: A Bi-Cultural Experience Compilation
Shorts | 60 min.
plays with...
* Es Como Morirse | Jan Suter 2008
* Return to Stolowicze | Marek Dojs 2008
* Pak'aal: An Orange About to Fall | Roberto Kameta 2008
* Skateborder | Ernesto Rosas 2008
* No Ward | Terence Nance 2008
Angelika - Video Café

3:30 PM
Outsider's Stories Compilation
Narrative Fiction | 86 min.
plays with...
* Igbo Kwenu! | Chinonye Chukwu
A comedic drama about what means to be a part of a second generation in America. At her cousin's wedding 18-year-old Ngozi stumbles through her journey within both worlds. But when she and her childhood acquaintance realize they have feelings for each other, Ngozi's family has other plans that interrupt the tender moment.
* Crescendo | Pierre Terrade 2009
Steph, a young mother, lives in precarious conditions with JB, her abusive boyfriend. How will she get out of this nightmare drifting her towards violence?
* Hide | Robert Shelby
* In the Land of Opportunity | Joey Sylvester 2009
* Start A band | Daniel Laabs
Angelika - Screen 2

3:45 PM
Nollywood Lady
Dorothee Wenner | Documentary | 52 min.
Peace Anyiam-Fibresima of Lagos, Nigeria is an impresario of showbiz and an impassioned spokeswoman for the thriving and innovative African film industry. She is “Nollywood Lady,” an ex-lawyer, producer, filmmaker, and the founder and CEO of the influential African Academy of Motion Pictures. And she is reshaping the way Africans see themselves—and how the world sees Africans.
Angelika - Screen 1

4:15 PM
Bubblegum Music Is The Naked Truth
Kier-La Janisse | Documentary
[No description]
Angelika - Video Café

4:45 PM
Burma VJ
Anders Østergaard | Documentary | 85 min.
Armed with video cameras, Burmese reporters expose the repressive regime controlling their country. In 2007, after decades of silence, Burma became headline news when peaceful Buddhist monks led a massive rebellion. Foreign news crews were banned, the Internet was shut down, and Burma was closed to the outside world. So how did we witness these events? Enter the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), aka the Burma VJs.
Angelika - Screen 1

5:00 PM
Speaking In Code
Amy Lee Grill | Documentary | 89 min.
Speaking in Code is an intimate account of people who are completely lost in music. A heartbreaking and lighthearted documentary, it's a glimpse into the world of techno. Captivating and entertaining, the film takes you around the world, following the people who make electronic music, their lives.
Angelika - Screen 2

6:00 PM
Performance Compilation
Experimental | 127 min.
plays with...
* Burning Palace | Mara Mattuschka, Chris Haring
* City of Noise | Mitch Barany
* The Weird Turn Pro | Chip Lord
* Tijuana Hercules - 'Down in the Bottom Lines' | Shawn Brennan
* White Piano | Timothy McConville
Angelika - Video Café

6:15 PM
Reporter
Eric Metzgar | Documentary | 90 min.
The documentary chronicles New York Times journalist Nick Kristof's 2007 trip to cover the genocidal war raging in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The film includes interviews with Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda and other key players in a brutal clash of militias. It highlights the importance of real news gathering in illuminating a world in chaos.
Angelika - Screen 1

6:45 PM
Evening's Civil Twilight in Empires Of Tin
Jem Cohen | Music | 100 min.
The video document of a live orchestral performance written by Jem Cohen played for projected films.
Angelika - Screen 2

8:00 PM
Texas Show [Compilation]
Shorts | 64 min.
[An independently juried selection of the videos that have a Texas connection.]
plays with...
* Love Bug | Kat Candler
* Change | Ya'ke smith
* Cold calls | Jack Daniel Stanley
* Dig Deep | Mark Birnbaum
* Jimmy Kuehnle's Big Red and Walking Fish | Mark Walley, Angela Guerra 2009
* Lambs | Stephen Huff 2009
* Sleet/Snow | Daniel Laabs
* Western Brothers’ Adventure Story
* Weight of the World | Jenny Goddard
* Trash Day | Sam Lerma
* Unbelievable 4 | Sukwon Shin
* Uprush | Kim Hall

The 22nd Annual Dallas Video Festival

Save the dates! Thurs. - Sun., November 5 - 8. (If you're not familiar with the Fest, see my previous posts here, here, and here.)

(There will be no The Program in 2009, but as usual, the regular Festival will include some video art.)

No Place Like Home: "Lossless"

I'm helping to curate some of the video submitted for the Dallas Video Festival this year. The mound delivered for my review has yielded several gems so far, including 4 works from a series called Lossless by Rebecca Baron and Douglas Goodwin (the visuals here don't do them justice).

Looking for more info, I came across this post on diagonal thoughts – please go there for the text, which is excellent. In a nutshell, the artists use various techniques to reveal, among other things, the discrepancies between various versions of vintage films, visually evincing, e.g., what is lost even in supposedly "lossless" compression. Among other questions, the series asks, what is "home" – without these techniques, can we know whether the version we're viewing is the original? and which version should be considered "original," given that the version we've grown up with may have been compressed or otherwise altered?

To my mind, Lossless also relates to the historiographic trend noted in my posts on Barney, Linzy, and Trends at the 2009 NYC Fairs and in Nicolas Bourriaud's recent comment to the effect that for artists, history is the last undiscovered continent, a jungle to be explored.

(By the way, there will be no The Program this year, but as usual, the regular Festival will include some video art. The Festival dates will be Thur., Nov. 5 - Sun., Nov. 8 – block them out!)




More info on Lossless at diagonal, Rebecca Baron's site, Douglas Goodwin's site, and the Video Data Bank.

Something from Nothing.

That's the job description for gods and us as creators. Here, John Cage plays 4'33" by David Tudor.



"I have nothing to say, and I am saying it."

I agree with many of the comments on this video; also, for me, this piece evokes the ultimate inadequacy of all attempts at expression(/articulation) (although those attempts may be our salvation); the longing for space in which to hear one's self (as well as the need to narrow one's focus enough to hear the all-important background noise); the relief of a release from the burden of all of the foregoing, if only for a set time. All of that is too specific, but, I hope, suggestive.

The piece is very existential, I think; and I relate to it because I believe meaning is something we have to manufacture for ourselves, and we can do it out of almost anything, or nothing -- and that we must try to hold ourselves responsible for what we make.

Reminds me of a poem by Wallace Stevens (excerpt):

One sits and beats an old tin can, lard pail.

One beats and beats for that which one believes.

That’s what one wants to get near. Could it after all

Be merely oneself, as superior as the ear

To a crow’s voice?

UPDATE on the 21st Annual DVF

I managed to catch most of everything I rec'd here, and loved it.

See you there next year!

The 21st Dallas Video Festival, Nov. 6 - 9

This year the Festival will be at the Angelika Dallas, with programming on two screens over four days. That cuts the programs down to roughly half the number included in the "classic" DVF in prior years. Bart struggled with some tough decisions in paring the selections down, so I expect everything that did make the cut this year to be pretty great.

All-Fest Passes are as usual an incredible bargain, just $75 – that's for about 33 hours of programming (there's at least twice that much, of course, but I'm counting just half since you can't be in two places at once), which comes out to about $2.37 per hour – all highly independent stuff, most of which you'll never have another chance to see. (See other pricing options, including day passes and discounts for seniors, here.)

NOTE: I've seen materials from the Festival and elsewhere that mistakenly refer to the Fest as running for three nites. Don't be confused! The Festival runs for FOUR nites, Thur., Nov. 6 thru Sun., Nov. 9, inclusive.

Below are just a few highlights. I haven't actually seen most of these, just thought they looked interesting based on descriptions from the Festival and other sources and on my own, idiosyncratic interests (e.g., I happen to be interested in anything relating to Islamic nations and culture; also, be aware that some of the programs selected may overlap in time).

For more details, see the DVF website (and don't forget to contribute to the Video Association while you're there!)

THURSDAY, NOV. 6

7:00pm
Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation by Eric Zala
After seeing the original Raiders of the Lost Ark, three Mississippi kids began filming their own shot-by-shot adaptation. Six years later it was in the can and making the art house circuit. Paramount is currently at work on a biographical story of the boys, and this is the ‘Adaptation’ that started it all. 100 min.
Chris Strompolos “Indy” in attendance.

8:30PM
German Music Videos by various artists
A collection of innovative and pristinely produced music videos courtesy of the Goethe Institute. 60 min.

9:30PM
I'll Come Running
Spencer Parsons
A young Danish man traveling through Texas hooks up with an Austin girl, and even though they're not planning to see each other again, tragic circumstances lead her to his doorstep in Denmark. 112 min.

11:15PM
Science Gone Wild by Gordon Smith
Amusing, illuminating documentary compilation of ridiculous moments from sci-fi and government scare films of the 50s and 60s, concerning radiation, monsters, space travel, drugs, computers, aliens, and the bomb. Includes clips from classics Killers From Space, The Amazing Colossal Man, and Attack of the Crab Monsters.
Filmmaker in attendance.

FRIDAY, NOV. 7

7:00PM
A President to Remember: In the Company of John F. Kennedy by Robert Drew
A four-act feature on the presidency of John F. Kennedy. It follows his triumphant presidential campaign as a young senator and the fairy-tale Camelot early years of his presidency with candid photos and clips. Then the burdens of the grave problems of the Oval office end in his shocking assassination. 85 min.

8:30PM
The Wrecking Crew by Denny Tedesco
A documentary featuring the The Wrecking Crew, a group of studio musicians in LA in the 60s, who played on hits for the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, The Byrds, Mamas and Papas, Tijuana Brass, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Rivers and were Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound. The amount of work that they were involved in was tremendous. 100 min.

10:00PM
The Pleasure of Being Robbed by Josh Safdie
A curious and lost Eleonore looks for something everywhere, even in the bags of strangers who find themselves sadly smiling only well after she's left their lives. They owe her their thanks. Directed by Josh Safdie. 71 min.

SATURDAY, NOV. 8

1:00PM
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story by Stefan Forbes
Feature documentary about Lee Atwater, the original American Political Svengali. To Democrats he was the most evil man in America, but a hero to Republicans in the heartland. He helped reshape politics with his sense of humor and vision of politics as war. He also played a mean guitar that B.B. appreciated. 88 min.
NOTE: This screens at the same time as the London Advertising Awards.

2:00PM
Finding Kraftland by Adam Shell and Richard Kraft
Hollywood music agent turns his home into a shrine to kitsch and the American consumer culture. He has collected everything from a life-size Kips Big Boy to the model for Willy Wonka’s boat. A documentary for the kid in all of us. 75 min.

2:30PM
Video Art Compilation
A collection of short experimental films that explore alternative approaches to storytelling [curated by Bart Weiss]. Includes:

• Teslamania by Joel Schlemowitz
• In the Sun Room by Edward Rankus
• Headlines: A Hybrid Film Trilogy by Sabine Gruffat
• ICE by Justin Lincoln
• Upper by John Knecht
• alpha by Kai Lossgott
• 24 Frames per Day by Sonali Gulati

4:00PM
O.J. is Guilty But Not of Murder, The Overlooked Suspect by Phil Smith
Internationally renowned private detective, William C. Dear, presents new evidence that he has uncovered in this documentary. This incredible story brings to light some of the pitfalls of a modern day police investigation, while it reminds us that sometimes what we think of as the truth, may not actually be the truth at all. 84 min.
Filmmakers and Private Eye William C. Dear in attendance.

5:15PM
Dance Compilation
A collection of videos that highlight the highs and lows of dance. Featuring three stories about a Ft. Worth ballet company, the thwarted dreams of a prima ballerina, and a comical movement study. Includes:

• 52 Percent by Rafal Skalski
• Fallen Angel by Mark Whittier
• Hot Wheels by Ben Britt

6:00PM
Guest of Cindy Sherman by Tom Donahue and Paul H-O
Feature documentary about the reclusive artist Cindy Sherman. The makers of the New York public access show Gallery Beat get to hang out with Sherman and get an insider’s look at her place in the pantheon of the New York art market and culture of celebrity. 90 min. [See also "Cindy Sherman Disavows Guest of Cindy Sherman."]

Screening with:
Color Equations by Pamela Nelson and Robert A. Wilson
An experimental study in color. 5 min.
Filmmaker in attendance.

7:30PM
Present Company by Frank V. Ross
Living separate lives out of her parent’s basement, about the only thing Christy and Buddy share is their baby. What little that is left of their relationship falls apart in questions about obligations and consequences. 85 min.

7:30PM
The Albert Maysles Award Presentation
The ALBERT MAYSLES AWARD for an emerging documentary filmmaker. Albert Maysles will be in attendance to present his own film, Running Fence, and to award his hand-picked documentary filmmaker Bradley Kaplan. The documentary work of the award-winning maker will also be showcased.
Albert Maysles and Bradley Kaplan in attendance.

Screening with: Running Fence by David Maysles, Albert Maysles and
Charlotte Zwerin
A celebration of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's vision; first a four-year struggle, then 24 1/2 miles of white nylon fabric, rising from the Pacific and stretching like a white sail across California. Runing Fence depicts the long struggle by the artists, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, to build a 24-mile fence of white fabric over the hills of California disappearing into the Pacific. Cost: 3 million dollars. The idea at first must seem the limit of absurdity for the fence was taken down as planned at the end of two weeks and now exists solely on film. There is a struggle between the artists and the state bureaucracy, who want to prevent the fence being erected, even though the ranchers whose land it crosses want it. After four years of work, Christo sees the vision realized. "See how it describes the wind." 58 min.

Also screening with: Preview of Rufus Wainwright: Do I Disappoint You by Bradley Kaplan
A preview of a feature documentary in progress, Rufus Wainwright: Do I Disappoint You is an intimate and revealing portrait of a truly magical, passionate artist in his prime and at the top of his game. The film chronicles stunning performances and behind-the-scenes footage captured live at a one-of-a-kind show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin shot by Maysles Films in the most direct, up-close, and personal style. 8 min.

10:45
Mickey Mouse, We Ain’t Compilation
Artists use awe-inspiring animation techniques to treat a variety of adult-oriented subject matter. Includes:

• Ichthyopolis by Andre Silva
• Machine Gun Nose by Thor Johnson
• Last Time in Clerkenwell by Alex Budovsky
• F.A.C.E. by M Dot Strange

10:00PM – 2:00AM
PARTY at Lee Harvey's

SUNDAY, NOV. 9

1:00PM
Miss Universe 1929 by Péter Forgács
Lisl Godarbeiter was the first Miss Austria and the first non-American to win the Miss Universe contest in 1929 – held on the Galveston beaches that year. Her cousin, Marci, was secretly in love with her and started making films of her. These films, modern interviews and archive footage tell their story. 70 min.

1:30PM
La Couleur d'Argent (The Color of Money) by Jean Marie Michel
The 2008 presidential race was the most expensive election in U.S. history. And the entire country got caught up in the race, from the average American to the most powerful figures in the U.S. The country’s special interest groups geared up for battle, from Hollywood to Wall Street to Texas oil tycoons. But the Internet may have made it possible for candidates to finally break free of the generosity of corporate interests. This film takes a close-up look at the battle: a struggle between the American people, who want to choose their own president, and U.S. corporate groups, whose special interests often clash with those of ordinary citizens.

2:15PM
Cinematic Bebop Compilation
A cornerstone of our festival is celebrating the marriage of music and images through the art of the music video.

• Gates of Steel Karaoke Music Video by Karl Lind
• "Smack Dem Christians Down" Music Video by Mark Herrier
• KINKY by Carlos Florez
• Cantata in C Major by Ronnie Cramer
• Mama, Why? by Keith Wilson

2:45PM
Here and There Compilation
These videos explore the interplay between people and their environments using disparate visual styles.

• Airport by Ryan Kline
• The Bystander in Calgary by Roger Connah, J.P. Maruszczak
• Space Times Square by Barry Vacker
• Vancouver by Bryan Konefsky
• Not Enough Night by
• 200,000 Phantoms by Jean-Gabriel Périot
• Deep Ellum by Tiffany Kieran and Kevin Nash
• Berks and Belgrade by Michael O’Reilly
• A Taste of Home by David Yun
• The Revenge of the Lawn by J.P. Maruszczak and Roger Connah

4:30PM
Cinematic Surface Compilation
The subject of this compilation is the nature and texture of film itself.

• Gift of Fire: 19 Obscure Frames that Changed the World by Ken Jacobs
• Nine.5 by Keith Wilson
• A Short and Incomplete History of Experimental Film and Video by Brandon Bauer

5:15PM
Moral Kombat by Spencer Halpin
This high-def video documentary studies the controversies of the video game industry. Both a history of the development of the games as well as the First Amendment arguments about the more violent games. A serious look that lets developers, politicians and experts have their say. 81 min. You might find it useful to supplement the Wikipedia entry with this from M.I.T. Prof. Henry Jenkins' blog.
Filmmaker in attendance.
WINNER META MEDIA AWARD – DIRECTOR’S CHOICE

8:30PM
Iranian Compilation
This compilation includes two excellent shorts from Iran.

• Rough Cut by Firouzeh Khosrovani
• Shangol'o Mangol by Seyyed Morteza Ahadi

8:45PM
The Texas Show Compilation
The annual Texas Show is a sampling of the finest shorts the Lone Star State has to offer over a broad spectrum of genres and styles. This year's showcase was juried by Ya'ke, Austin-Based filmmaker and educator, James Johnston, underground filmmaker and renowned Vegan Chef, and A.C. Abbott festival director, filmmaker and educator.

10:00PM – 1:00AM
PARTY at The Belmont; map here.