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Crossroads Offers the Most Extraordinarily Idiosyncratic Films You’ll See All Year

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When I landed in San Francisco in 1985, avant-garde cinema was everywhere. San Francisco Cinematheque presented weekly screenings in the San Francisco Art Institute auditorium, while institutional heavyweights SFMOMA (whose vaunted Art in Cinema program began in 1946) and BAMPFA regularly showed experimental films.

Thriving on the cultural fringe outside the mainstream, experimental film was a fixture at scruffy venues on the geographical periphery, i.e., the Mission (Other Cinema), China Basin (the no nothing cinema) and the Haight (the Red Vic Movie House, which booked a night of student films every semester). The Castro and the Roxie chipped in with screenings of transgressive underground filmmakers Kenneth Anger, Curt McDowell and George Kuchar.

We won’t rehash how San Francisco and the world have changed in the ensuing decades (for one thing, SFMOMA terminated its film program in 2021). In response, longtime SF Cinematheque director Steve Polta shifted several years ago to a lighter calendar of ad hoc screenings augmented by a major annual festival.

The 15th edition of Crossroads , screening Friday, Aug. 30 through Sunday, Sept. 1 at Gray Area in the Mission, comprises 10 skillfully curated programs of short works from around the world. They are the most extraordinarily idiosyncratic and uncompromising films you’ll see this year, even taking into account the featured contributions of cinematographers, composers and other collaborators.

The opening film of “ utopia springs from fertile soil ,” Program 1 — Side 1, Track 1, as it were — is San Francisco stalwart Dominic Angerame’s The San Francisco Art Institute (A Ghost Story) . The title is self-explanatory if you know SFAI shuttered two years ago ; Angerame blesses us with nine haunted minutes of black-and-white, Dziga Vertov–inflected shots of faces, film gear and unpopulated vistas of the brutalist-yet-inviting campus.

Most of the works in Program 1 play like an elegy for lost human contact in a sea of concrete and glass. Here’s where the artists’ synopses are instructive in appreciating avant-garde cinema: Ross Meckfessel describes the protagonist of his Spark From a Falling Star as an “odd, unseen alien presence … that transforms people [and] public spaces [and] floats unmoored through the real and virtual alike.”

My interpretation didn’t correspond exactly to Meckfessel’s intention, but that’s all right. I got the mood of indifference and alienation. Experimental films often work on the viewer like poems, or abstract paintings, which is to say that it’s more important, and more satisfying, to experience them than to explain them.

That said, numerous festival films express a social and/or political critique. A highlight of Program 2 (“ we spoke of dust ”) is Sunflower Siege Engine by Crossroads regular Sky Hopinka. The filmmaker anchors his richly evocative 21st-century contemplation of reservations, resistance and spirituality in 1969 newsreel footage of Richard Oakes delivering his “Proclamation to the Great White Father and All His People.”

Alcatraz Island is more than suitable for a reservation, Oakes said during the Indigenous occupation. “It would be fitting and symbolic that ships from all over the world, entering the Golden Gate, would first see Indian Land, and thus be reminded of the true history of this nation.” Hopinka (who packs a great deal into 12 minutes) makes a subtle, pointed comment by including the reporter’s off-screen directions to Oakes; even when the revolution is televised, it must conform to that medium’s format.

Polta set another important piece, London filmmaker Morgan Quaintance’s fascinating Efforts of Nature , as the capstone of Program 3 (“ depending on the light to make a difference ”). Like Hopinka, Quaintance reaches into the past for powerful words, those of renowned poet and Vietnam War veteran Yusef Komunyakaa. Among other things, the film asks us to consider the relationship between the past and the present in terms of the pace of progress.

Crossroads’ core audience is the still-significant Bay Area population of experimental filmmakers and artists of all stripes, as well as the savvier corporate worker in advertising and graphic design. For those moviegoers who have never immersed themselves in an hour-long program of non-narrative film, in the rhythm of light and shadow, the mysterious magic of pure cinema, there is no better place to begin than Crossroads.

Crossroads takes place Aug. 30–Sept. 1 at Gray Area (2665 Mission St., San Francisco). Click here for tickets and more information .

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The 30+ Best Experimental Movies

Welcome to the captivating realm of films that challenge conventions, play with form and substance, and provoke discussion. Our expertly-curated Ranker list serves as your guide to the best controversial experimental films that captivated the audience and redefined cinematic storytelling. Wielded by visionary directors, these films push the boundaries, disrupt common tropes, and invoke powerful reactions. 

Rooted in an experimental and provocative ethos, these films are loaded with unique narrative styles, expressive visual language, and characters that defy the mainstream cinema. From surreal dreamscapes to disquieting realities, the chosen films encapsulate a wide range of topics and themes, making this a versatile list that caters to diverse tastes. 

Compare films and dive into the nuances by leveraging our user-friendly interface. Learn about each film's vivid descriptions, key cast members, and notable facts. Enrich your movie watching experience and engage in enlightening conversations as you explore the world of controversial experimental cinema.

Gain instant access to your preferred films with our integrated streaming service buttons. Whether you are a subscriber of Netflix, Disney+, Max, Hulu, Paramount+, or Amazon Prime, our website offers seamless navigation to your streaming platform of choice. Each film entry harbors clickable buttons redirecting to the movie on the above-mentioned platforms, ready to be streamed at your convenience.

Revel in the rich diversity this list offers, from psychological dramas to outlandish horror, each film's distinct style and daring narrative brings something new to the table. Connect with the Ranker community, gather insights, and join the ongoing debate on these ground-breaking films. 

Our Ranker list stands as a testament to cinema's transformative power. Unveiling stories that stay with the audience, these controversial experimental films beckon to the curious and the adventurous. Join others in discovering unexplored cinematic territory and find your next watching experience here on Ranker. Delve deeper, explore further, and embrace the power of experimental films.

Seven Servants

Seven Servants is a masterclass in experimental cinema that effortlessly melds together unconventional storytelling techniques with striking visual aesthetics to create an unparalleled viewing experience. The film's intricate story structure challenges traditional notions of linear storytelling, taking viewers on an immersive journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. Its breathtaking cinematography further accentuates the captivating atmosphere created by this remarkable piece of artistry. Combining these elements with thought-provoking themes exploring power dynamics and human relationships, Seven Servants truly transcends cinematic norms to stand as an extraordinary example of innovative filmmaking.

• Released : 1996
• Directed by : Daryush Shokof

Flushers is an avant-garde masterpiece that skillfully pushes the boundaries of conventional storytelling and filmmaking techniques. This experimental gem showcases a bold vision, utilizing daring themes and innovative visual styles to challenge viewers' perception of cinema. With its striking imagery and unconventional story structure, Flushers takes audiences on a surreal journey through uncharted territories, constantly defying expectations while leaving an indelible mark on the world of film. The groundbreaking directorial approach ensures that this enigmatic work stands as a testament to the limitless potential for artistic expression within the medium.

• Released : 2013

Breathful is an enthralling tour de force in experimental cinema that successfully marries exceptional visual innovation with audacious thematic explorations. The film's distinct style lends itself to a hypnotic viewing experience, as viewers are drawn into the labyrinthine story that defies traditional expectations. The daring directorial choices and sublime cinematography create an unparalleled atmosphere of intrigue, ensuring that Breathful remains a fascinating example of boundary-pushing cinema. This artistic triumph is sure to captivate film aficionados and casual viewers alike with its unyielding ambition and visionary execution.

• Released : 2007

Asudem presents an intriguing amalgamation of visceral horror elements and provocative thematic underpinnings. This visionary piece redefines genre conventions by employing cutting-edge visual styles and story devices to create an immersive experience like no other. Through its evocative blend of nightmarish imagery, disturbing symbolism, and thoughtfully constructed plotlines, Asudem offers a startling exploration into the darkest recesses of human nature. With its unrelenting intensity and masterful filmmaking prowess, this standout work leaves a lasting impact on viewers long after the credits have rolled.

• Released : 2006

An Andalusian Dog

An Andalusian Dog remains an undisputed classic within the realm of experimental cinema, boasting an impressive legacy that continues to inspire filmmakers today. As one of the earliest examples of surrealist film, this groundbreaking masterpiece effortlessly blurs the lines between reality and fantasy through its dreamlike imagery and unconventional story structure. Its provocative themes exploring human desire, fear, and obsession are expertly woven throughout each frame, sustaining a palpable tension that leaves viewers enthralled long after their initial viewing experience has ended. Timeless in its avant-garde vision, An Andalusian Dog undeniably remains an essential piece within any cinephile's collection.

• Released : 1929
• Directed by : Luis Buñuel

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie stands tall as a groundbreaking entry in experimental cinema, thanks to its inventive blend of biting social commentary and surreal storytelling techniques. This acclaimed work showcases masterful craftsmanship in both its screenplay and visual presentation, resulting in an unforgettable cinematic journey that keeps viewers riveted from start to finish. With its subversive exploration of bourgeois society's hypocrisies and contradictions, this scathing satire delves deep into the human psyche while challenging long-held societal norms. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie undoubtedly serves as a shining example of experimental filmmaking at its finest.

• Released : 1972

what is experimental film?

Experimental film, referred to as avantgarde cinema , is a genre that defies traditional storytelling and filmmaking techniques. It explores the boundaries of the medium, prioritizing artistic expression and innovation over narrative coherence. These films are characterized by their unconventional structures, visuals, and approaches to sound and editing, challenging the audiences to think differently about cinema and often blurring the lines between film and other art forms.

Origins and History of Experimental Film

Experimental film begun to take shape in the early 20th century, closely connected with various avantgarde art movements. The rise of modernism, with its emphasis on departing from traditional forms, laid the groundwork for experimental cinema. The Dadaists , Surrealists , and Futurists artists, among others, looked to challenge traditional aesthetics and societal norms, which naturally extended into the art of film. At this time, several avantgarde short films were created, with famous ones being Entr’acte (1924) and Anémic Cinéma (1926).

One of the earliest pioneers was Dziga Vertov, a Soviet filmmaker whose work “Man with a Movie Camera” (1929) exemplified the spirit of experimentation. Vertov’s film was a documentary-style depiction of Soviet life, but it was notable for its lack of a narrative. Instead, it employed a rapid montage of unconnected images, creating a kaleidoscopic view of reality. This emphasized the medium’s potential for abstraction and montage , concepts that would become central to experimental film.

The post-World War I era saw a surge of filmmakers like Luis Bunuel, Germaine Dulac, and Man Ray exploring the possibilities of non-narrative film. Their works often blurred the lines between cinema, painting, and sculpture, utilizing techniques such as slow motion, superimposition, and reverse motion to create surreal and dreamlike experiences.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the experimental film movement continued to develop. This period saw the rise of Poetic Realism and the influence of surrealism in film. In France, directors like Jean Vigo, with his film “L’Atalante” (1934), blended poetic imagery with a loose narrative structure, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. Meanwhile, in the United States, filmmakers like Ralph Steiner and Willard Van Dyke produced works such as “The City” (1939), a semi-documentary that utilized montage and visual poetry to depict urban life. The experimentation of this era laid the groundwork for the more radical departures from narrative cinema that would emerge in the post-World War II years.

Characteristics of Experimental Film

Non-narrative structure: Unlike traditional films that follow a linear story-line, experimental films employ non-linear or non-narrative structures. They may consist of disjointed scenes, abstract imagery, or even lack a coherent plot altogether.

Visual and auditory experimentation: Experimental filmmakers frequently use unorthodox visual and auditory techniques. This can include the use of unconventional camera angles, extreme close-ups, rapid editing, and innovative lighting. Soundscapes in these films might incorporate ambient noises, non-diegetic sounds, or complete silence.

Personal and introspective themes: Many experimental films delve into personal or philosophical themes, reflecting the filmmaker’s thoughts, emotions, or worldview.

Focus on the medium: A recurring theme in experimental film is the exploration of the medium itself. Filmmakers could draw attention to the mechanics of filmmaking—such as the materiality of film stock, the editing process, or the interplay of light and shadow.

Short form and low budget: Many experimental films are short in length, ranging from a few minutes to half an hour. The low-budget nature of these projects results in greater creative freedom, as filmmakers are less constrained by commercial expectations.

Important Filmmakers and Films of Experimental Cinema

Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali were key figures in the surrealist movement , known for their iconic experimental film “Un Chien Andalou” (1929). This 16-minute silent short is famous for its disjointed narrative and shocking imagery, notably the scene of a woman’s eye being slashed. The film utilized dream logic and delved into the subconscious, reflecting the surrealists’ intent to challenge traditional film.

Maya Deren was a pioneer in American avantgarde cinema, celebrated for her poetic and visually inventive films. Her seminal work “Meshes of the Afternoon” (1943), delves into themes of identity, memory, and the subconscious. The 14-minute film features Deren in a recurring loop of dreamlike sequences, encountering mysterious objects and figures. Deren’s use of slow motion and symbolic imagery creates a sense of disorientation, significantly influencing the development of experimental film in the United States.

Stan Brakhage was an influential experimental filmmaker known for exploring the visual potential of film. His notable work “Dog Star Man” (1961-64) consists of four abstract films meditating on cosmic and existential themes. Brakhage used experimental techniques like hand-painting on film and multiple exposures to create vivid, dynamic visual textures.

Kenneth Anger is an American filmmaker renowned for his focus on occult themes, pop culture, and homoeroticism. His influential film “Scorpio Rising” (1963) is a 28-minute piece that combines documentary footage, staged scenes, and a rock-and-roll soundtrack. The film portrays motorcycle enthusiasts and interweaves imagery of biker culture with religious and mythological symbols. Anger’s work often examined the interplay of power, desire, and the occult.

Legacy and Influence of the Experimental Film

Experimental film has significantly influenced cinema and other artistic practices, leaving a lasting impact on various forms of visual media. Techniques such as rapid editing and non-linear narratives, pioneered by experimental filmmakers, have been incorporated into mainstream cinema, television, and video games.

The genre has been pivotal in the growth of independent cinema , as experimental filmmakers operate outside the commercial studio system . Institutions like the Anthology Film Archives in New York and Canyon Cinema in San Francisco have played key roles in preserving and promoting experimental film, offering a platforms for both new and established filmmakers. By challenging traditional notions of narrative, experimental film has expanded the theoretical discourse around cinema, encouraging audiences to seek the boundaries between reality and illusion and engage with the medium’s aesthetic and philosophical aspects.

Refer to the main blog page for more educational insights on filmmaking techniques and cinematic history.

‘Enter the Void’ & 9 of the Most Interesting Experimental Movies of All Time

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Rules are meant to be broken. Surely, this rule applies to any living human, but perhaps more so to artists, especially filmmakers. Throughout the history of cinema, many filmmakers have experimented with movies and bent the rules of what filmmaking should be. But of course, some have done their films poorly, and others have delighted their audiences.

RELATED: 'Skinamarink' & 9 Other Experimental Horror Movies That Are as Strange as They Are Scary

What counts as an experimental movie? They are avant-garde and unconventional approaches to a film’s narrative, structure, and visual style. Movies such as Enter the Void , The Holy Mountain , and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie are experimental films that have defied conventional cinema and what audiences are willing to accept as entertainment or experience.

1 ‘Upstream Color’ (2013)

Upstream Color is written, directed, produced by, and stars Shane Carruth . The film is about two people, Jeff (Shane Carruth) and Kris ( Amy Seimetz ), whose lives and behaviors are unknowingly affected by a parasite. The parasite has a three-stage life cycle that passes from humans to pigs to orchids. At every stage of the life cycle, the parasite reacts differently, which in turn, also affects the behaviors of its victims, and in this case, Kris and Jeff.

Like many experimental films, this one has always been up for interpretation. In several interviews, Carruth has mentioned that the film is about identity: “about whether we control our identity to whether our identity controls us.”

2 ‘Holy Motors’ (2012)

Where to begin? Holy Motors follows the chauffeur Céline ( Edith Scab ) and Monsieur Oscar ( Denis Lavant ), seemingly an actor, who gets into a limo with a dressing room filled with costumes and props. Mr. Oscar’s first "performance" is as a beggar woman wandering the bridge in Paris; and then a gangster; a father; a red-haired man who lives in the sewers; a rich banker; “Mr. Vogan”; a man with chimpanzees as his family.

And although Holy Motors received critical acclaim and high praise from many critics and filmmakers, many still wonder about the true meaning behind the film. Why is a man dressed up as different characters, all within one day?

3 ‘Enter the Void’ (2009)

Enter the Void is a film told through the point-of-view of a young American drug dealer and addict, Oscar ( Nathaniel Brown ), who lives in an apartment in Tokyo with his sister, Linda ( Paz de la Huerta ), who works as a stripper. Once Oscar dives deep into a hallucinogenic trip, his friend Victor ( Olly Alexander ) invites him to deal at “The Void” bar, but once he gets there, a police raid costs him his life.

After his death, Oscar is resurrected in the form of his spirit, and this is where the real journey begins: a psychedelic journey of Oscar’s past, present, and future. The film that premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival has often been praised for its colors and visuals.

RELATED: From 'The Holy Mountain' to 'Yellow Submarine': 10 Most Psychedelic Movies, According to Reddit

4 'Eraserhead' (1977)

Written and directed by filmmaker David Lynch , Eraserhead is a black-and-white surrealist horror film that follows a factory worker Henry Spencer ( Jack Nance ), who discovers that his girlfriend, Mary X ( Charlotte Stewart ), is pregnant. However, their newborn child appears as an inhuman, reptilian-like creature that refuses to stop wailing. When things couldn’t get worse with the baby, Henry experiences visions of other characters, such as the Man in the Planet ( Jack Fisk ) and Lady in the Radiator ( Laurel Near ), troubling him even more.

Eraserhead is not a conventional horror but more so an extreme metaphorical take on the fear of parenthood, for instance, using the “baby” as a terrifying creature who cries endlessly and bizarre visions from perhaps, a parent’s lack of sleep. The film has often been praised for its score and sound design (also done by Lynch): Nathan Lee of The Village Voice wrote, “…to see the film means nothing - one must also hear it.”

5 ‘Mirror’ (1975)

Mirror (or The Mirror ) is a 1975 Russian film by Andrei Tarkovsky . It is told in a non-linear narrative structure with events based on Tarkovsky’s life, consisting of dreams and flashbacks of life pre-war, wartime, and post-war. In the film, Andrei Tarkovsky is represented by Alexei ( Ignat Daniltsev ), a 40-year-old dying man who shares the memories of his life, such as his parents’ divorce and the battlefields of World War II, with his wife ( Margarita Terekhova ) and children.

The film incorporates poems written and read by Tarkovsky’s real-life father, Arseny Tarkovsky , and stars his wife, Larisa Tarkovskaya , and mother, Maria Vishnyakova . Besides the non-linear narrative, the film’s cinematography which slips between black-and-white, color, and sepia, contributes to what Tarkovsky wanted to portray: a man’s stream of consciousness.

6 ‘Celine and Julie Go Boating’ (1974)

Celine and Julie Go Boating (French: Céline et Julie vont en bateau: Phantom Ladies Over Paris ) is a French film that focuses on the friendship that blossoms between two girls: a stage magician, Céline ( Juliet Berto ), and a librarian, Julie ( Dominique Labourier ), who move in together and embark on a new adventure involving an inducing candy, a haunted house, and a murder-mystery melodrama.

In the movie, anything goes. It is this principle that drives the film to be as inventive and experimental as it can be. Céline and Julie Go Boating combine elements of magic and dreams where the characters share endless possibilities of pleasure, adventures, and parallel worlds.

RELATED: 'The 400 Blows' and 9 More of the Best French New Wave Movies, According to IMDb

7 'The Holy Mountain' (1973)

The Holy Mountain is a surrealist-Mexican film written, directed, produced, co-edited, co-scored, and starring Alejandro Jodorowsky . This film is almost too surreal to be true: an alchemist (Alejandro Jodorowsky) and his apprentice, the thief ( Horacio Salinas ), meets seven powerful people who are each introduced as a personification of a planet on the solar system.

Venus is a cosmetics manufacturer; Mars is a weapons manufacturer; Jupiter is a millionaire art dealer; Saturn is a war toy maker; Uranus is a political financial advisor; Neptune is a police chief; Pluto is an architect. Together, these seven people, the alchemist, and his apprentice form a group of nine who seek the Holy Mountain, where they hope to achieve enlightenment and immortality.

8 ‘The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie’ (1972)

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (French: Le Charme discrete de la bourgeoisie ) is a French surrealist film by Jean-Claude Carrière that follows six upper-middle-class people and their repeated failed attempts of having a meal together. Each interruption becomes increasingly surreal as the film progresses. And while the situations become more bizarre and complex, it becomes clearer that these situations are dreams, within dreams, within dreams.

The film conveys what middle-class people represent: “Dinner is the central social ritual of the middle classes, a way of displaying wealth and good manners. It also offers the convenience of something to do (eat) and something to talk about (the food), and that is a great relief since so many of the bourgeoisie have nothing much to talk about, and there are a great many things they hope will not be mentioned.”

9 ‘Persona’ (1966)

Persona is a Swedish psychological drama written and directed by the late filmmaker Ingmar Bergman . The film follows the relationship between two women: an actress, Elisabet Vogler ( Liv Ullmann ), who suddenly stops speaking, and Alma ( Bibi Andersson ), the young nurse who cares for Elisabet in the seaside cottage where they hope she would recover. As Alma becomes the confidant to Elisabet, she begins to have trouble distinguishing herself from her - as if their identities had become one.

The film’s exploration of insanity, duality, and personal identity, is described as a reflection of the Jungian theory of persona , where homosexuality, motherhood, abortion, and other subjects, may fall. Persona is like an open book where every audience has a different interpretation of the film, such as, in the words of film historian Peter Cowie , “Everything one says about Persona may be contradicted; the opposite will also be true.”

RELATED: 10 Best Foreign Films of 2022, According to IMDb

10 ‘Last Year at Marienbad’ (1961)

Set in a baroque hotel filled with wealthy socialites who wear Chanel-designed attires ( yes, Coco Chanel designed the costumes for the film ), Last Year at Marienbad (French: L’Année dernière à Marienbad ) follows a man ( Giorgio Albertazzi ) tries to convince a woman ( Delphine Seyrig ) that they have met at a resort the year before, and had a romantic relationship. However, the woman responds by saying that she has never been to the place, let alone met him. As the film progresses, the woman is confident they never met, but the more convincing the man becomes.

The film is like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle: it presents you with a problem but never resolves itself. Who’s telling the truth? Did they meet previously, or is the man just a genius player and madman? It is up to the audience what they make of it.

KEEP READING: 'Moonage Daydream' and 9 More Experimental Documentaries That Defy Genre Conventions

Top 25 Experimental Films

2. In the Mood for Love

3. Un chien andalou

5. The Seventh Seal

6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

8. Upstream Color

9. The Turin Horse

10. The Lighthouse

11. Open Your Eyes

12. Rashomon

13. Enter the Void

14. Irreversible

15. Timecrimes

18. Possession

21. Ex Drummer

22. Stalker

23. The Lobster

24. Russian Ark

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Top 10 Experimental Films to Watch Right Now

The experimental film genre goes back as far as film history takes us. One of the first experimental films was done by Thomas Edison’s assistant, William Dickson, on the kinetoscope called “Monkeyshines No. 1” around 1889 or 1890. In fact, you could say all early silent cinema was experimental as the filmmakers were literally figuring out how to use the camera and editing to tell a story or use it to express or explore dreamlike visual art.

Out of experimental film came many new offshoots of the genre. One of the more prominent ones was avant-garde, which usually has no conventional point to them and focuses on exploring innovative and creative issues such as time, fantasy, dreams, or perception. The German silent film classic, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is one of the more famous early examples of dreams or perception.

Today, the genre has given birth to other offshoots, such as cinematic poetry and the cinematic diary, akin to the works of the late great Jonas Mekas. Even the experimental documentary has been around longer than viewers realize; the city symphony films are an early example or, more recently, Guy Maddin’s “My Winnipeg.”

Pulling from experimental film history and more recent works, here are ten experimental films you should watch.

Related: 10 Sci-Fi Short Films That Will Give You The Creeps

10 “Un Chien Andileu” (1929)

This is many film students’ introduction to experimental film. The French title translates to “An Andalusian Dog” and has nothing to do with the film itself. Crafted by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, this silent surrealist journey uses dream logic to construct a non-narrative that is very Freudian in its design and meant to be shocking.

The film’s concept is actually a mix of two dreams that both the creators had—Dali’s hand covered in ants and Bunuel cutting an eye with a blade. When watched, the film invokes unease in that you are trying to make sense of a dream and can’t. Our brains try to find something relatable in the film and sometimes can’t. When we do feel some sort of connection, it’s a completely different interpretation, which is what the filmmakers wanted. They wanted to leave you thinking and trying to make sense of it. They know you can’t exactly be just like a piece of surreal art; it’s always up for debate without any true solution.

This is what makes “Un Chien Andileu” a must see for anyone interested in experimental film. [1]

9 “The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra” (1928)

This film is a silent-film hidden gem. The film was made for $97 in 1928, and in American avant-garde cinema is considered one of the early pillars in the genre.

It centers on an actor who makes his way to Hollywood hoping to hit the big time, only to be dehumanized by studios, landing the role of a simple extra. They even write 9413 on his head, making him just a number in their system.

What makes the film so unique is how they leaned into their budget with a lack of resources and visually gave Hollywood this surreal emptiness, something that people from the outside had not seen before depicted. The use of German expressionist lighting, superimposition, twisting shapes, and disorienting angles really makes the film memorable as it visually shows the actor’s descent into madness and death caused by the demeaning dark side of Hollywood. [2]

8 “Manhatta” (1921)

This film is considered to be the true first American avant-garde film by many. “Manhatta” was a collaboration between painter Charles Sheeler and photographer Paul Strand. The non-narrative documentary is a visual poem that is simply exploring two things. First, it provided an abstract view of the city through carefully set up visual compositions. The second one is actually how the camera is used. This is done by experimenting with photography, film, minimalistic camera movement, and incidental motion in each film frame by exploring their relationships with each other.

Being a silent-era film, it does use intertitles, but unlike most films, it uses a Walt Whitman poem instead of dialogue or scene explanations. [3]

7 “From Afar” (2020)

An absolutely beautiful short film that will only take two minutes of your time. This is part of the cinematic poetry genre I mentioned earlier. Its simplicity and use of editing make it an experience that lingers.

Much like “The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra,” filmmaker and poet Andrei Purcarea uses what he has to his advantage to visually push the poem along. Many of the shots don’t have anything to do with what’s being said exactly when you watch, but at the same time, you get this feeling of understanding.

However, unlike “The Life and Death of 9413,” this film doesn’t have fast cuts or superimpositions. In fact, the editing and pacing are more akin to “Manhatta,” visually telling us a story to go along with the poem. Is this whole film really about a ship, or is it more about something in life that represents a ship we missed and can’t see anymore? What did the characters miss? Who did they miss? The use of the lone red chair and the mirror on this beach looking out at sea…very existential. Very experimental. Very moving. [4]

6 “Catharsis” (2018)

This short film beautifully uses the experimental style to invoke emotion as we journey into the subject’s mind. It is a surreal reminder that we may not know what someone is going through, even if they seem calm on the outside. This film by Naleeka Dennis follows Marsha as she struggles to cope with the loss of her beloved by attempting to live in a fantasy world. But she must eventually deal with her grief.

The ending shot especially hammers this home as the world seems very eerie around her now. It was the same before we dove into her mind, but knowing what she is dealing with really changes your perspective. [5]

5 “Until There Was Nothing” (2020)

This wonderful short was released last year and really takes on a fantastic premise—standing on Earth in its final moments as it enters a black hole. Created by Paul Trillo, the images at first seem beautiful but suddenly change as they stretch toward the sky. While it may seem like a bleak film at first, Trillo notes, “Someday this will pass and there will be nothing left… That’s not something to fear ‘because we come from nothing’ as Alan Watts puts it… and from nothing comes something new.”

The surreal visuals caused by intense gravitational forces with the use of philosopher Alan Watt’s talking about the meaning of nothingness really gives the film a much deeper feel. [6]

4 “Stellar” (1993)

Stan Brakhage is the perfect mix of artist and filmmaker. With 380 films to his credit, it’s hard to choose which one to even pick. Brakhage’s work is unique and can be best described as live paintings. Meaning that he would paint or scratch or do something on each frame and then project it. The results were really mind-blowing. “Stellar” stands out to me as it feels like something that could’ve been used in early sci-fi films like 2001: A Space Odyssey or TV shows like the original Star Trek .

The last few frames are particularly surprising as a strange picture appears amongst the starry images. Like all art, “Stellar” is whatever you perceive it to be. For me, its a journey through space and the birth of the universes, with the first creature in the universe coming into being at the end. See how you interpret it. [7]

3 “Night Mayor” (2009)

A fantastic gem of a film. Guy Maddin’s visuals harken back to early silent film while giving a touch of modernity by filming on newer formats that even include VHS. Yet it’s his use of lighting, old-school tricks, and editing that really helps give this film its surreal aspect. Like we are watching a dream.

“Night Mayor” is a visual journey into the mind of a Bosnian immigrant, Nihad Ademi, who thinks he has discovered a way to harness the power of the Aurora Borealis in order to broadcast imagery from coast to coast. [8]

An absolute must-see short film!

2 “Light Is Calling” (2004)

Bill Morrison is an amazing filmmaker. He is unique in that he helps bring forgotten or close to decaying films back to life as experimental cinema. I highly suggest his film Decasia (2002) and Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016).

“Light Is Calling” is a short he did in 2004 in which he takes decaying nitrate film from 1926 titled “The Bells” and gives it new life.

After having the film optically reprinted, it is edited into a new format to go along with a 7-minute composition by Michael Gordon. IMDb describes the film best as a “meditation on the fleeting nature of life and love, as seen through the roiling emulsion of film.” [9]

A magnificent decaying dream.

1 “Meshes of the Afternoon” (1943)

Maya Deren was a jack of all trades. She was a dancer, choreographer, film theorist, poet, photographer, avant-garde promoter, and experimental filmmaker.

Deren believed that film should be an experience. “Meshes of the Afternoon” is definitely that—and a very important experimental piece. The film is considered one of the most influential experimental films in the history of American cinema.

The film is essentially a dream. Using dreamlike logic to create a unique experience for the viewer, it follows a female character who falls asleep after returning home. Her vivid dreams draw us in as her darker inner desires play out before our eyes. It’s actually hard to distinguish reality from the dream, but that is the point. She involves you mentally. [10]

A very influential piece on many filmmakers, including the works of David Lynch.

More Great Lists

• Film Theory

What is Experimental Film — History, Examples & Movements

W hat is an experimental film? This elusive and niche genre can be difficult to define, and there are many common misconceptions about experimental filmmaking, but we’ll be sorting through the fact and the fiction to provide a comprehensive overview of what it means for a film to be “experimental”. We’ll get started with a definition, then dig deeper into experimental filmmaking as a genre, and finally close things out by taking a look at some notable examples.

Avant garde film definition

First, let’s define experimental film.

There are many film terms and phrases that could use simple definitions, and we’ve compiled them all in our ultimate guide to filmmaking terminology . You can also look up definitions for every genre of film in our ultimate guide to movie genres .

EXPERIMENTAL FILM DEFINITION

What is an experimental film.

An experimental film is a project bucks the trends of conventional cinema and pushes the medium of film in unexplored ways. The spectrum of experimental films is extremely broad; this genre encompasses a great many types of projects of varying lengths, styles, and goals.

There are experimental feature films, though more experimental projects have shorter runtimes. This is due in part to many experimental films being made for low budgets and/or the fact that the majority of experimental films are never intended for mainstream appeal or traditional distribution.

AVANT GARDE FILM CHARACTERISTICS

• Can be any length
• Niche and often artsy
• Pushes boundaries and tries new things

Experimental filmmakers

Digging deeper into experimental film.

Let’s dig a little deeper into what it means for a project to be classified as an experimental film. There is a modicum of debate over what exactly constitutes an experimental film, and some projects blur the line between traditional cinema and experimental filmmaking by including elements of each. Experimentation can be found in the editing, in the filming, in the subject matter, or in the manipulation of the camera and celluloid’s chemical and mechanical processes.

A beginner’s guide to experimental cinema

There are many misconceptions about what experimental filmmaking is, so let’s dispel a couple. One common belief is that experimental films have no story. While some experimental films certainly lack anything that could be considered a traditional narrative, that does not hold true for all experimental films.

Another commonly held notion is that experimental films are weird for the sake of being weird or that they are simply filmed nonsense. This is quite a reductive stance to take on the entire genre, but it is an opinion shared by many. The audience for experimental films can be extremely niche, and experimental filmmakers are aware of this. They are not made for everyone.

Surreal = experimental is another common misconception. Containing an element of surrealism does not automatically make a project experimental in nature. However, there is an intrinsic linkage between surrealism and experimental cinema, so the misconception is understandable. Let’s clarify this point with an example.

Sexy Beast  •  dream sequence

This dream sequence from the gangster flick Sexy Beast is undoubtedly surreal yet there is nothing experimental at play. The surrealism is conjured through traditional filmmaking means only. So, while surrealism and experimental cinema often go hand-in-hand, surrealism alone is not enough to constitute a film being labeled as experimental; the filmmaking methods and the pushing or warping of boundaries play important roles as well.

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• Read More: What is Surrealism →
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The history of experimental cinema

Experimental filmmaking over the years.

Since the first camera was invented , artists have been experimenting with the tool. At the dawn of cinema, everything was an experiment. It was only through the intervention of time that certain techniques and methods became standard.

While many of the techniques used in Voyage dans la Lune seem antiquated by modern filmmaking standards, they were absolutely boundary shattering way back in 1902. Radical experimentation was necessary to pull off so many things that had never before been seen or created in the medium of film.

A Trip to the Moon

As cinematic techniques improved and became seen as standards, there were still filmmakers willing to experiment and push the envelope. 1929’s Un Chien Andalou was an early masterpiece of both surrealism and experimental filmmaking. Many of the techniques used in Un Chien Andalou were experimental at the time but have since been integrated into more standard filmmaking techniques as the decades have passed. Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel were two master surrealists and played an important role in the common linkage between surrealism and experimentation through their boundary pushing methods.

Un Chien Andalou

By the 1940s, surrealism and experimental filmmaking were further linked through the work of Maya Deren. Over time, she has proven to be one of the most influential experimental filmmakers of all time. She created a number of experimental short films, the first of which, Meshes of the Afternoon , is often credited as a turning point for experimental and avant garde cinema. The short remains a highlight of the genre more than 70 years after it was first released.

If you are interested in making your own short films, check out our how to make a short film guide first.

Meshes of the Afternoon  •  Maya Deren

Andy Warhol is a name well known in the pop art world, but he made numerous contributions to the experimental film world as well. Warhol made nearly 150 experimental short films throughout his lifetime, and a number of them made throughout the 1960s were considered important contributions to the form. Below is a compilation of six of Warhol’s shorts made between 1964 and 1966.

Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests

David Lynch is perhaps the most well-known filmmaker to consistently experiment in his films. He earned a spot on our list of the best directors of all time . Some Lynch projects explore a blend between experimental cinema and traditional filmmaking, while other Lynch projects comfortably fall into the “wholly experimental” category. Since his debut feature in 1977 with Eraserhead , Lynch has continued to employ experimental techniques in his feature films to this day. A significant degree of Eraserhead’s experimentation can be found in the atmospheric sound design . Listen closely to the trailer below.

Eraserhead  •  trailer

Now that we’ve explored a brief history of experimental filmmaking, let’s see if we can sort experimental films into a few distinct categories.

Experimental film examples

Types of experimental films.

Though experimental films in general can be a bit difficult to categorize as they defy convention by their very nature, there are a few common types we can examine from a bird’s eye view . The first type is: experimental films that challenge the form of filmmaking . This includes projects that defy the expectation of what a film is and manipulate the creation process, like Stan Brakhage’s Dog Star Man .

Dog Star Man  •  complete

This piece of experimental filmmaking was originally produced as four shorts before being compiled as a singular project. Dog Star Man is often hailed as an experimental masterpiece and was made through various manipulations to the film stock, experimenting with different exposure types, and radical editing techniques.

Another film that lands in the “challenges the form” category is Derek Jarman’s Blue . This one-hour-19-minute experimental film features just a single, unchanging visual for the entire duration: a solid blue screen. An intricately orchestrated audio track underscores the static visual, and the two combine to form a highly emotional experience.

Blue  •  Derek Jarman

Our next type of experimental film is the experimental documentary . Check out our list of the best documentaries to set a baseline for traditional documentary filmmaking before we jump into the experimental side of the genre. This experimental category encompasses projects like the nearly century old Soviet-produced Man With a Movie Camera . The full documentary is available to watch below.

Man With a Movie Camera

Another experimental documentary found in this category comes from none other than Orson Welles with For for Fake . This documentary, essay-film hybrid blurs the lines between fact and fiction in a fascinating way.

F for Fake Video Essay

Experimental Animation is a tried and true category of experimental filmmaking with many worthwhile and envelope pushing entries. Again, you can set a baseline for the non-experimental side of this genre by checking out our list of the best animated films ever made . As for the experimental side of the medium, first, we can return to David Lynch for his contribution to the category.

Six Men Getting Sick

The above short film, Six Men Getting Sick , was David Lynch’s very first foray into filmmaking. He began his journey into the arts as a painter, and you can see him bridging the gap with this painted filmmaking experiment.

For further examples of experimental animation, we can look to the Quay Brothers. Their shorts utilize a dreamy blend of stop-motion animation and puppetry. A number of their shorts are in the criterion collection; here is a highlight reel for four of their shorts.

Criterion teaser for the Quay Brothers

And for one last example of experimental animation found in a recent film, we can look to 2018’s German-Chilean production La Casa Lobo . Sculpture, stop-motion, traditional animation, and other artistic techniques were blended together in jaw dropping fashion that utilized life-size sets and dizzying camerawork. This experimental production pushes the boundaries of animation and accomplishes things never before seen in the medium. It gives the absolute best stop-motion films a run for their money.

The Wolf House  •  trailer

Experimental filmmaking remains alive and well in the modern filmmaking age. As long as there are boundaries left to push, filmmakers will continue to experiment.

What Was Dogme 95?

If you’re interested in experimental filmmaking, the Dogme 95 cinematic vow of chastity makes a fascinating case study into a radical filmmaking experiment. Learn about the movement, why and how it was created, the films that comprise it, and more, up next.

Up Next: What was Dogme 95? →

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Movie Review

Love Letter to Pioneers of Avant-Garde Moviemaking

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By Nicolas Rapold

• Aug. 2, 2012

With the loss of several admired avant-garde filmmakers in the past few years, “Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film” arrives as a welcome paean to the unfettered, resourceful creativity of its subject. Despite the scope of the title, this friendly, colorful documentary from Pip Chodorov is not the last word on all the shapes, sizes and languages of experimental film, but rather an introduction brightened by a companionable enthusiasm and an apposite sense of community.

In Mr. Chodorov’s boyish telling (which begins with a home movie), experimental cinema is open to anyone with the urge to make stuff and the willingness to put aside artistic assumptions and profit. You don’t need a story, or even people, as the pioneering Hans Richter demonstrated with the shifting rectangular abstractions of his 1921 animation “Rhythmus 21.” Mr. Chodorov’s documentary takes its name from Len Lye’s “Free Radicals” (1958), which depicts white lines boogieing and swaying to Bagirmi tribal music. It was created through scratches made directly on film, presaging work by Stan Brakhage.

The filmmakers who articulate the notion of artistic freedom and their methods include Richter, in clips from the early 1970s; Robert Breer, who died last year; Brakhage, eloquent, soon before his death in 2003; Jonas Mekas, the Anthology Film Archives artistic director and creative ambassador; and the inimitable Ken Jacobs , who self-mockingly recalls his youthful ambition to “capsize” the United States.

The Austrian filmmaker Peter Kubelka explains the rhythmic precision of his metrical editing, and grabs a beer with Mr. Mekas, with whom he helped spearhead Anthology in the late ’60s. Stan Vanderbeek’s forays into computer-generated film at Bell Labs and M.I.T. in the ’60s and ’70s show the avant-garde as technologically ahead of its time.

All evince an inspiring independence and tenacity, but Mr. Chodorov’s focus could use greater historical coverage and a richer variety of visual examples. The East Coast wins out a little too handily over Los Angeles and San Francisco, let alone contemporary scenes elsewhere. Graphical coups tend to push out psychological, found-footage and other adventures in perception, and the short shrift given to certain voices is puzzling and arbitrary.

Nonetheless, Mr. Chodorov, who also makes and distributes films, gathers this extended family of “free radicals” with an accessible joie de cinema.

The Stanford Prison Experiment

Students of high school or university psychology classes are probably familiar with the Stanford Prison Experiment. Run in 1971 at the behest of the U.S. Navy, the experiment intended to investigate the cause of conflict between guards and prisoners in military correctional facilities. Dr. Philip Zimbardo and his team chose 24 male Stanford students and divvied them up into guards and prisoners. Turning the basement of one of the student halls into a makeshift prison, Zimbardo placed his subjects under surveillance and watched as the prisoners became passive and the guards exhibited authority by way of sometimes sadistic psychological torture. Zimbardo ended the experiment 6 days into its 2-week run, mostly due to the objections of his fiancée. She felt Zimbardo had become an unhealthy part of his own experiment.

A documentary about this could potentially be fascinating, as some of the actual experiment exists on film. Unfortunately, “The Stanford Prison Experiment” is a dramatization, and no matter how much it may adhere to the well-documented specifics of Zimbardo’s work, it is a massive failure. It prefers to abstract the experiment from any psychological theories or details, opting instead to merely harp on endless, repetitive scenes of prisoner abuse. One particular guard, who thinks he’s Strother Martin in “ Cool Hand Luke ,” abuses the prisoners. The prisoners take the abuse, rebelling once or twice before becoming passive. Zimbardo glares at a TV screen doing nothing while his guards break the rules of the contract everybody signed at the outset. Repeat ad nauseum.

These scenes are supposed to shock the viewer, but they did not work for me, because I just didn’t care. The film reduces the entire experiment to a Dead Teenager movie whose slasher just roughs them up. Prisoners are referred to by numbers in order to strip them of their personal identities, and the film keeps them at this level of distance. We never get to know any subject outside of brief sketches, so the victims become disposable. Despite the best efforts of the actors on both sides of the law, the film is completely clinical in its depiction, striking the same note for over 2 hours. It gets real dull, real fast.

I didn’t care because this isn’t remotely like an actual prison; it’s a bunch of privileged kids playing dress-up for $15 a day. Even a priest Zimbardo hires as a prison chaplain tells the doctor “it’s good that these privileged kids experience prison life.” The actual reasons for the experiment (and its military involvement) are never expressed in Tim Talbott ’s screenplay, so the priest’s comment almost serves as the reason for these tests. And the film takes great pains to tell us that nobody in the experiment suffered “long term psychological damage” after it was abruptly cancelled. I’m sure someone who has experienced the harsh realities of actual prison life would feel relieved that these young men weren’t scarred.

The best scene in “The Stanford Prison Experiment” deals with an actual prisoner and serves to highlight my disdain for how the film trades emotion and details for exploitative shocks. The fantastic Nelsan Ellis (last seen in “ Get On Up ”) plays Jesse, an ex-con brought in by Zimbardo’s team as an expert witness to their proceedings. At a mock parole board hearing, Jesse rips into an inmate, treating him as inhumanely as possible while verbally shredding the inmate’s explanation for why he should be paroled. After the stunned inmate is sent back to his cell, Jesse reveals that he was recreating his own parole board treatment. He tells Zimbardo that playing the role of his own tormentor “felt good, and I hated that it did.” This, in a nutshell, is what the actual experiment sought to explore, that is, the nature of even the nicest human beings to commit evil. Jesse’s revelation, and the psychological toll it takes on him, is more effective than anything else the film conjures up. If only the movie had spent more time interacting with the Strother Martin-wannabe’s own thoughts rather than trudging him out only for sadism.

The film reduces Zimbardo to some kind of megalomaniac who doesn’t know what he is doing. This makes his research seem half-assed and unethical. He watches the guards strike the prisoners (a direct violation of the rules) and the film paints him as the biggest villain of all. He challenges anyone who questions his methods and authority, and at one point, he absurdly sits in a hallway like a low-rent Charles Bronson hoping for the return of a subject who might jeopardize his research. (In the actual case, Zimbardo simply moves the prison to a location unknown by the subject.) And though his intentions are to “feminize” the prisoners by giving them “dresses” that barely hide their genitalia, “The Stanford Prison Experiment” implies that Zimbardo’s sole reason for stopping the experiment was the moment when his guards forced the inmates into a gay sex pantomime. Violence and hog-tying inmates were OK, but none of that gay stuff, the movie seems to say.

Billy Crudup deserves some kind of medal for his attempt to breathe life into his one dimensional character, as do actors like Ezra Miller and Olivia Thirlby . But they are undermined by a poor script, horror movie-style music and ripe dramatizations that exist solely to make the viewer feel superior. I despise movies like this and “ Compliance ” because they pretend to say something profound about their scenarios but are, at heart, cynically manipulative trash designed to make audiences pat themselves on the back for not being “like those people.” Had we been forced to identify with anyone, prisoner or guard, the film might have achieved the palpable discomfort of forcing us to look at ourselves. That was one of the goals of the actual Stanford Prison Experiment. This movie just wants to superficially disturb, and it’s not even successful at that.

Odie Henderson

Odie “Odienator” Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire  here .

• Keir Gilchrist as John Lovett
• Tye Sheridan as Peter Mitchell - Prisoner 819
• Ezra Miller as Daniel Culp - Prisoner '8612'
• Moisés Arias as Actor
• Billy Crudup as Dr. Philip Zimbardo
• Gaius Charles as Banks
• Thomas Mann as Prisoner 416
• Michael Angarano as Christopher Archer
• Olivia Thirlby as Christina Zimbardo
• Nelsan Ellis as Jesse Fletcher
• Johnny Simmons as Jeff Jansen
• James Wolk as Penny

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Indy Film Library

Now open for submissions for IFL Amsterdam 2025

Indy Film Library announces the Best Experimental Films of 2022

• Two-week online selection of avant-garde short films sees awards distributed for the second annual Indy Film Library Experimental Showcase
• Andreas Aicka Thomsen’s Nordic horror Miasma takes Best Cinematography and Best Score
• Intricate animation Silver Seeds claims Best Film wreath, while creator Kim Collmer takes Best Director

Since Monday 25th July 2022, Indy Film Library has been streaming some of the best experimental short films it has received for review over the last year. The films have been selected on the basis of both their storytelling and the technical skills exhibited by their cast and crew.

Now, as the showcase prepares to draw to a close on Monday 8th August, Indy Film Library has announced the winners from the Experimental Showcase shortlist .

The list of accolades distributed sees Best Film handed to Kim Collmer ’s painstaking stop-motion film Silver Seeds , which follows two other-worldly beings on an existential voyage across an alien planet. In the IFL review of the film, it was lauded for delivering a “journey of creation, exploration, and self-discovery” on a budget of $200 and, in just 7 minutes, covering “all those bases more satisfactorily than the $130 million and 7 hours of Prometheus .”

Meanwhile, Collmer also picked up the Best Director award for her work on the film. Speaking on what it had been like to create Silver Seeds, the director told IFL , “When viewing your sets through the lens it IS like being in a new world and traveling – there is so much to see! Luckily, I was able to edit my experiments down and, hopefully, create a cohesive and enjoyable film!”

Elsewhere, Andreas Aicka Thomsen has scooped the wreath for Best Score , having provided a striking piece of sound design for his film Miasma . The short horror, which is shot amid the icy mountains of Norway, also won the Best Cinematography category, with the spectacular surroundings on camera blending with the foreboding music, to create an atmosphere “ dripping in ancient Nordic terror ”.

Speaking to IFL on his work, Andreas Aicka Thomsen said he chose the harsh terrain of the mountains specifically because of the challenges they would present. He added, “I wanted to get right into the tough parts, learning the hard way, not comfortable in a warm studio… I wanted to experience the force of nature and allow us to be influenced by it. To let it swallow us whole.”

Finally, split-screen drama COMPLEX claimed a tight victory in the Audience Choice category – receiving just under half of all the votes cast. According to directors Sando Heijnen and Charlotte Bernson, the piece is a “study of what meaning and atmosphere a constant split-screen, and therefore a constant juxtaposition of images can create.”

IFL Chief Editor Jack Brindelli commented, “I would like to congratulate all the winners of this year’s Experimental Showcase on their victories – and to thank all the filmmakers and our audience for their participation.

“This has been a truly exceptional showcase, featuring some of the very finest films Indy Film Library has ever received. It’s a privilege to present such imaginative and unapologetically strange films to our readers, helping to introduce so many people to a lot of incredible talent, which they might never otherwise have come across.”

All the films selected are still available to view for free until Monday August 8th 23:00 CET . The films can be accessed via the IFL website . Meanwhile, Indy Film Library is still open for its third year of submissions .

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For regular updates for reviews, interviews, commentary and news from Indy Film Library, please follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram or LinkedIn .

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By Amelia Ames

April 17, 2017

After MoMA's Bruce Conner retrospective this past summer and the Whitney's celebrated "Dreamlands: Immersive Cinema and Art" survey, experimental film finally seems to be back on the New York art world's agenda. But for a long time, film was the thorn of art history after that thing called "Hollywood" came along, which threatened the avant-garde film's separation from mainstream cinema.

Experimental or avant-garde film can be traced all the way back to canonical artists like Marcel Duchamp and Many Ray , but what happens post-Hollywood? Here's a quick guide to postwar experimental film in the United States, ranging from Expanded Cinema of the '60s to the origins of underground queer cinema with artists like Jack Smith. We've got the critics and the crucial texts you need to read (each essay has been linked) and the artists you need to know.

Expanded Cinema of the '60s

Critic to Know: GENE YOUNGBLOOD Seminal Text to Know: Expanded Cinema (1970)

Gene Youngblood was a crucial theorist of media arts and alternative cinema during the 1960s and '70s. He was the first to consider video an art form, folding computer and media art into the genre. His seminal book Expanded Cinema was the first to define one of the most heterogeneous movements in film history. As you can probably guess from term, “expanded cinema” refers to cinema that expands beyond the bounds of traditional uses of celluloid film, to inhabit a wide range of other materials and forms including video, television, light shows, computer art, multimedia installation and performance, kinetic sculpture, theater, and even holography. Mixing psychedelic consciousness and Marxist theory, Youngblood explains “when we say expanded cinema we actually mean an expanded consciousness.” So if you’re still confused after seeing Stan Vanderbeek’s immersive psychedelic Movie Drome (1965) at the Whitney’s Dreamlands exhibition this year, take a look at the first chapter of Youngblood’s Expanded Cinema (the entire book is available on the PDF link above).

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Stan Vanderbeek, Carolee Schneemann , Malcom Le Grice, Mark Leckey

Found Footage Film

Critic to Know: CRAIG BALDWIN Seminal Text to Know: From Junk to Funk to Punk to Link : A survey of found-footage film in San Francisco Bay Area

Any narrative of postwar experimental film has to begin in California. Reacting against the expansion of Hollywood, experimental film was, in essence, a form of cinema that radically opposed the aesthetics and politics of mainstream media. The rise of psychedelic light shows, beatnik films, and alternative outdoor venues like Canyon Cinema (a filmmakers cooperative started by Bruce Baillie that exhibited independent, non-commercial film) all lead the Bay area to become an epicenter of avant-garde film in the second half of the century. Experimental filmmaker Craig Baldwin’s essay “From Junk to Funk to Punk to Link” is a must-read for anyone interested in a short genealogy of found footage film, seen in likes of Bruce Conner and Gunvor Nelson's work. A pioneer of found-footage himself, Baldwin remains in San Francisco to this day where he continues to program content for Artist’s Television Access, which broadcasts art films on Public-access television. For more on experimental film in the Bay Area click here to see the Berkeley Art Museum’s catalogue, “Radical Light: Alternative Film and Video in the San Francisco Bay Area, 1945-2000.”

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Bruce Conner , Craig Baldwin, Robert & Gunvor Nelson, Chick Strand

Structuralist Film

Critic to Know: PETER GIDAL Seminal Text: "Introduction" of Structural Film Anthology (1976)

Structuralist or Materialist film is what Minimalism was to sculpture in the 1960s. In his paradigm book Structural Film Anthology (1976), English theoretician and filmmaker Peter Gidal writes frankly that "Structural/Materialist film attempts to be non-illusionist" in its attempt to "demystify the film process." Structuralist film, like Minimalist objects, doesn't actually represent anything. Instead, it exposes the relations between the camera and the way an image is presented, and explores the characteristics specific to the medium—spotlighting elements like flatness, grain, light, and movement. Tony Conrad's film The Flicker (1966), exemplary of the movement, consists purely of rapidly alternating black and white frames, achieving a kind of strobe light effect. If you're hesitant to submit yourself to the full fifteen minutes of Flicker (we don't blame you), then take a look at Gidal's introduction in the Structural Film Anthology to get a better idea about what this strange movement was really about.

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Tony Conrad, Hollis Frampton, Michael Snow

Feminist Film

Critic to Know: LAURA MULVEY Seminal Text: Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975)

Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist, currently teaching film and media studies at Birbeck, University of London. Drawing from psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan, Mulvey’s seminal essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” (1975) was crucial in inaugurating the intersection of film theory, psychoanalysis, and feminism. Mulvey was the first to term what has come to be known as the “male gaze.” In the essay, she argues that classic Hollywood cinema inevitably positioned the spectator as a masculine and active voyeur, and the passive woman on screen as object of his scopic desire. The essay challenged conventional film theory and paved the way for an entire era of feminist artist’s work on the male gaze (think Cindy Sherman’s Untitled film stills.). After reading “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” you’ll never look at a Hitchcock or John Wayne the same.

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Peggy Ahwesh, Barbara Hammer, Laurie Simmons

Camp & Queer Cinema

Critic to Know: SUSAN SONTAG Seminal Text: "Notes On Camp" (1964)

Susan Sontag was one of the most revered writers, filmmakers, political activists, and critics of her generation. Sontag wrote extensively about photography, culture and media, AIDS, and the Vietnam War. Sontag’s most well known essay, “Notes on Camp,” is crucial for anyone interested in the legacy of queer filmmakers like Jack Smith, who is most known for his banned film Flaming Creatures (1963) that right-wing politician Strom Thurmand mentioned in anti-pornography speeches. Although Sontag does not define camp, she writes that the essence of a “camp” sensibility lies in “its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.” For anyone interested in the kitschy, exotic films of Jack Smith and underground Queer Cinema, Sontag’s “Notes on Camp” is a must.

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Jack Smith, Andy Warhol , Isaac Julien

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A Critical Guide to Understanding Experimental Film

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The Decade in Experimental Film

By Jordan Cronk on January 14, 2020

The Grand Bizarre (Jodie Mack, 2019)

In 2009, James Benning premiered Ruhr , his first digital feature following nearly 40 years of work produced entirely on 16mm. Coming as it did at the tail end of the Aughts, after two-plus decades of hand-wringing over the slow proliferation of analog and then digital video formats in the world of experimental filmmaking, Ruhr seemed to mark the tipping point for the technology’s wider acceptance. After all, if Benning could embrace digital, why couldn’t we?

If the film versus video debate seems quaint in 2019, it’s not because Ruhr or any other film ushered us into a brave new world where all we’re exposed to is illuminated pixels on a flat surface, but because, if anything, celluloid remains as significant a presence in the experimental film scene as its digital counterpart. The two have even become unlikely bedfellows. As critic and scholar Leo Goldsmith points out, a number of artists are finding productive ways to integrate the mediums. Citing the work of Deborah Stratman and Ben Rivers, Goldsmith tells me that these and other artists are increasingly approaching film and video as “options to be toggled between or blended intermedially,” resulting in uncanny aesthetic objects that play with notions of materiality in provocative fashion. The fact that you’re just as likely to see these works projected in a gallery as a cinema is but one reason the term “artists’ moving image” has been adopted in recent years to describe the film and video work being made in multiple contexts by filmmakers and visual artists of diverse creative and cultural backgrounds.

As Genevieve Yue pointed out in an astute 2015 article for Film Comment , the rise of artist-run film laboratories has been a key factor in maintaining celluloid’s presence in experimental filmmaking circles. “What in the early Nineties was limited to a handful of cooperatively owned, independent labs, mostly in France,” she wrote, “has grown into an international network of over 30.” Five years later, and these organizations—Brooklyn’s Mono No Aware, Paris’ L’Abominable, and Australia’s Nanolab, to name just a few—continue to not only make the option of working on film feasible for an entirely new generation of artists but, as Goldsmith notes, also offer filmmakers the resources to establish “a practice of working between or across mediums for strategic purposes.” Steve Polta, artistic director of the San Francisco Cinematheque and its annual Crossroads festival for experimental cinema, echoes these sentiments: “the post-historical, post-apocalyptic, community-centric, and non-individual vibe of these groups is really the biggest news of the decade.”

Ruhr (James Benning, 2009)

Indeed, these far-flung, grassroots organizations have contributed in part to an important decentralization of the experimental film community, and with it a growing propensity on the part of programmers to look to the margins for new voices. The list of names comprising Film Comment ’s “ Best of the Decade: Avant-Garde ” poll from 2010 resembles an almost entirely different landscape to the one many of us might recognize today, one that’s been fostered not through decades of localized discourse but through connectivity, the democratization of technology, and larger sociological strides toward inclusivity. For Film at Lincoln Center’s Dennis Lim, who, alongside Aily Nash launched Projections in 2014 in the slot formerly occupied by NYFF’s Views from the Avant-Garde sidebar, “there hasn’t been a conscious decision [on our part] to move in any specific direction, but simply to expand our collective sense of what might constitute the vanguard.” And what that vanguard looks like in 2019 is strikingly eclectic and international in scope: Beatrice Gibson, Sky Hopinka, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Laida Lertxundi, Nicolas Rey, Dani and Sheilah ReStack, Laura Huertas Milan, and Kevin Jerome Everson—these are just some of the names offered to me by critics, curators, and other filmmakers when asked about the decade’s most notable moving image artists.

With this shift in complexion has come a shift in aesthetics. Nonfiction (or what one might call the creative consideration of reality) was the decade’s dominant mode, heralded by the rise of Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab (SEL), a campus-based interdisciplinary center for anthropological media arts founded by sound artist Ernst Karel and filmmaker Lucien Castaing-Taylor. Although the lab first made inroads in the late 2000s, it wasn’t until 2012’s Leviathan , a sui generis feat of nautical ethnography by Castaing-Taylor and French filmmaker (and anthropologist) Véréna Paravel shot with GoPro cameras, that the SEL’s stylistic and conceptual innovations took hold in the broader cinematic consciousness. In the wake of Leviathan , traces of both that film’s radical conflation of direct cinema and abstract expressionism, and the observational gamesmanship of the SEL’s other major accomplishment of the decade, Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez’s Manakamana (2013), could be found in any number of otherwise unrelated experimental and documentary-adjacent works.

Like artist-run labs and coops, the SEL has proven to be a vital incubator for young filmmakers with far-ranging creative and political interests, providing programmers with a deep well of fresh and engaged talent to discover. For American animator Jodie Mack ( The Grand Bizarre ), arguably the most exciting moving image artist to have come to prominence in the past ten years, these curatorial trends cut both ways. “On the one hand,” she says, “I’m thrilled that curators are looking at younger filmmakers from a wide range of backgrounds. On the other hand, ‘taste’ and the elite nature of experimental film is counterintuitive to the true societal development we seek. So there is still work to do.” Polta, too, has noticed (and is in fact quite critical of) an increasing curatorial interest in “journalistic and information-based work that is concerned with presenting information in clear and unambiguous terms,” a clear turn away from “the visionary, sensual, ecstatic ambitions and achievements of the avant-garde.”

Leviathan (Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel, 2012)

As with most shifts in a largely institutionalized field, there are conflicting forces and attendant controversies to consider, only some of which are agenda-driven. According to Andréa Picard, who’s consistently struck an enviable balance between old and new trends as head of TIFF’s Wavelengths program, curation isn’t a solely ideological venture, but a practical one as well: “Spatial constraints, overall context, financial support,” she says. “These are factors that are often overlooked and affect programming in crucial ways.” One might note, by way of example, Picard’s ongoing dedication to experimental 3D cinema (and in particular the stereoscopic films of Blake Williams), a technology she’s able to accommodate in TIFF’s Bell Lightbox cinema but which many other theaters can’t support—a purely logistical issue that doesn’t even begin to allow for considerations of age, race, or gender. As such, it’s worth reiterating that what films get seen and by whom is a multifaceted matter. During his time as lead programmer of the Ann Arbor Film Festival, David Dinnell championed early films by many of the above-mentioned artists; his unceremonious exit from the organization in 2016 was one of the decade’s most contentious affairs, and further proof that bureaucracy cares not for matters of art or creativity.

But as the new supplants the old, it’s important to remain not only cognizant of these developments but to consider what they tell us about the medium’s conflicted and ever-pressing relationship with change. As the critic Michael Sicinski tells me: “Our tendency is to find our place in the dominant, discard the residual, and hold the emergent at arm’s length.” As for what the emergent might be, Sicinski points to the new visual frontiers being explored on short-form mobile video applications like TikTok and Snapchat, the latter of which provided the Swiss-American artist Christian Marclay with the hundreds of clips he used to assemble his new Sound Stories installation—as logical a source as any, with digital imagery enduring as our most universal currency. In other words, the potential playing field continues to level—or, as Mack so enthusiastically phrases it: “No one is a genius; everyone is a genius. Authorship is dead. Long live the community!”

Ten key moving image works, 2010-2019:

Autrement, la Molussie (Nicolas Rey, 2012)

Engram of Returning (Daïchi Saïto, 2015)

Episode of the Sea (Lonnie van Brummelen, Siebren de Haan & the inhabitants of Urk, 2014)

The Extravagant Shadows (David Gatten, 2012)

L. COHEN (James Benning, 2018)

Let Your Light Shine ( Jodie Mack, 2013)

PROTOTYPE (Blake Williams, 2017)

The Realist (Scott Stark, 2013)

Slow Action (Ben Rivers, 2011)

Jordan Cronk is a critic and programmer based in Los Angeles. He runs Acropolis Cinema, a screening series for experimental and undistributed films, and is a member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Interview: Jodie Mack

Interview: Stephanie Spray & Pacho Velez

Living Cinema: Experimental Film and the Academy

Interview: Laida Lertxundi

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5 Best Experimental Films: A Showcase of Cinematic Innovation and Artistry

Experimental movies are a type of film that pushes the boundaries of traditional storytelling and filmmaking techniques. These films often eschew conventional narrative structures and use innovative approaches to explore themes and ideas.

Experimental movies can be challenging and unconventional, but they also offer unique and thought-provoking experiences for viewers.

These films are often made by independent filmmakers who are interested in exploring new ways of telling stories and expressing themselves through the medium of film.

In this article, we will be discussing some of the best experimental movies ever made, including works from some of the most innovative and groundbreaking filmmakers in history.

Best Experimental Movies

These films range from abstract and avant-garde to deeply personal and emotional, and they all offer a fascinating glimpse into the world of experimental cinema.

1. Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974)

“Celine and Julie Go Boating” is a French film directed by Jacques Rivette and released in 1974. The film follows the story of two young women, Celine and Julie, who become friends and begin to experience strange occurrences while living in Paris.

The film’s narrative is full of surreal twists and turns, as the two women begin to enter each other’s dreams and change the course of each other’s lives.

The film is notable for its unconventional storytelling techniques, including long takes, improvisation, and a fragmented narrative structure that is both playful and mysterious.

“Celine and Julie Go Boating” was praised by critics for its innovative approach to narrative and its playful exploration of female friendship and identity. It has since become a cult classic and is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of the French New Wave.

• Celine and Julie Go Boating 2-DVD Set ( Céline et Julie vont en bateau ) ( Phantom Ladies Over...
• Celine and Julie Go Boating 2-DVD Set
• Céline et Julie vont en bateau
• Phantom Ladies Over Paris
• Dominique Labourier, Philippe Clévenot, Juliet Berto (Actors)

2. The Tree of Life (2011)

The Tree of Life is a 2011 drama film written and directed by Terrence Malick. The film tells the story of a Texas family in the 1950s, centering on the relationship between a strict father (Brad Pitt) and his young son Jack (Hunter McCracken).

The film also features Sean Penn as an older version of Jack, reflecting on his life and the loss of his brother.

The Tree of Life is notable for its ambitious and poetic storytelling, which blends family drama with cosmic themes and stunning visuals of nature and the universe.

The film was praised for its cinematography, music, and ambitious scope, and won the Palme d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

While some critics and audiences found the film’s nonlinear structure and philosophical themes challenging, it has also been praised as a unique and visionary work of art that explores fundamental questions about life, death, and the human experience.

• Brad Pitt, Sean Penn (Actors)
• Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)

3. Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees (1991)

“Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees” is an experimental film directed by David Blair and released in 1991. The film combines live-action footage with animation, stop-motion, and computer-generated imagery to create a surreal and dreamlike world.

The story follows Jacob Maker (played by Juan Carlos Hernandez), a beekeeper who discovers that his bees have developed a television system within their hive. As he begins to explore this strange phenomenon, he finds himself drawn into a bizarre world of conspiracy and espionage.

The film’s themes include the relationship between technology and nature, the power of mass media, and the nature of reality itself. Its unique visual style and nonlinear narrative structure have made it a cult classic among fans of avant-garde cinema.

Overall, “Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees” is a fascinating and thought-provoking film that defies easy categorization. Its blend of science fiction, fantasy, and experimental filmmaking makes it a truly one-of-a-kind viewing experience.

4. Dogville (2003)

“Dogville” is a 2003 drama film directed by Lars von Trier. The movie is set in the fictional town of Dogville, Colorado during the Great Depression and follows the arrival of a woman named Grace, played by Nicole Kidman.

Grace is on the run from gangsters and seeks refuge in the town, which is inhabited by a small community of people who agree to offer her shelter in exchange for her labor.

As Grace becomes more involved in the town’s affairs, she begins to uncover its dark secrets and the true nature of its residents.

The film is shot entirely on a sound stage with minimal set pieces, emphasizing the idea of the town as a construct and exploring themes of power, morality, and the human condition.

“Dogville” was praised by critics for its innovative approach to storytelling and cinematography, as well as its thought-provoking themes. The film also features a strong ensemble cast, including Lauren Bacall, Paul Bettany, and Stellan Skarsgård.

• Multiple Formats, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned
• English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)

5. Mulholland Drive (2001)

“Mulholland Drive” is a psychological thriller film directed by David Lynch and released in 2001. The film tells the story of an aspiring actress named Betty Elms who arrives in Los Angeles and meets a woman suffering from amnesia.

The two women then embark on a quest to uncover the mystery behind the amnesiac woman’s true identity, which leads them down a dark and surreal path.

The film is known for its complex and surreal storytelling, its exploration of themes related to identity, reality, and memory, and its striking visuals and soundtrack.

The film’s nonlinear narrative structure and dreamlike sequences challenge the viewer’s perception of reality and create a sense of disorientation and confusion.

“Mulholland Drive” has received critical acclaim for its innovative storytelling, powerful performances, and stunning visuals. It won several awards at the Cannes Film Festival, including the Best Director award for Lynch.

Overall, “Mulholland Drive” is a thought-provoking and haunting film that offers a unique and unforgettable viewing experience. Its complex characters, surreal visuals, and intricate plot make it a must-see for fans of psychological thrillers and avant-garde cinema.

• Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux (Actors)
• David Lynch (Director)
• English (Subtitle)
• English (Publication Language)
• Audience Rating: R (Restricted)

6. Dreams That Money Can Buy (1947)

Dreams That Money Can Buy is a surrealist film released in 1947, directed by artist and filmmaker Hans Richter.

The film follows Joe, a man who starts selling dreams to people for money. Joe uses his clients’ dreams as material for his own artistic creations, but soon finds himself trapped in a world where reality and dreams blur together.

One of the most unique and groundbreaking aspects of Dreams That Money Can Buy is its use of various avant-garde artists and their works.

The film features segments directed by six different artists, each bringing their own distinct style and sensibility to the film.

These segments range from abstract animation to surrealistic live-action sequences, creating a dreamlike and otherworldly atmosphere throughout the film.

Dreams That Money Can Buy has been praised for its innovative use of art and cinema, as well as its exploration of themes such as the nature of creativity and the relationship between art and commerce.

The film’s experimental style and use of surrealism have influenced many filmmakers and artists over the years, making it a significant work in the history of cinema.

• Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, John Waters (Actors)
• Bruce Beresford (Director) - Bruce Beresford (Writer)
• Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

7. La Jetée (1962)

“La Jetée” is a French experimental film directed by Chris Marker and released in 1962. The film is notable for its use of a series of still images to tell the story rather than traditional motion picture footage.

The film tells the story of a man who is sent back in time from a post-apocalyptic future to find a solution to the problems of his own time.

He falls in love with a woman he sees in a photograph, and the film explores themes of memory, time, and the nature of love.

“La Jetée” is considered a landmark of the experimental film genre, and its influence can be seen in many films that followed.

Its use of still images to tell a story creates a dreamlike atmosphere that is both haunting and beautiful, and its themes of time and memory are universal and deeply resonant.

• Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
• Hélène Chatelain;Davos Hanich (Actor)
• Chris Marker (Director)
• English (Playback Language)

8. Gummo (1997)

“Gummo” is an American independent film written and directed by Harmony Korine, released in 1997.

The film is set in a small Ohio town in the aftermath of a devastating tornado, and follows a group of disaffected youth as they go about their daily lives in a surreal and chaotic world.

The film is notorious for its graphic and often disturbing imagery, as well as its fragmented and nonlinear narrative structure.

The characters in the film are portrayed as outcasts and misfits, engaging in a variety of strange and often unsettling activities.

Despite its controversial subject matter, “Gummo” has gained a cult following among fans of independent cinema, and is often praised for its bold and unconventional approach to filmmaking.

The film has been cited as an influence by numerous filmmakers and artists, and has been the subject of academic study and analysis.

• Nick Sutton, Jacob Sewell, Lara Tosh (Actors)
• Harmony Korine (Director) - Harmony Korine (Writer)

9. Marketa Lazarová (1967)

Marketa Lazarová is a 1967 Czechoslovak historical drama film directed by František Vláčil. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Vladislav Vančura and tells the story of a fierce and violent conflict between two rival medieval clans, the Kozliks and the Lazars.

The film is noted for its atmospheric black-and-white cinematography and its unconventional, nonlinear storytelling. It explores themes of violence, power, and the clash between pagan and Christian beliefs.

The film’s characters are complex and morally ambiguous, and the film does not shy away from portraying the harsh realities of medieval life.

Marketa Lazarová is widely regarded as a masterpiece of Czechoslovak cinema and a landmark in European art-house filmmaking. It has been praised for its visual style, its powerful performances, and its unflinching portrayal of the brutality and complexity of human nature.

The film has influenced numerous filmmakers and is considered a must-see for fans of world cinema.

• Josef Kemr, Magda Váäáryová, Naďa Hejná (Actors)
• Frantiäek Vlácil (Director) - Frantiäek Vlácil (Writer) - Josef Ouzky (Producer)
• (Playback Language)

10. Window Water Baby Moving (1959)

“Window Water Baby Moving” is a short experimental film directed by Stan Brakhage and released in 1959. The film documents the home birth of Brakhage’s second child, Myrrena, and is shot entirely from the perspective of Brakhage’s wife, Jane, as she gives birth.

The film is notable for its intimate and unflinching depiction of childbirth, as well as for its innovative use of visual abstraction and poetic imagery.

Brakhage experimented with various techniques such as scratching, painting, and manipulating the film stock to create a highly expressive and impressionistic style.

The film is also significant for its feminist subtext, as it foregrounds the experiences and perspectives of the mother rather than the father, which was highly unusual for the time.

“Window Water Baby Moving” challenged conventional notions of documentary filmmaking and paved the way for later works that would explore the personal and subjective dimensions of filmmaking.

Overall, “Window Water Baby Moving” is a groundbreaking work of experimental cinema that continues to influence filmmakers and artists today. Its exploration of the human body, childbirth, and the creative potential of the film medium make it a powerful and enduring work of art.

11. First Name: Carmen (1983)

“First Name: Carmen” is a 1983 French film directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The movie is a modern retelling of the story of Carmen, a famous opera by Georges Bizet.

The plot follows a young woman named Carmen who, together with a group of criminals, plans to rob a bank. Carmen becomes romantically involved with one of the hostages, Joseph, who falls in love with her.

However, their relationship becomes increasingly complicated as Carmen becomes more unpredictable and dangerous.

The film is known for its unconventional style, including long takes, jump cuts, and a nonlinear narrative structure. It also features a mix of drama, romance, and satire, as well as commentary on contemporary French society.

“First Name: Carmen” was a critical success and received numerous awards and nominations. The film is also considered a landmark in French cinema and one of Godard’s most innovative works.

• Maruschka Detmers, Jacques Bonnaffe, Myriem Roussel (Actors)
• Jean-Luc Godard (Director)

12. The Color of Pomegranates (1969)

“The Color of Pomegranates” is an experimental biographical film directed by Sergei Parajanov and released in 1969.

The film is a poetic and visually stunning interpretation of the life of the 18th-century Armenian poet and troubadour Sayat-Nova.

Rather than following a conventional narrative structure, the film is composed of a series of tableaux vivants, or living pictures, that depict various moments and events from Sayat-Nova’s life.

The film is highly symbolic and uses richly textured images, music, and poetry to create a dreamlike and immersive experience for the viewer.

The film has been praised for its innovative and highly personal approach to biographical storytelling, as well as its stunning cinematography and use of color.

However, its unconventional style and emphasis on visual symbolism have also made it a challenging and polarizing work for some viewers.

Overall, “The Color of Pomegranates” is a unique and visionary work of cinema that offers a highly poetic and visually stunning exploration of the life of a beloved Armenian cultural figure.

Its blend of biography, poetry, and experimental filmmaking has made it a highly influential work in the history of world cinema.

• Factory sealed DVD
• Sergei Parajanov, Sofiko Chiaureli, Melkon Aleksanyan (Actors)
• Ron Holloway (Director) - Sayat Nova (Writer)
• Spanish (Publication Language)

13. Je Tu Il Elle (1974)

Je Tu Il Elle is a 1974 experimental film directed by Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman. The film follows a young woman named Julie, who spends most of the film confined to her small apartment as she struggles to overcome feelings of loneliness and isolation.

The film is notable for its minimalist style and its exploration of themes such as gender identity, desire, and emotional connection.

One of the most striking aspects of Je Tu Il Elle is its use of long, static shots to convey a sense of stillness and emptiness. The camera often lingers on Julie’s face or on objects within her apartment, emphasizing the monotony and isolation of her daily routine.

Despite its slow pace and lack of action, the film manages to create a sense of tension and unease through its intense focus on Julie’s inner thoughts and emotions.

Je Tu Il Elle has been praised for its experimental style and its exploration of unconventional themes, as well as its feminist perspective on sexuality and desire.

The film’s frank portrayal of female sexuality and its rejection of traditional narrative structures have made it a significant work in the history of feminist and avant-garde cinema.

14. 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her (1967)

“2 or 3 Things I Know About Her” is a French experimental film directed by Jean-Luc Godard and released in 1967.

The film is a study of a woman who works as a prostitute to support her family and explores themes of capitalism, consumer culture, and the dehumanization of modern life.

The film is shot in a highly stylized and experimental manner, with long tracking shots and unconventional camera angles. It also includes voiceover narration and intertitles that comment on the action and provide context for the viewer.

“2 or 3 Things I Know About Her” is considered one of Godard’s most challenging and thought-provoking works, and it remains a key film in the history of experimental cinema.

Its use of unconventional narrative techniques and its exploration of complex themes make it a fascinating and rewarding viewing experience for those interested in experimental film.

15. The Hart of London (1970)

“The Hart of London” is a Canadian experimental film directed by Jack Chambers and released in 1970. The film is a poetic meditation on life and death, using a montage of images to explore the natural beauty of the Canadian landscape and the human condition.

The film is structured as a series of visual and aural collages, incorporating footage of wildlife, industry, and everyday life. The film’s imagery is often abstract and fragmented, emphasizing the fleeting and transitory nature of existence.

“The Hart of London” is widely regarded as a masterpiece of Canadian avant-garde cinema.

The film has been praised for its stunning visuals, its innovative use of sound, and its ability to evoke a sense of transcendence and wonder in the viewer.

It has been studied and analyzed by scholars and filmmakers alike, and remains a seminal work in the history of experimental film.

• Audio CD – Audiobook
• Audio Vaults (Publisher)

16. Prelude: Dog Star Man (1962)

Prelude: Dog Star Man is a 1962 experimental film directed by Stan Brakhage. The film is a meditation on the human experience, using a series of abstract images and sounds to explore themes of life, death, and rebirth.

The film is divided into five parts, each exploring a different aspect of the human condition. The imagery ranges from the microscopic to the cosmic, with Brakhage using a variety of techniques such as painting directly on the filmstrip, hand-processing, and rapid editing.

Prelude: Dog Star Man is considered one of Brakhage’s most significant works and a landmark in avant-garde cinema.

The film’s abstract imagery and unconventional editing challenged traditional notions of narrative and meaning in film. It has influenced generations of experimental filmmakers and is regarded as a masterpiece of the genre.

While the film can be challenging to watch for those not familiar with experimental cinema, it is a powerful and deeply personal exploration of the human condition that continues to inspire and provoke audiences today.

17. Notre musique (2004)

“Notre musique” is a film directed by Jean-Luc Godard and released in 2004. The film is divided into three parts, “Hell,” “Purgatory,” and “Paradise,” and explores themes of war, violence, and reconciliation.

The first part, “Hell,” is a series of images of war and violence, including footage of the Holocaust and the bombing of Hiroshima.

The second part, “Purgatory,” follows a group of writers and intellectuals who have gathered at a literary conference in Sarajevo, where they discuss the role of art and literature in responding to war and violence.

The final part, “Paradise,” takes place in the imaginary city of Jerusalem, where an Israeli filmmaker and a Palestinian poet meet and discuss the possibility of peace and reconciliation.

Through its nonlinear structure and poetic imagery, “Notre musique” presents a meditation on the human condition and the struggle for peace in a world torn by conflict.

The film is deeply philosophical, and raises important questions about the nature of art, the role of memory and history, and the possibility of transcending violence and hatred.

Overall, “Notre musique” is a powerful and thought-provoking film that invites the viewer to reflect on some of the most pressing issues of our time. Its innovative style and profound insights make it a landmark work of cinema.

• Part poetry, part journalism, part philosophy, master filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard's Notre Musique is a...
• Sarah Adler, Nade Dieu, Rony Kramer (Actors)
• Jean-Luc Godard (Director) - Jean-Luc Godard (Writer)

18. 88:88 (2015)

“88:88” is a 2015 independent film directed by Isiah Medina. The movie is a nonlinear, experimental documentary that explores the director’s personal experiences and struggles with poverty and mental illness.

The film features a mix of footage shot by Medina, found footage, and computer-generated images. It also includes voiceovers, music, and sound effects, all of which contribute to its abstract, dreamlike atmosphere.

“88:88” has been praised for its innovative approach to documentary filmmaking and its use of multiple media formats to create a unique, immersive experience. The film has also been noted for its commentary on social inequality and the challenges faced by those living in poverty.

Despite its experimental style, “88:88” has resonated with audiences and has been screened at several film festivals around the world.

• Christopher Lloyd, Michael Ironside, Kyle Schmid (Actors)
• April Mullen (Director)

19. Weekend (1967)

“Weekend” is a French art film directed by Jean-Luc Godard and released in 1967. The film is a darkly comic and surreal satire that critiques bourgeois society and capitalism through the story of a young couple’s journey through the French countryside.

The film follows Corinne and Roland, a wealthy, bourgeois couple who set out on a weekend trip to the French countryside.

Along the way, they encounter a series of bizarre characters and situations, including a traffic jam caused by a deadly car crash, a group of hippie revolutionaries, and a cannibalistic family.

The film is known for its innovative visual style, which includes jump cuts, freeze frames, and long tracking shots. It also features elements of Brechtian theater, with characters breaking the fourth wall to address the audience directly.

Overall, “Weekend” is a highly experimental and challenging work of cinema that combines social critique with surrealism and black humor.

Its unconventional storytelling and style have made it a landmark film in the history of French New Wave cinema and a major influence on avant-garde and independent filmmakers.

• Mireille Darc, Jean Yanne (Actors)

20. F for Fake (1973)

F for Fake is a 1973 experimental documentary film directed by Orson Welles.

The film is a playful examination of the nature of art and forgery, featuring interviews with famous art forger Elmyr de Hory and biographer Clifford Irving, who famously wrote a fraudulent biography of Howard Hughes.

One of the most notable aspects of F for Fake is its unconventional structure, which incorporates elements of fiction and autobiography into its documentary format.

The film features a series of interwoven stories and interviews, which are presented in a non-linear fashion and often blur the lines between truth and fiction.

F for Fake has been praised for its inventive style and its exploration of themes such as authenticity and illusion.

The film’s use of multiple narrative threads and its blurring of fact and fiction have influenced many filmmakers over the years, making it a significant work in the history of experimental cinema.

21. Synecdoche, New York (2008)

“Synecdoche, New York” is an American experimental film directed by Charlie Kaufman and released in 2008. The film is a complex and surreal exploration of life, art, and the nature of reality.

The story follows a theater director named Caden Cotard, who is given a grant to create a new play. As he becomes increasingly obsessed with his work, his personal life begins to unravel, and the lines between reality and fiction become increasingly blurred.

“Synecdoche, New York” is a challenging and deeply philosophical film that explores complex ideas about identity, consciousness, and the nature of existence.

Kaufman’s signature style of mixing surreal and fantastical elements with grounded realism is on full display, and the film rewards repeat viewings with its dense and layered storytelling.

Overall, “Synecdoche, New York” is a fascinating and deeply moving film that will appeal to fans of experimental cinema and those interested in exploring the complexities of the human experience.

• Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams (Actors)
• Charlie Kaufman (Director) - Charlie Kaufman (Writer) - Anthony Bregman (Producer)

22. Outer Space (1999)

“Outer Space” is an experimental film directed by Austrian filmmaker Peter Tscherkassky and released in 1999.

The film is a montage of found footage from an old Hollywood horror film, with Tscherkassky manipulating and re-editing the footage to create a new, abstract work of cinema.

The film’s imagery is heavily distorted and fragmented, creating a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere.

Tscherkassky uses a variety of techniques to manipulate the footage, including scratching and hand-painting the film stock, as well as layering multiple images on top of each other.

“Outer Space” is widely regarded as a groundbreaking work of experimental cinema, and has been praised for its innovative use of found footage and its exploration of the subconscious mind.

The film has been the subject of extensive academic study and analysis, and has been screened at film festivals around the world.

• Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Nick Tate (Actors)
• Charles Crichton (Director)

23. Out 1: Spectre (1972)

Out 1: Spectre is a 1972 French film directed by Jacques Rivette and co-written by Rivette and Suzanne Schiffman.

The film is a sprawling and complex work that follows the lives of a group of Parisians, including actors, con artists, and bohemians, as they engage in a series of interrelated intrigues and conspiracies.

Out 1: Spectre is known for its unconventional structure and its lengthy running time, which exceeds 12 hours in total.

The film was originally intended to be a television series, but was re-edited and released as a feature film due to its length. The film is divided into eight episodes, each of which focuses on a different character or group of characters and their various schemes and machinations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzlLbWpgm-E&pp=ygUdT3V0IDE6IFNwZWN0cmUgKDE5NzIpIHRyYWlsZXI%3D

The film has been praised for its intricate plot, its improvisational performances, and its vivid portrayal of Parisian bohemia in the 1970s.

It has also been noted for its influence on later filmmakers, particularly those working in the fields of independent and experimental cinema.

While Out 1: Spectre can be challenging to watch due to its length and complex structure, it is considered a landmark work of French cinema and a key example of the New Wave movement.

• Out 1 (Noli me tangere / Spectre) - 5-DVD Box Set ( Out 1: Noli me tangere / Out 1: Spectre ) ( Out
• Out 1 (Noli me tangere / Spectre) - 5-DVD Box Set
• Out 1: Noli me tangere / Out 1: Spectre
• Out One - Don't Touch Me
• Jean-Pierre Léaud, Michael Lonsdale, Michèle Moretti (Actors)

24. Chelsea Girls (1966)

“Chelsea Girls” is a film directed by Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey and released in 1966. It is a unique and groundbreaking film that is considered a seminal work of avant-garde cinema.

The film consists of twelve reels, each featuring a different segment of footage shot in various locations around New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. The reels are projected simultaneously on two screens, with the sound alternating between the two screens.

The film features a cast of characters, mostly played by Warhol’s Factory regulars, who engage in conversations and various activities such as drug use, lounging in bed, and discussing their experiences and relationships.

The segments are largely improvised, and the film has a raw, unscripted feel.

“Chelsea Girls” is notable for its experimental style, which includes split-screen images, slow-motion footage, and disjointed editing. It also has a distinctive aesthetic, with its black and white photography and grainy texture.

The film is often interpreted as a commentary on the bohemian lifestyle and culture of the time, as well as an exploration of themes such as sexuality, identity, and the nature of celebrity. It is also considered a landmark work of the “underground” cinema movement of the 1960s.

Overall, “Chelsea Girls” is a fascinating and challenging film that pushes the boundaries of traditional filmmaking and offers a unique glimpse into a particular time and place in American culture.

• English, Italian (Subtitles)

25. Out 1 (1971)

“Out 1” is a French film directed by Jacques Rivette and released in 1971. It is a monumental work of experimental cinema that clocks in at a staggering 13 hours in length, divided into eight episodes.

The film centers around a group of actors and artists in Paris who become embroiled in a complex and mysterious conspiracy.

The characters form various alliances and relationships, and the plot weaves together elements of theater, philosophy, politics, and art.

“Out 1” is known for its improvisational approach to filmmaking, with many scenes featuring extended, unscripted dialogue and interactions between the characters.

The film also includes elements of the avant-garde and surrealism, as well as a fragmented narrative structure that challenges the viewer’s understanding of the story.

Despite its length and challenging style, “Out 1” has become a cult classic and has been praised for its innovative approach to cinema.

It is considered a landmark work of French New Wave and experimental cinema.

• Out 1 (Noli Me Tangere/ Spectre/ Out 1 And Its Double/ The Mysteries Of Paris (LIMITED EDITION DELUX
• Alain Libolt, Bernadette Lafont, Bernadette Onfroy (Actors)
• Jacques Rivette (Director)

3 Characteristics of Experimental Movies

Experimental movies are a diverse category of films that often break with traditional narrative structures, stylistic conventions, and production methods. Here are three characteristics that are often found in experimental movies:

Non-linear narratives: Many experimental movies abandon the traditional linear narrative structure of beginning, middle, and end, and instead use a fragmented or circular approach to storytelling.

Unconventional filmmaking techniques: Experimental movies often use unconventional techniques, such as extreme close-ups, jump cuts, long takes, or montage to create an emotional or intellectual impact on the viewer.

Non-traditional subject matter: Experimental movies may explore unconventional or abstract themes, or use imagery that is unfamiliar or even disturbing to the viewer.

These films may also challenge traditional ideas of genre, blending elements of drama, documentary, and avant-garde cinema in new and unexpected ways.

3 Reasons To Watch Experimental Movies

Creativity and innovation: Experimental movies often push the boundaries of conventional filmmaking, using unconventional techniques and styles to explore new forms of storytelling.

Watching experimental movies can expose you to new ideas and approaches to filmmaking that you might not have encountered before.

Emphasis on visuals and sound: Many experimental movies focus heavily on visuals and sound, using innovative techniques to create striking and immersive cinematic experiences.

This can be particularly engaging for viewers who appreciate the technical aspects of filmmaking, such as cinematography, editing, and sound design.

Challenge to traditional narratives: Experimental movies often subvert or challenge traditional narrative structures, opting instead for more abstract or non-linear approaches to storytelling.

This can be a refreshing change of pace for viewers who are tired of formulaic Hollywood films and are looking for something more intellectually stimulating.

Additionally, experimental movies can offer unique perspectives on social issues or personal experiences, providing a more nuanced and complex understanding of the world.

Best Experimental Movies – Wrap Up

In conclusion, experimental movies push the boundaries of traditional filmmaking and offer a unique viewing experience that can challenge and inspire audiences. The films discussed in this series range from the surreal to the philosophical, exploring complex ideas about identity, reality, and the human experience.

Some of the best experimental movies include “La Jetée,” a groundbreaking French science-fiction film that uses still images to tell its story; “2 or 3 Things I Know About Her,” a poetic.

Deeply personal meditation on life in 1960s Paris; and “Synecdoche, New York,” a surreal and philosophical exploration of art, identity, and the nature of existence.

Experimental movies may not be for everyone, but for those willing to explore new and unconventional forms of cinema, these films offer a rich and rewarding viewing experience.

They challenge us to think differently about the world around us and offer new perspectives on the human condition.

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There's nothing quite like the jolt of seeing something truly out there on the big screen that truly shakes an audience member to the core. Experimental filmmaking has been a trend throughout the history of cinema, and many filmmakers have taken a stab at it with varying levels of success. When it's done well, an experimental film can truly transcend the boundaries of the genre and deliver a singular and unforgettable experience.

What defines a film as experimental can be a bit broad; it's usually characterized by a bold, avant-garde, and unconventional approach towards narrative and structure. The following films take the experimental label to the highest level, resulting in some of the most memorable entries in the subgenre to date. Take a look at what makes these experimental films five of the most unforgettable and uncompromising of the subgenre.

5 Enter The Void

This 2009 psychological thriller is the epitome of a head-trip. Enter the Void , from unorthodox filmmaker Gaspar Noé, follows an American drug dealer named Oscar who is shot and killed near the beginning of the film, initiating an out-of-body experience that allows him to recall moments from his past and hover over reality with a God's eye view. The film defies traditional narrative to place us directly in Oscar's head and depicts the metaphysical experience in a truly unique and artistic approach.

The film utilizes a neon-soaked Tokyo atmosphere to add texture and mood, and its cinematography is inspired by psychedelics like DMT, contributing to the distorted nature of the film. Enter the Void is a purely sensory experience that immerses us in our protagonist's confusion and delivers some truly breathtaking and chaotic imagery in the process.

Enter the Void drew a mixed reception upon release but has developed its fair share of ardent fans, and is considered a 21st century cult classic by many for its imaginative storytelling, visual style, and abstract take on the concepts of grief, loss, spirituality, and death. It's certainly one of the most accomplished experimental films of the past decade and continues to resonate with audiences, still being considered one of the most hypnotic films ever made.

Ingmar Bergman has subverted the modern traditions of filmmaking numerous times throughout his career, and his landmark film Persona is a more than strong showcase for his talents and for experimental cinema in general. The film follows a young nurse caring for a former actress who has gone mute; in the process the two form a symbiotic relationship that ends up leading to obsession. The film draws on the surreal perspective of its protagonists to create an air of tension and unease throughout, and Bergman's black and white visuals are consistently haunting and surreal.

Related: Here Are Some of the Most Visually Stunning TV Shows Ever Made

Persona defies linear narrative and visually and thematically plays with themes of identity, motherhood, and reality. Featuring an astounding, extended sequence of truly haunting, avant-garde images and filmmaking techniques, Persona has since gone on to be considered one of the greatest films ever made and has been analyzed frequently by critics and scholars. Persona is considered a textbook example of an experimental film, with its endless meanings and ambiguous nature towards its own storytelling.

3 Holy Motors

The French film Holy Motors takes the idea of double roles to an artful and experimental extreme, and consequently creates an incredible meditation on the art of acting and cinema itself. Leos Carax's film follows a man named Mr. Oscar who takes on the form of several individuals living out moments in their daily lives, as he careens through city streets in his limousine. The ever-shifting narrative makes for some dynamic storytelling and filmmaking, and each segment represents a particular cinematic style or aesthetic. The juggling narratives and tonal shifts ensure that Holy Motors is an evolving cinematic experience, one that at times purely defies convention to deliver some imaginative visuals and wonderful musical sequences.

The film never settles for a straightforward or traditional narrative and is consistently challenging its audience with its dense yet thought-provoking storytelling. Holy Motors was met with critical acclaim upon release and has been lauded for its unapologetic originality and abstract themes and presentation. The film competed for the Palme d'Or prize at Cannes and has since earned itself a cult following in the years since. As a piece of filmmaking, Holy Motors is gloriously experimental, and one of the most distinct visual experiences in modern cinema.

2 Mulholland Drive

Experimental filmmaking is something David Lynch is no stranger to, and his 2001 masterpiece Mulholland Drive is no exception. Mulholland Drive defies the norms of genre and convention through its tale of murder, romance, and obsession set against the backdrop of Hollywood. Mulholland Drive, like many of David Lynch's movies , is full of surreal sequences that combines genres to deliver a memorably unpredictable experience.

Related: Here's What Makes Mulholland Drive One of the Greatest Fantasy Films Ever Made

The film is full of ambiguous plot threads and themes that, in true Lynchian fashion, are never neatly resolved or addressed, but leave fans engaged nonetheless. Mulholland Drive has long been open to speculation over its themes and plot, and has the kind of ending which should be watched twice . Considered one of the most influential films of the past few decades, Mulholland Drive set the bar for experimental filmmaking this century with a high benchmark that continues to inspire and captivate viewers.

1 The Holy Mountain

Master of the midnight movie , Alejandro Jodorowsky is accustomed to creating surreal cinematic experiences, and The Holy Mountain reigns chief among them. The film is a surrealist experience involving a strange and spiritual journey among seven individuals to a territory known as the Holy Mountain. The film lacks a clear-cut presentation or story beyond that, but manages to deliver rich symbolism, haunting visuals, and imaginative filmmaking in the process.

Jodorowsky's psychedelic and subversively twisted perspective is deeply captivating, and while it's hard to take in all of its subtext at once, The Holy Mountain is pure cinema through and through. The film has steadily earned its admirers and followers throughout the years and for some is considered Jodorowsky's masterpieces. While it may not always get the attention of some of his other films such as El Topo , The Holy Mountain is still a powerful, insightful, and complex work of art that continues to draw viewers in with its mysteries, and is now an established part of the experimental filmmaking canon.

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5 Unique & Experimental Film Stocks You Need to Try! by Samantha Stortecky

• Learn to Shoot Film: Tips & Tutorials
• October 23, 2020

Written by  Samantha Stortecky

One of my favorite aspects of film photography is the huge amount of film stocks available on the market today. Whether you are looking for professional films, something inexpensive for everyday pictures, or even something crazy with scratches and light leaks on it, film can cater to all your needs.

Experimenting with crazy and fun film stocks is wonderful, especially in the beginning when you first start shooting film. Experimental film stocks also make great gifts for the film photographers in your life .

I find that being able to try out different film stocks and use fun and unexpected film can refine your craft and push your art out of the box.

So, today, I am sharing with you five unique and experimental film stocks I think you should give a try!

And if you want to learn more about experimental film photography, check out these resources here.

1. Psychedelic Blues 400

This is an experimental film stock I shot about 2 years ago when I visited a pumpkin patch. It was one of my very first attempts at developing film on my own and was such a cool and fun experience.

I take pictures every year at our local pumpkin patch, and I wanted to do something way out of the box, which is why I chose Psychedelic Blues 400 .

This 35mm film is pre-fogged, creating light leaks all over each image. You’ll see strong streaks of yellow, red, and/or green color throughout your frame. And no image is the same, so you are guaranteed a unique experience no matter what role of film you are shooting from them.

Such a fun film to shoot with if you are looking for those bright and colorful light leaks!

And if you want to try creating your own light leaks on film, check out this post.

Find Psychedelic Blues film at psychblues.com.

Related: LomoChrome Turquoise Review & How to Shoot This Experimental Film from Lomography

2. CineStill 50D

CineStill 50D has been high on my list for a while, and I’m so excited to say I just shot my first roll of it!

I see so many people on Instagram sharing their images they’ve shot on CineStill 50D and 800, and I just love the way it looks.

There are such beautiful tones to the film, and it reminds me a lot of Kodak Portra 160. This is a film stock you should try!

Available in 35mm or 120, CineStill 50D is converted into still film from motion picture film, giving your images a beautifully cinematic quality.

The colors are often a little bit muted with a warm and green tint. Being a 50 speed film, it loves light and will get muddy if underexposed.

Find CineStill 50D on Amazon.

3. dubblefilm Apollo

I’ve been eyeing the dubble film stocks for so long, and I think their APOLLO film stock is the one I might try first. It gives such a warm ’60s vibe to it, and I am totally here for it!

You’ll usually notice more of a pastel color palette from dubblefilm APOLLO with subtle yellow or blue tones. The shadows tend to get a deep purple color. It’s warm colors create such a vintage feel!

(Also note that dubblefilms are only available in 35mm.)

Dubblefilm APOLLO seems like the perfect film stock to shoot when you are at the beach or somewhere where it’s sunny and colorful.

I myself am hoping to take it for a little walk around our downtown area to capture all the beautiful buildings and architecture!

If you’re looking for red and yellow tones, Amber D400 is a great film to try as well.

Find dubblefilm APOLLO at dubblefilm.com or at Adorama .

4. Lomography Berlin Kino 400

I’m not a huge connoisseur of black and white film. I found my love with Ilford Delta 3200, and I’ve pretty much stuck with that throughout my whole film journey.

But I won’t lie, I am completely in love with the Lomography Berlin Kino 400 .

This film was modeled after old German films and really does a great job of bringing that aesthetic to life. It also has some impressive contrast, and, if you know me, you know I’m a huge sucker for those deep contrasty black and white images.

It has some gorgeous grain while still retaining detail, and it comes in both 35mm and 120.

Definitely on my list to try!

Find Lomography Berlin Kino 400 at lomography.com or at Adorama .

Related: Amber D400 Review: A Moody, Cinematic Film from Reto

5. Revolog Streak 200

And last, but certainly not least, is this beautiful streaky film from Revolog.

Very much like dubblefilm, Revolog has so many different 35mm experimental film stocks to choose from, but I personally have my eye on their Revolog Streak 200 color negative film.

It has a colorful lines, scratched effect that cover the entire frame. It really gives it a grungy textured appearance to the image. The streak effect will be quite strong on the darker parts of your image and much more subtle (sometimes almost invisible) on the brighter portions.

I cannot wait to try it out. It’s the perfect film stock to liven up your images!

Find Revolog Streak 200 at revolog.net or at A dorama .

Well, friends, that’s it for me. I hope that you enjoyed this list and that it has motivated you to splurge on some fun film stocks and to go out there and experiment!

Have you ever shot any of these film stocks on this list or do you have any other fun, unique, and experimental film stocks that you use yourself? Let me know in the comments below so we can chat all about fun film together!

Thank you so much, Samantha! Samantha is a regular contributor here at Shoot It With Film, and you can check out  her other articles here , including and  how to shoot Kodak Portra 400 and Intro to Disposable Cameras: The Fujifilm Quicksnap and the Kodak FunSaver .

You can also check out more of Samantha’s work on her  website  and  Instagram .

Please share your favorite experimental film stock below in the comments, and let us know any questions you have!

Related Posts:

Samantha Stortecky

Samantha Stortecky is a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film. Find her other articles here , such as How to Shoot Kodak Portra 400 and Intro to Disposable Cameras: The Fujifilm Quicksnap and the Kodak FunSaver .

Blog Comments

July 31, 2021 at 3:35 am

I do think Lomography Berlin is actually Orwo N74. You can get that a few different places, FPP has some – or you can get a bulk-loader-friendly 100 foot spool from Orwo directly (whenever they get back in stock that is).

shootitwithfilm

July 31, 2021 at 6:45 pm

Dave, that is so interesting! Thank you for sharing, and we’ll have to check it out from FPP!

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What is Experimental Film?

As a genre, experimental film is a niche. These films by definition are unconventional, and therefore almost never reach a wide audience. But it is nonetheless an essential niche: experimental films have always formed the vanguard that goes on to determine the mainstream.

No formal characteristics

Many experimental films use the physical properties of the medium : photosensitivity , grain, color saturation - but this often manifests itself in very different ways . In the reference books about film history, the genre of experimental film often gets a rather cursory treatment. This is in part due to its very diverse scope; it is not a genre that can easily be described in terms of its formal characteristics. Likewise, experimental films are sometimes made in disciplines outside of film, such as science, visual art, or music. When interpreting these films, the usual film-theoretical framework comes up short.

Gallery or cinema?

Though internationally oriented, the experimental film scene is a traditionally closed community, one that has little connection to the rest of the Dutch film world. It is a subculture that largely takes place outside of the regular cinemas. These films are more likely to be screened in museums, galleries, cinema clubs, and special festivals, and it has its own distribution channels.

Since the Second World War, there has really only been one period when experimental film became visible to a wider audience. That was at the end of the 1960s and the early 1970s, an era that was dominated by revolution, and a yearning for freedom and experimentation. In that period, experimental film briefly won a regular place in the Dutch film circuit.

This heyday is where the roots of experimental film’s traditions can be found: an international orientation and national activities; a formal approach and intuitive expression; the academy and the independent studio.

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The Avant-Garde of the 1920s and 1930s

Until the end of the 1920s, the production and exhibition of films in the Netherlands was primarily based on commercial objectives. The Filmliga, founded in 1927, was among the first to suggest that film could also be an art form. Absolute film The leaders of the Filmliga, particularly Menno ter...

Postwar Avant-Garde

Shortly after the Second World War, most of the Filmliga films were stored in the archives of Dutch historical film archive, the forerunner of the Filmmuseum. The first notable screening of these films was in 1949 during EXPRMNTL, which was the first festival for experimental film, held in Knokke...

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The beauty of the cinematography — duties de los Santos Arias shares with Camilo Soratti and Roman Lechapelier — is not quite enough to keep one engaged in the “Pepe” project at its most experimental. But there is one amazing night scene, where the reflection of a huge moon cuts a narrow, silver trail on the top of the black water into which two hippos float serenely, that not only makes you swoon, it also makes you question how on earth such a serendipitous image was even achieved (each of the film’s continent-hopping locations lists a “fiction crew” and a “non-fiction crew” in the credits). The wonder at that major achievement carries through into the film’s most coherent section, which explores the small, rural riverside community that first encounters Pepe. Here again, there are moments where Candelario (Jorge Puntillon Garcia) the gruff fisherman whom Pepe gives fright of his life on his way home one night, will chug out of frame only for a hippo to surface right then, as though on cue.

In this late section, we also get a witty, lived-in snapshot of life in the region. Candelario has a fractious relationship with his wife Betania (Sor Maria Rios) who after 33 years of marriage has had it with his bullshit, of which his story of being menaced on the river by a huge, malevolent unidentifiable animal is, she believes, only the latest example. Betania in turn is a dressmaker who is sewing a beauty pageant outfit for a neighbor. At that event, the girl and her fellow contestants cite the bad roads, inadequate schooling and rural depopulation as the regional ills they want to address, while over in the village bar, Candelario gets drunk with his friends. He heads out onto the water to find Pepe, who is fast becoming the Moby Dick to Candelario’s sozzled Captain Ahab.

The straightforwardness of this section — an almost-classical tale of first contact between humans and another species — is evidence enough that within “Pepe” there is a shorter yet much more potent vision of the ontological, philosophical, ecological, sociological and borderline mythological questions that the strange and sad true Pepe story raises. But de los Santos Arias, demonstrating a commitment to the “Baroque. Excessive. Opaque. Heterogeneous” (just some of the words that Pepe mentions knowing but not understanding) that would be admirable if it weren’t so intrusive, too often distracts us from the heart of his inventive but chaotic movie. The one that used to beat inside a displaced, distrusted and eventually destroyed hippo, who perhaps did wonder what he was and where he was and, most of all, why he suddenly wasn’t.

Reviewed at Berlin Film Festival (Competition). Feb. 19, 2024. Running time: 122 MIN. 

• Production: (Dominican Republic-Namibia-Germany-France)  A Monte & Culebra production, in co-production with 4 A 4 Productions, Pandora Film, Joe’s Vision. (World sales: Monte & Culebra, Dominican Republic.) Producers: Pablo Lozano, Tanya Valette, Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias. Co-producers: Andrea Queralt, Mani Mortazavi, Christoph Friedel, Claudia Steffen, Joel Haikali, Sophie Haikali.
• Crew: Director, writer: Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias. Camera: Camilo Soratti, Roman Lechapelier, Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias. Edito: Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias. Music: Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias.
• With: Jhon Narváez, Sor María Ríos, Fareed Matjila, Harmony Ahalwa, Jorge Puntillón García, Shifafure Faustinus, Steven Alexander, Nicolás Marín Cal. (Spanish, Afrikaans, Mbukushu, German dialogue)

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Ten Masterpieces of Experimental Cinema

The following list by Justin Remes, author of Motion(less) Pictures: The Cinema of Stasis and the forthcoming Absence in Cinema: The Art of Showing Nothing , considers ten canonical experimental films. You can also watch the films below.

•  •  •  •  •  •

“I don’t like experimental films.” 

“What experimental films have you seen?”

“Well, I’m not sure I’ve ever really seen one, but…”

I’ve had this conversation more times than I can count.

While almost everyone has seen avant-garde paintings by Picasso and Pollock, few have ever had the opportunity to see an avant-garde film by Buñuel or Brakhage. Those who are interested in exploring this cinematic terrain might want to check out one or more of the following films, listed in chronological order. Since experimental films are often difficult to find, I have only included works that can currently be seen in high-quality versions online. 

Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, Un Chien Andalou ( An Andalusian Dog ) (1929) (16 minutes) (NSFW)

In his autobiography, My Last Sigh , the great Surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel wrote, “I’ve tried my whole life to simply accept the images that present themselves to me without trying to analyze them.” This is precisely how one should approach the bizarre and irrational images of Un Chien Andalou : an eyeball being sliced open by a razor, ants swarming out of a hole in a man’s hand, two corpses buried in sand on a beach. Buñuel and Dalí pair these bewildering images with a soundtrack that includes a couple of sensual tangos, as well as the magisterial “Liebestod” (or “love death”) from Wagner’s opera Tristan and Isolde . Un Chien Andalou is disturbing, disorienting, and startlingly original. Those who see it never forget it.

Walter Ruttmann, Wochenende ( Weekend ) (1930) (11 minutes)

To create this odd intermedia experiment, the German filmmaker Walter Ruttmann wandered through the streets of Berlin and recorded his surroundings with a camera without ever removing the lens cap. In other words, Wochenende features a complex sound collage of voices, marching bands, and sirens, but it is completely devoid of images. Instead, spectators are free to imagine whatever content they like on the blank cinema screen before them. In the words of the Dada artist Hans Richter, Wochenende is “a symphony of sound, speech-fragments, and silence woven into a poem.”

Joseph Cornell, Jack’s Dream (c. 1938) (4 minutes)

American artist Joseph Cornell was a pioneer of found footage filmmaking (that is, creating films by reworking content from preexisting films), and Jack’s Dream is one of his most compelling cinematic remixes. As one listens to the gorgeous strains of Debussy’s Clair de Lune , one sees a number of apparently disconnected images: a puppet show, seahorses, a sinking ship. Like many actual dreams, Jack’s Dream is ephemeral and enigmatic.

Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid, Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) (13 minutes)

Albert Einstein once wrote, “The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” It is hard to think of a more mysterious film than Meshes of the Afternoon , a dreamscape that is replete with haunting and cryptic images: a flower that transforms into a knife, a woman who pulls a key out of her mouth, a hooded figure with a mirror for a face. Deren influenced just about every American experimental filmmaker who came after her, prompting Stan Brakhage to call her “the mother of us all.”

Note: When Meshes of the Afternoon was originally released, it was completely silent, but in 1959 a musical score by Deren’s third husband, Teiji Ito, was added. The silent version of the film is more compelling than the sound version, however, so if the version you are watching has sound, I would encourage you to mute it.

Stan Brakhage, Window Water Baby Moving (1959) (12 minutes) (NSFW)

The filmmaker Marjorie Keller once mused, “I don’t know that there could be an avant-garde filmmaker in America that is not in some way indebted to Stan Brakhage, has not studied his films, has not thought about them and taken them seriously.” While Brakhage made over 350 films, one of his most memorable and influential is Window Water Baby Moving , a work that documents the birth of Stan and Jane Brakhage’s first child, Myrrena. Brakhage uses rapid nonlinear editing, out-of-focus shots, reverse motion, and jump cuts to capture just how frenetic and disorienting childbirth can be.

Kenneth Anger, Scorpio Rising (1963) (28 minutes) (NSFW)

In the early 1960s, pop artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol were revolutionizing the art world by appropriating images from popular culture: comic book characters, Hollywood celebrities, cans of Campbell’s soup. Kenneth Anger brought a similar sensibility to his film Scorpio Rising , a heady brew of religion, drugs, motorcycles, Nazis, and homoerotic sadomasochism. At a time when most filmmakers used classical music for their soundtracks, Anger used only contemporary pop songs, like Elvis Presley’s “You’re the Devil in Disguise” and Bobby Vinton’s “Blue Velvet.” Scorpio Rising is also populated with images drawn for popular culture: comic strip panels, gay pornography, and appropriated images of James Dean, Marlon Brando, Jesus, Dracula, and Hitler. One of Anger’s many acolytes, Martin Scorsese, confessed that when he first saw Scorpio Rising , he was “astonished”: “Every cut, every camera movement, every color, and every texture seemed, somehow, inevitable.”

Joyce Wieland, Cat Food (1967) (14 minutes)

Spectators of Cat Food hear crashing waves while watching Wieland’s insatiable cat, Dwight, voraciously eat fish. Whenever one fish starts to be consumed, another seems to miraculously appear. The film has a mythic quality, bringing to mind the New Testament story of Jesus feeding a crowd with only five loaves of bread and two fish, as well as the ancient Greek story of Prometheus, whose liver was eaten out by an eagle every day, only to regenerate and be eaten again. Films like Cat Food prompted Hollis Frampton to opine, “The thought of some Purgatory wherein I might be deprived of seeing Joyce Wieland’s films makes me regret my every sin and dereliction.”

Hollis Frampton, Carrots and Peas (1969) (5 minutes)

Carrots and Peas is a cinematic still life in which images of the titular vegetables are paired with the voice from an exercise film played in reverse. Early in the film, Frampton manipulates the imagery by flipping it upside down, adding a color filter, and painting the filmstrip itself. As the film continues, however, the interventions cease, and the viewer ends up staring at a single static image of carrots and peas for a prolonged period of time. Once this happens, one begins to notice details of the shot had originally escaped one’s attention: the indentations on individual peas, for example—or the way one carrot slice seems to be hiding from the others. Carrots and Peas is so odd and inexplicable, it makes me giggle with glee.

Norman McLaren, Synchromy (1971) (7 minutes)

To create this exuberant abstract film, McLaren photographed striated cards with colorful lines on them and placed them onto the film’s soundtrack to produce a series of specific pitches. McLaren then placed these same cards onto the film’s visual track, thus creating a precise synchronization of sound and image. The result is an orgy of color and sound, an exhilarating experiment in cinematic synesthesia.

Naomi Uman, removed (1999) (7 minutes) (NSFW)

Uman erases the women from an old pornographic film using nail polish and bleach, and the result is a provocative and playful deconstruction of cinema’s representational codes. Uman invites viewers to do whatever they want with these “holes.” One can attempt to “peek” at the women who are being erased (since they occasionally become visible, in whole or in part, for a split second). One can enjoy the absences as absences, taking pleasure in the film’s shimmering voids. Or one can fill in the blanks with one’s own desiderata. In the words of Claire Stewart, “The hole in the film becomes an erotic zone, a blank on which a fantasy body is projected.”

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How to Talk Experimental Film: A User’s Guide

As a medium, film is unique because it captures life in a way that cannot be captured through other forms of art, like painting or photography. Film is able to represent time, its duration, and motion, which brings it the closest to capturing life itself. Even the most conventional, mainstream film or video is able to accomplish this captivating feat. (If you beg to differ, notice what happens when there’s only one moving image in the room.) Experimental films not only capture or represent life, but also challenge the form and content of filmmaking and its conventional patterns, in order to provoke and, at its best, transcend how we compose our lives on and off-screen.

So what qualifies as experimental ?

A video opens with a unique score of digitally-manipulated industrial sounds mixed with a distorted version of a familiar pop tune, the 1997 teenage anthem, “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer. A jaundiced character with glowing cat eyes giggles in the pitch of a crazed raccoon. She drives happily through cyberspace, looking in wonder at the digital snowflakes floating across the screen. That’s the opening of Ryan Trecartin’s 2007 “ I-Be Area (Pasta and Wendy M-PEGgy)” . Or how about the genre-bending and taboo-ignoring film “ Palindromes” by Todd Solondz? The conceptual film centers on a 13-year-old protagonist named Aviva (notice, her name is a palindrome), who is played by eight different actors of varying races, ages, and genders. The film is a dark, fearless, and unblinking look at teenage sexuality through multiple voices and vantage points: a fragmented look at a modern-age identity crisis.

Within the broad genre of experimental film, there emerge at least two different types of players: filmmakers who experiment with form and narrative content, and artists who use film or video as a medium through which to express their vision. This distinction between filmmakers and artists is not to say that filmmakers can’t be considered artists, or that artists can’t be considered filmmakers. In fact, the lines are not always clearly defined. I myself struggle with how to identify myself: filmmaker or artist (or both)? And in reality, my primary mode of identification varies depending on the particular context.

However, it’s important to understand that experimental film isn’t a simple or singular catchall. There’s a spectrum of people who create experimental films for different reasons. The results are excitingly diverse and varied and for that, The Independent thought it would be helpful to check in with someone working in the medium, me, for an introductory grasp on terms and definitions:

EXPERIMENTAL FILM

For me, experimental film is essentially a broad stroke or umbrella term for moving images that explore the human condition, nature, or fantasy in ways that haven’t been traditionally explored before. “Experimental film” includes a wide range of works, from a video performance of a heavily made-up woman smearing her face on a pane of glass (Pipilotti Rist, “ Be Nice to Me “) to Wes Anderson’s “ Moonrise Kingdom “. These are films in which filmmakers and artists are experimenting with the form (think jump cuts, overlays, the use of text on screen, films that use both animation and live-action) or content. Let’s keep in mind that most filmmakers aren’t experimenting the way scientists are, with the use of the scientific method that we all learned back in our middle school days. But we do know that they’re playing with (some quite methodically and others more freely) and therefore expanding the genre. Their intent isn’t to continue in the way mainstream films have been made. Instead, they want to challenge it.

Of course, the scope of experimental film is quite broad. Some films dabble in experimentation, with one camera angle or a topic that’s taboo or unconventional. Other films really push the boundaries, so much sometimes that we can’t even really decide if it is a film or not.

AVANT-GARDE FILM

I’m probably not alone in thinking of art critics in a gallery with affected intonations when I think of the term “avant-garde.” The term itself, before it was applied to art, was a military term that literally means “forward guard.” It described the soldiers on horseback that led troops into battle. They were on the front line of troops to go out and face the enemy.

Forgive the metaphor, but avant-garde filmmakers are those original soldiers on horseback. They’re first. They’re fearless. And their films usually aren’t well received by the general public. Avant-garde films are wholly experimental, pioneering films: films that after you’ve seen, you turn to friends and ask with wide eyes, “What was THAT?” These are the types of experimental films that a lot of people have a hard time digesting. They can be confusing, strange, grotesque, and purposefully disjunctive. And that’s okay. Because avant-garde films aren’t crowd-pleasers. The filmmakers creating those works know that.

It is important to note that “avant-garde film” was a term first used to describe Dadaist and surrealist films of the 1920s. A film that’s still widely regarded as one of the most avant-garde films in history is Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí’s 1929 film, “ Un Chien Andalou “. The film opens with a man causally sharpening a straight razor on a piece of wood. Wagner’s powerful, imposing score drives the action forward. Cigarette smoke unfurls as he concentrates on his task, glancing at the moon. The man opens the eyelid of a calm woman and slices her eyeball in half with the straight razor. The moon is temporarily spliced in half by the horizontal movement of a stray cloud. The woman’s eye spits out a gelatinous substance.

In the 21st century, we hear all the time that in art, “nothing is new.” As an artist, I can’t (and won’t) wholeheartedly agree with that statement. However, I will acknowledge that as modern filmmakers or film viewers, we have a relatively long history. If I were writing this article in the 1920s, I could give you tons of examples of what’s called “avant-garde film,” and every film would be shockingly novel. It’s a little harder now: as a society, we have seen more films, we reference more films, we pay homage to more films, and we borrow from more films. So, it’s important to also consider that avant-garde is a term steeped in chronology. What was once avant-garde may now be the most popular film type.

Take for example the most commonly cited “influential film” for filmmakers: “ Citizen Kane ” by Orson Welles. When this film first came out, it was monumentally innovative for its time: the use of the newsreel, the death of the protagonist in the first scene, the unreliable narrator, the signifiers, the ambiguous sound, the deep focus…and the list goes on. The thing is, today’s unguided audiences probably wouldn’t be able to distinguish Citizen Kane as an innovative, avant-garde film, which it was for its time.

So I suppose that begs the question, what is avant-garde film today? Funny enough, it’s mostly likely seen in museums and galleries…yes, the beacons of affected intonations. But it’s true. Current avant-garde films are less likely to be exhibited in a movie theater because the form does not prioritize the viewing experience of the audience in the way that commercial films do. Museums and galleries (sometimes) allow for flexibility: artists and filmmakers can make space another dimension that the viewer must experience, which is why avant-garde often intersects with the realm of video installation.

UNDERGROUND FILM

“Underground film” is a term that was coined in the 1960s and is still used today, though certainly without the same connotation. You can see the term in the film festival circuit: the Boston Underground Film Festival, New York Underground Film Festival, Chicago Underground Film Festival…and so on.

While budget constraints are still a very real challenge for modern filmmakers, having a film be seen is not as problematic. The Internet and all the available viewing channels, even specific channels made for people who appreciate experimental film, eliminate the barriers filmmakers faced a few decades ago. The Internet, after all, in most nations anyway, is public. So in an era when we as a society can’t (or perhaps won’t) hide anymore or operate in true secrecy, underground film doesn’t carry the same bite.

Of course…unless we’re talking about banned films, like Todd Haynes’ “ Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story “. The 43-minute film re-enacts the story of musician Karen Carpenter, who tragically died of anorexia, with a cast made up entirely of Barbie dolls. It was released in 1987 in film festivals, but was recalled when Haynes lost a lawsuit regarding the music licensure in the film. As a result of the lawsuit, the Carpenter estate has required that all copies of the film have been recalled or destroyed. So, if you happen to find a copy of the film and share it with someone else, that would certainly be an experience in the vein of underground film. (I dare you.)

While instances like Superstar are rare in the United States, the spirit of underground film is still alive because of the money issue. Funding is little and budgets are tight for filmmakers (and the arts in general), so many still carry on that attitude, or even write into grant proposals, “this film will be made no matter what.” Lots of filmmakers are putting together crews that work for free, working long and impossible production hours, and doing everything and anything to get a film made, even if it means bankruptcy or begging for money. Scrappy, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, DIY-style filmmaking is actually more popular than not. In fact, some might argue that the underground film attitude of the 1960s is perhaps the spirit of independent film today.

As a term and a medium, “video” tends to be more elastic and flexible than “film.” Videos can range from recorded performances (also known as video performance), to short movies (which can also be referred to as “short films”), to sculptural works that include moving images (also known as “video installation” or “new media installation”) to moving images that are digitally recorded as opposed to chemically processed. Video can challenge conventions of exhibition as well. For example, movies or “films” are conventionally made to be watched in theaters. (Whether or not they are being watched in theaters nowadays is another topic). Videos, on the other hand, can demand to be exhibited in alternative ways, such as in video or new media installations, where the display space is an important part of the experience.

“Video art” is a really flexible genre, and its ambiguity is a gift for experimental artists. It’s an art that uses the moving image as its medium. Instead of paint, video artists use the camera and the technology’s unique qualities. The canvas is the screen. The term is broad and can reference anything from a tightly edited short film with a beginning, middle, and end, to one that has none of those typical narrative guideposts (or even end credits for that matter) to a filmed performance in which an artist walks around a square in an exaggerated manner (a Bruce Nauman piece, aptly titled “ Walking in an Exaggerated Manner around the Perimeter of a Square “). And of course, video art catches all other video pieces that lie between the spectrum of a short film and video performance, such as music videos.

I personally love video art as a genre because it allows me to do things that films can’t do, like experiment with the idea of modularity and singularity. Last year, my creative partner Danny Roth and I produced an experimental video project, titled “ 7 d.a.y.s. “, in which we conceived, produced, and edited one video a day for seven days. The project grew out of a fascination with the ephemeral and the fleeting beauty of the creative idea. Each video was themed and named for the day on which we created it. Themes included memory, art&madness, city, trance, spinning, senses, and nature. The intention of the project wasn’t to create seven perfect, whole films, but to capture a week’s worth of creativity on video. The videos are meant to be impulsive, visceral, fleeting. In addition, we also wrote poetry and text for each of the videos because, for me, words and the act of writing are as integral to my life as visuality. One interesting thing to add here is how I term my work. The title is 7 d.a.y.s. , but what I use as the subtitle varies from time to time. Sometimes I call it “an experimental film project,” other times I call it “an experimental video series,” and others, I call it “a conceptual film project.” This just goes to show the elasticity of these genres and how they can overlap and intersect with each other.

VIDEO INSTALLATION

The term “installation” is another flexible term. It’s a word used to describe works that use space as an additional dimension in a work of art. Installation pieces are often sculptural in that they activate and consider space. “Video installation,” then, describes works that activate space with video. A prime example of a video installation is American artist Tony Oursler’s work, where video projection is a key element. Oursler innovatively moves the viewing space away from the big screen, or little screen, and onto unconventional surfaces. He might project video of faces engaged in monologue or dialogue with the audience onto stuffed bodies, or bedroom scenarios (the space under a bed), for example. I’d say that it’s the moving image in his works that shocks, awes, and inspires audiences. “ Little Worlds “, a collection of Oursler’s work is currently exhibiting at the Honolulu Museum of Art until June 23, 2013.

Despite the device on which a moving image was created and what term is used for it, what makes a film (or video) experimental is the unconventionality of its form or content. These kinds of films allow the audience to see and experience the world in a way that they’ve never seen or experienced before, through uniquely calibrated eyes. The process may shock us, amaze us, or disturb us. Most experimental filmmakers and artists I know are shooting for all three, plus a quality or two that defies articulation.

Minhae Shim contributes to The Independent from the vantage point of a filmmaker, interdisciplinary artist, and writer. She is an active blogger , and is particularly interested in exploring and extending the traditions of avant-garde cinema and conceptual art. She recently completed and exhibited a video installation, Video Sassoon . She’s currently helping to edit The Independent’s Guide to Film Distribution, Second Edition . She can be reached at [email protected].