The JSF Blog

SCREENINGS: Neil Ira Needleman, Cecelia Condit; now!

2008-09-10T15:49:00.002-04:00

We obviously can’t mention every screening by every JSF alum, seeing as how there are 130+ of them, but every now and then we try to highlight a couple. So take a break from politics, hurricanes, the kids, network season premieres, and tuberculosis scares and head out to these venues to see some great work. Or chase these people down online.
Neil Ira Needleman (JSF, Vol.2) continues to screen all over the world, including many new festivals this fall. Boston, Argentina, Washington, Israel, you name it. For the complete schedule and to see samples of his work, visit www.neilneedleman.com.
Cecelia Condit (JSF, Vol.12) is basking in a solo exhibition at the CUE Art Foundation in NYC right now. For more details, visit www.cueartfoundation.org.

Press Release: The Journal of Short Film Releases Volume 12 (Summer 2008)

2008-08-19T12:44:00.006-04:00

for immediate release

(August 19, 2008) The Journal of Short Film released Volume 12 (Summer 2008) today. The JSF is a quarterly DVD that, to date, has published over 130 filmmakers from 12 countries. Volume 12 is another example of the JSF’s genre-leaping collections of the world’s best short films.

The Journal was thrilled to have Steven Bognar serve as a guest editor on Volume 12. Most recently, Steven’s feature documentary “A Lion in the House” (along with Julia Reichert) made waves in 2006, landed on many top ten lists, and continues to tour the world. (Visit http://www.lioninthehouse.com)

Volume 12 also benefited from another great relationship: that between the JSF and the Media That Matters Film Festival. Three of the documentaries on Vol. 12 come from the ranks of its winners. Every year, Media That Matters showcases the best short films on social issues and, online and in communities around the world, connects activism to film. (Visit http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org)

But Vol. 12 has more than just documentaries, of course. Half of the films are narratives, several are experimental, and at least one includes a stop-motion animated piece of bread “following his heart.” As always, some of the films are major festival winners, and some are ones you won’t see anywhere else. Here is the complete list:

1. DRAKE – Christoph Rainer (2006, 5:00) “Visually striking, appealingly radical, and painfully recognisable!”--Ronald Simons, Rotterdam Film Festival 2. SUNBEAM HUNTER – Jonathan Schwartz (2006, 3:00) From 33 1/3 Series (an album of eleven 'in-camera' 16mm films), with the sound following, echoing. 3. THE SECOND LINE – John Magary (2007, 20:00) After MacArthur's savings are stolen from his FEMA trailer, he and his cousin Natt take work gutting a house. 4. GARBAGE DREAMS – Mai Iskander (2007, 8:00) Media That Matters presents: Egypt’s resident garbage recyclers, the Zaballeen are struggling as Cairo modernizes its waste disposal system. 5. MAN – Myna Joseph (2007, 15:00) Maggie and her sister form an unusual bond during an encounter with a young man. 6. HOMESLICE – Dan Olsen (2007, 10:30) BE YOURSELF! ALL OF THE TIME! 7. REVIEW – Jenny Perlin (2004, 2:25) This silent animated film connects a daily experience of tragic news with a subsequent escape into cinematic entertainment. 8. ON THE ASSASSINATION OF THE PRESIDENT – Adam Keker (2008, 6:00) This top-secret government file is to be viewed only in the event of the President's death by assassination. 9. A VERY SMALL TRILOGY OF LONELINESS – Bogdan George Apetri (2006, 7:00) Three vignettes look upon the same moment in time. A single moment, three people, the same feeling. 10. A GIRL LIKE ME – Kiri Davis (2006, 7:00) Media That Matters presents: Color is more than skin deep for young African-American women struggling to define themselves. 11. SOMETHING OTHER THAN OTHER – Jerry A. Henry and Andrea J. Chia (2005, 7:00) Media That Matters presents: Jerry and Andrea have endured their share of discrimination and have higher hopes for their newborn son. 12. ANNIE LLOYD – Cecelia Condit (2008, 17:45) A daughter’s intimate portrayal of the creativity and wisdom of old age.

The Journal continues to have a free and open submissions process. Submissions should be sent to The JSF, PO Box 8217, Columbus, OH 43201, USA. The Journal remains ad-free and committed to independent and underrepresented work.

Contact: Karl Mechem, publisher, The Journal of Short Film, contact (at) theJSF.org.

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Review: Volume 11, The Portland Volume

2008-07-08T14:10:00.002-04:00

Erik Henriksen gave Vol.11 a nice review in the Portland Mercury last week. Check it out HERE. Its only shortcoming was in failing to mention Karl Lind, our guest editor, Portland fixer, and NE-side luminary. (Read Karl's blog HERE.)

Press release: JSF releases Vol.11, The Portland Volume

2008-05-20T19:41:00.004-04:00

for immediate release

The Journal of Short Film releases Volume 11 (Spring 2008), The Portland Volume

The Journal of Short Film released Volume 11 (Spring 2008) this week. Vol.11 is the long-awaited Portland Volume, featuring 24 filmmakers from Portland, Oregon. The JSF is a quarterly DVD that, to date, has published over 120 filmmakers from 10 countries.

The Journal was thrilled to have Portland filmmaker Karl Lind serve as guest editor for Vol.11. The collection maintains the JSF's normal wild diversity while highlighting one of the most singular, lively art scenes in the country. This is the Journal's first geographically themed volume, and, through Lind's work and Portland's amazing depth of talent, the result is impressive.

Following is a list of the films in Volume 11:

1.SPHERES Jeremy Bird (1:00) 2.TO WATCH IN PREPARATION OF THE DEEP FALL Mack McFarland (1:30) 3.THE FOREST John Bacone (3:00) 4.COSMOS Randy Wakerlin (4:30) 5.BLOBSQUATCH Carl Diehl (3:30) 6.SILENCE IN 60 SECONDS Andy Mingo (1:15) 7.STRATEGERY Jim Lowry (2:30) 8.PLANET EARTH: OUR RESPONSE Arman Bohn (10:00) 9.LITTLE ATOMIC BOMB Adam Long (2:00) 10.TO WATCH WHILE SMELLING SUMMER Mack McFarland (1:30) 11.DARKCLOUD Gretchen Hogue (1:00) 12.LE PUZZLE Uli Beutter (5:00) 13.FOREST OF THE FLOWERS Gretchen Hogue (2:00) 14.3 OUT OF 4 Stephen Slappe (00:45) 15.STEVE WINWOOD IS HUNGRY FOR BREAKFAST Jesse England (1:45) 16.TEST ANTHEM Michael Paulus (3:30) 17.50 YEARS LATER Matt McCormick (3:00) 18.ROPPONGI CROSSING Brian Libby (3:00) 19.BEN: A TRUE STORY Melanie Brown (4:00) 20.TWO Hart Ryan Noecker (4:45) 21.KEITH Evan Stroum (6:00) 22.VERTIGO CORE SAMPLE Ron Mason Gassaway (3:00) 23.FURNESS Cat Tyc (6:00) 24.TO REMEMBER THAT OUR SKIES ARE THE SAME SKIES Chris Lael Larson (2:30) 25.MAGIC HOSTESS, THE ELECTRIC CAN OPENER Rob Tyler (4:00) 26.CIRCLE OF PURITY Liz Haley (2:00)

The Journal continues to have a free and open submissions process. Submissions should be sent to The JSF, PO Box 8217, Columbus, OH 43201, USA. The Journal also remains ad-free and committed to independent and underrepresented work.

Contact: Karl Mechem, publisher, The Journal of Short Film, contact (at) theJSF.org.

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Pangea Day

2008-05-06T19:17:00.004-04:00

As most of you know, the Pangea Day screenings are happening all over the world this Saturday. The project is led by Jehane Noujaim and involves an afternoon of international film, live music, and other fun stuff. We wanted to plug our local event--led by JSF comrade Kenny Ruffin--here in Columbus: see details HERE. You can also watch the event online and on Current TV.

UPCOMING JSF EVENT: NWFC, Portland, OR, 5/28/08

2008-04-23T14:14:00.010-04:00

We know Volume 11 hasn't been released yet and is just an itchy figment of your imagination right now, but that's all about to change. Vol.11 will be the Journal's first geographically themed collection, highlighting the filmmaking hotspot that is Portland, OR. It will be released in May, but the big news of the dayis that the volume will premiere at the Northwest Film Center in Portland.

THE DETAILS: May 28th, 7:00 PM, Whitsell Auditorium, NWFC, Portland, OR.

Portland filmmaker Karl Lind has been essential in the creation of Volume 11 and got the ball rolling on the premiere, as well. Thanks go to him and to the folks at the NWFC.
The screening will include: SPHERES by Jeremy Bird ; TO WATCH IN PREPARATION OF THE DEEP FALL by Mack McFarland ; THE FOREST by John Bacone ; COSMOS by Randy Wakerlin ; BLOBSQUATCH by Carl Diehl ; SILENCE IN 60 SECONDS by Andy Mingo ; STRATEGERY by Jim Lowry ; PLANET EARTH: OUR RESPONSE by Arman Bohn ; LITTLE ATOMIC BOMB by Adam Long ; TO WATCH WHILE SMELLING SUMMER by Mack McFarland ; DARKCLOUD by Gretchen Hogue ; LE PUZZLE by Uli Beutter ; FOREST OF THE FLOWERS by Gretchen Hogue ; 3 OUT OF 4 by Stephen Slappe ; STEVE WINWOOD IS HUNGRY FOR BREAKFAST by Jesse England ; TEST ANTHEM by Michael Paulus ; 50 YEARS LATER by Matt McCormick ; ROPPONGI CROSSING by Brian Libby ; BEN: A TRUE STORY by Melanie Brown ; TWO HART by Ryan Noecker ; KEITH by Evan Stroum ; VERTIGO CORE SAMPLE by Ron Mason Gassaway ; FURNESS by Cat Tyc ; TO REMEMBER THAT OUR SKIES ARE THE SAME SKIES by Chris Lael Larson ; MAGIC HOSTESS, THE ELECTRIC CAN OPENER by Rob Tyler ; CIRCLE OF PURITY by Liz Haley. (100 min)
Buy tickets HERE.

SCREENING: Potter-Belmar Labs, Western Tour, May '08

2008-04-22T08:53:00.000-04:00

How can film & video predict your future? When it's created right in front of you, that's how. Join Potter-Belmar Labs (Leslie Raymond and Jason Jay Stevens, JSF, Vol.1) for their traveling improvised cinema show as they perform audience fortune-tellings in motion & sound.

Catch "Fortune" in Roswell, Albuquerque, Venice, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Eugene, Portland, and Seattle on dates throughout the month of May. Go to their website for details, including venues and times.

SCREENING: Sasha Waters Freyer, Madison, WI, Apr. 4

2008-03-20T13:46:00.002-04:00

Sasha’s (JSF, Vol.10) new documentary is screening at the Wisconsin Film Festival on Friday, 4/4, at 7pm. It’s called This American Gothic and is “a history of one of the most famous paintings in the world and a quirky portrait of Eldon, Iowa, population 998, site of the house that inspired it.” The hour-long film explores not just the painting as a symbol but the deep and sometimes strange [my word] importance of rural America to the national identity. For more info and to watch a trailer, visit her website.

Press release: The Journal of Short Film Releases Volume 10 (Winter 2008)

2008-02-19T11:00:00.003-05:00

for immediate release

Columbus, OH (February 19, 2008) The Journal of Short Film released Volume 10 (Winter 2008) today. The JSF is a quarterly DVD magazine of today’s best, peer-reviewed short films. To date, the JSF has published over 100 filmmakers from 10 countries.

Volume 10 lives up to the Journal’s reputation for diversity, with three of its films coming from Eastern Europe and half of its filmmakers being women. As always, the collection contains most genres of film, including narrative, documentary, experimental, animation, and, for the first time, 3-D film.

Following is a list of the films in Volume 10:

1. CONVERSION – Nanobah Becker (2006, 9:00) CONVERSION portrays a Christian missionary’s dubious influence over a little girl and her family in the remote Navajo desert, circa 1950. 2. GUM AND TEA – EE Miller and Samuael Topiary (2005, 4:45) A collaborative meditation on intimacy and U.S. currency. 3. MILKY WAY – Ivana Mladenovic [Romania] (2006, 10:00) While Romania enters the E.U., Titinel and Mihai, two shepherds, live by their own rules in the outskirts of Bucharest. 4. PAPER – Elliot Blanchard (2006, 2:00) A man wakes up to unexpected new guests—and they have their own ideas about who should be in charge. 5. SCENIC HIGHWAY – Evan Mather (2007, 17:00) Baton Rouge’s colorful history is exposed in this darkly affectionate memoir. 6. HOME – Paul Negoescu [Romania] (2007, 14:00) On Christmas Eve, a taxi driver takes home a man returning from working abroad. 7. SISTER CITIES [3D] – Joe Merrell (2006, 10:15) Non-local awareness on a 3D walk through Los Angeles. 8. PAINTER OF THE LAND – Joel Fendelman (2004, 8:00) A glance at a man of a dying culture of farmers and how he uses the earth as his canvas. 9. WAR NEXT DOOR – Péter Politzer [Hungary] (2005, 10:00) It is Christmas night. The war is already raging in the neighboring city. 10. A WILD BEETLE CHASE – Sarah Jackson (2007, 13:10) Dr. Ivie searches for a beetle in Italy and shows that failure is just another step in the process. 11. HER HEART IS WASHED IN WATER AND THEN WEIGHED – Sasha Waters (2006, 12:45) When you die, everything you know disappears. A love letter to the abject beauty of human frailty. In three short acts.

The Journal continues to have a free and open submissions process. Submissions should be sent to The JSF, PO Box 8217, Columbus, OH 43201, USA. The Journal remains ad-free and committed to independent and underrepresented work.

Contact: Karl Mechem, publisher, The Journal of Short Film, contact@theJSF.org

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SCREENING: Joe Merrell, NYC, January 2008

2007-12-20T15:28:00.000-05:00

Joe Merrell, our man in L.A. and JSF double-hitter (Vol.1, Vol.10), is having his work screened in the East Village in NYC in January. The venue is a sidewalk on 19 1st Avenue. The storefront at that spot is home to East Village Radio and its glassed-in DJ booth. During January, Ceci Moss, who does a show on Tuesday nights (10pm-12am) called “Radio Heart,” will be showing some of Joe’s work in the booth. Her program is an eclectic mix of music that can be heard on the street in front of the booth, streamed online, and through podcasts. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and check out the mirrored radio station and Joe’s work. Explore EVR here, and see the booth here.

SCREENING: JSF at the Detroit Film Center, 12/29

2007-12-20T15:26:00.000-05:00

December’s DFC A/V show featuring the JSF includes Volume 3, followed by musical guests Rough Satellites, w/video accompaniment by Natasha Beste. Volume 3 is a great collection with a more-than-normal amount of humor. Check out the complete listing on the website.

Production note

2007-12-20T15:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, as some of you might’ve guessed, we’re running slightly behind around here. Volume 10 was a little slow to collate, and the blog is clearly neglected. But we’ve turned a corner, and we’re charging into 2008 with new plans for world domination, . . . . or at least subversion. Happy holidays, and we hope everyone gets the arm bands we’ve sent.

SCREENING: JSF at the Detroit Film Center, 11/24

2007-11-21T14:03:00.000-05:00

The next installment of the JSF screening at the esteemed DFC is happening this Saturday. Along with are special musical guests The Space Band. It should be a smashing show (film #11 is actually called “Demolition 7,” by Richie Sherman). Rumor has it the publisher will be in attendance. Feel free to hand him screeners if you’d like to submit to the Journal. For a list of the films, check out the listing in the left frame for Volume 2.

SCREENING(S): JSF at the Detroit Film Center, 10/27, 11/24, etc.

2007-10-18T16:05:00.000-04:00

Brandon Walley up at the Detroit Film Center has programmed the Journal into the DFC’s A/V Club, resulting in a series of screenings to happen on the last Saturday of each month. The first installment will happen on Sat., Oct.27th, and will feature the screening of the full-length Volume 1 of the Journal PLUS live music and projection from local renegade noisemakers, The Eagles Club. If you haven’t seen Vol.1 yet, navigate leftward and read the listing of films and filmmakers that got the Journal off the ground back in 2005. If you have seen it, trust us that the films really deserve a theater screen.

EVENT!: Unusual Animals, Portland, OR, 10/20

2007-10-06T13:17:00.000-04:00

We’re excited to finally have an event on the left coast. On 10/20, we’re joining up with Asthmatic Kitty Records to take part in their Unusual Animals series. You may know AKR best for Sufjan Stevens, but the label is stacked with countless other amazing talent, as well.
See all the event details below, and if you’re in the area be sure and say hi.

WHAT: The “Unusual Animals” show, presented by The Journal of Short Film, Meow Meow Presents, and Asthmatic Kitty Records. All ages. Free show.
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 20th, 3pm
WHERE: Urbangrind Coffee Eastside, 2214 NE Oregon, Portland, OR

Featuring music of Half-handed Cloud, Lake, The Beauty, Upsidedown Cat, and Kelli Schaffer; films by Vanessa Renwick, Karl Lind, Chel White, Jeremy Bird, Uli Beutter, Stephen Slappe, Ryan Jeffery, and Matt McCormick.

Here is some backstory from AKR:
“Unusual Animals, an imprint of the internationally celebrated music
label Asthmatic Kitty, was created as a side-project aimed to expose
more conceptual and experimental projects not fitting squarely into
any one genre of music. Originally, Unusual Animals explored these
sounds through vinyl-only releases, pairing its own artists with
friends and sometimes-unlikely bedfellows.

“During this year's SXSW music festival, however, Asthmatic Kitty took
the Unusual Animals' series one step farther by hosting a live event
that forced the Unusual Animals' artists from the dash of car stereos
and into live performances. The combination of local art, music,
piñatas, food, and culture brought about the second evolution in the
series and a shift in focus. No longer strictly highlighting
underexposed artists, the series now explores the contribution of all
community members, urging the planet to recognize the variety of
activities that make up the cultural being that defines a given city.”

So in stepped the JSF to line up some films, with the help of Karl Lind. Oh, and there will also be puppetry. The all-Portland-artist event should be a great, weird time. The venue is in a nice, warehouse-y section of NE PDX near 22nd and Oregon. Join us!
For more info:
Asthmatic Kitty Records
Meow Meow Presents

Screenings: Neil Ira Needleman (fall) and Daniel King (10/5)

2007-10-02T16:25:00.000-04:00

Before we start sending press releases for some big upcoming JSF events, we want to share the news of various screenings by Journal alums and acolytes.

1) Neil Ira Needleman (JSF, Vol.2) is involved in a slew of screenings this fall. His films A Trip to Prague, Meditation, and TANZ!, among others, are being shown in no less than ten film festivals across the U.S., Europe, and South America. Fests include the Berkeley Film & Video Festival, the Boston Jewish Film Festival, the Atlanta Underground Film Festival, and the Thin Line Film Festival. Meditation can also be seen online at the Independent Film Channel website---www.ifc.com, at the top menu bar go to “Short Films,” then down to “Rooftop Films,” in the June listings.

2) Daniel King, our virtuosic graphic designer, is included in San Francisco’s Studio 27’s Impure Cinema: Hybrid Works Rupturing Media Boundaries fest this Friday, Oct.5th, at 9pm. Check out Authority Head Exorcism, his multi-layered visual expression of time spent as a propagandist. His excellent film is not kidding around, for sure.

And stay tuned over the next two weeks for many exciting updates, or at least two or three.

Article in KAMERA.CO.UK

2007-08-17T15:36:00.000-04:00

The Journal’s sojourns S.W.-ward are over and it’s time to return to our planning for world domination. Or at least to clean out the Inbox, send out some orders, and go see Sunshine and Rescue Dawn.

But today we mostly want to draw attention to a new article in the online Brit film mag KAMERA.CO.UK. Antonio Pasolini wrote a small piece on “How to get seen.” Our esteemed publisher has a quote or two that divulge the JSF’s secret formula for marketing and make what appear to be at least one or two passive-aggressive admonitions. To whom, we’re not sure, but we recognize the tone.

KAMERA is a fine film site. Recently this writer benefited from its review of a new book by Mike Figgis. "Digital Filmmaking" is a short, accessible near-manifesto on moviemaking today. Very short. Unencumbered by depth, really, which was fine by me, at the time. The book’s optimism and lack of pretension were refreshing.

Anyway, read Antonio's article HERE.

Screening: Matt Meindl, Columbus, OH, 8/15

2007-08-02T09:27:00.001-04:00

As mentioned below (7/31 post), Matt Meindl (JSF, Vol.7) will be part of the CineMUSEica show in Columbus on 8/15. If you’re anywhere nearby, don’t miss it!

UFVA Conference

2007-08-02T09:25:00.001-04:00

To reconnect with our colleagues, friends, and fans in Academia, we are attending the UFVA conference next week. We’ll be screening films, accepting submissions, meeting new people, and eating as many tacos as legally allowed by the TX state legislature. If you’re attending, drop by and see us!

Screenings, News, Vlogs, Etc.

2007-07-31T10:18:00.000-04:00

The only thing better than putting out a new volume of the JSF is getting to relax after it’s finished. To that end, it’s time to sit back, eat a burrito, and share some news of upcoming events.

1) Matt Meindl (JSF, Vol.7) will be involved in the CineMUSEica series here in Columbus on August 15th at the Grandview Drexel theater. Matt’s films will be accompanied by music from the band The Giants of Gender in a multimedia show the likes of which is rare around here. Be sure to say hi to Matt.

2) Potter Belmar Labs (JSF, Vol.1) will be in NYC from Sept. 3-8 for their live, improvised cinema show at The Lab at Roger Smith Hotel. Also, check out their blogs for more events, examples of their work (art installations, etc.), and travel reports (Venice Biennale!). (PBL blog; Leslie’s blog)

3) Brian Liloia (JSF, Vol.4) has started a video blog to document his experience at the Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Missouri this summer. It’ll be fun to see Brian apply his New Jersey-based filmic profundity to the gtritty fecundity of an ecovillage in the sticks. We will be sure to revisit this in the near future.

4) We have confirmed a date for the joint Journal of Short Film – slash – Asthmatic Kitty Records event in Portland, OR, this fall. It will happen on Sat., October 20th. This all-Portland artist event will combine stunning music by AKR with films from the JSF and various PDX filmmakers. More details to come.

5) There is another JSF event tentatively scheduled for Detroit this fall, but we’ll have to keep you in suspense on the details.

That’s all for now. Come back and see us.

Press Release: The Journal of Short Film Releases Volume 8 (Summer 2007)

2007-07-31T10:12:00.000-04:00

for immediate release

(July 31, 2007) The Journal of Short Film released Volume 8 (Summer 2007) today. The JSF is a quarterly DVD featuring exceptional, peer-reviewed short films. To date, the JSF has published over 80 filmmakers from 10 countries. Volume 8 includes the Journal’s first films from Romania and Iran.

Volume 8 covers more ground than most previous volumes, walking through fields in Romania, crossing the Brooklyn Bridge in 1899, busing the streets of San Francisco, and touring a prehistoric site in Mexico. But before a theme can take hold, the collection of 11 films continues the Journal’s policy of diversity. Other settings range from urban Iran to a sheep farm to a morgue to a birthing room full of surprises.

The Journal was pleased to host Chicago-based filmmaker Deborah Stratman as a guest editor for Volume 8. She is known for her work through her production company Pythagoras. She was highly praised for her short work In Order Not To Be Here, and she recently completed Kings of the Sky, a feature documentary about Muslim Uyghur tightrope walkers in western China.

The Journal continues to have a free and open submissions process. Submissions should be sent to The JSF, PO Box 8217, Columbus, OH 43201, USA. The Journal also remains ad-free, committed to independent and underrepresented work, and insistent that art and entertainment are not mutually exclusive.

Following is a list of the films in Volume 8:

1. LAMPA CU CACIULA (THE TUBE WITH A HAT) – Radu Jude [Romania] (2006, 23:00) A father and son carry their TV set to the city to have it fixed before the afternoon movie. 2. THE BOY IN THE AIR – Lyn Elliot (2005, 2:00) An enigmatic advertisement inspires a letter. The corporation writes back. 3. MANUELLE LABOR – Marie Losier (2007, 10:00) A collaboration with Guy Maddin leads to a birthing scene unlike any other. 4. ART/WORK – Avram Dodson (2006, 5:00) A realistic look at the relationship between the artist and the day job. 5. FLIP-FILM – Ellen Ugelstad and Alfonso Alvarez (1999, 1:05) A staccato peek at San Francisco from the inside of a bus. Made in the tradition of Biograph’s 1890 Mutoscope. 6. MARDHA HAMDIGAR RA BEHTAR MIFAHMAND (MEN UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER) – Marjan Alizadeh [Iran] (2007, 8:00) Two men and a woman: it seems men understand each other better. 7. UNIFIED FIELDS – Brandon Walley (2006, 9:00) During a hot summer weekend in the country with my family, I tried to capture an odd sense of interconnectedness yet isolation. 8. OUTERBOROUGH – Bill Morrison (2005, 8:30) A split-screen extrapolation of a film taken while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge in 1899. 9. NOTHINGNESS – Arzu Ozkal Telhan (2005, 2:55) Nothingness is about resignation; an unwilling state of existence under the weight of insatiable humanity. 10. MARTIN – Bill Basquin (2004, 5:00) Martin is a poetic portrait of a sheep shearer and his philosophical musings on rural life. 11. TO THE SOUTH WAS 72 – Sabine Gruffat (2005, 11:00) “A personal guided tour of the largest prehistoric city north of Mexico.” -Anonymous

Contact: Karl Mechem, publisher, The Journal of Short Film, contact@theJSF.org

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Volume 8 Update

2007-06-21T09:50:00.000-04:00

We know it has been a long time since our last post. We blame poor oversight. The publisher has been away—collecting fossils in Tierra del Fuego, or whatever he does—and we’ve been alternating between working hard on Volume 8 and . . . enjoying the nice weather.

So, to update, yes, Volume 8 is coming together and is looking spectacular. Final details are still being hammered out, as they say, but be assured it will be another great collection. Look for a release in late July.

We also have very exciting news about Volume 9 and a possible collaboration, but it is Top Secret, so you’ll just have to wait or listen for leaks from Cheney’s office.

Other exciting news involves an amazing, rocking even, event in Portland this fall, but that too will have to remain shrouded in secrecy for the time being.

In other event news, the publisher is making an appearance in DC this weekend. If you find yourself at the ALA conference, look him up. He'll be the one with a projector under his arm and shale dust in his hair.

Screening: Daniel King and Matt Meindl, Columbus OH, 5/12/07

2007-05-11T15:27:00.000-04:00

Friend and JSF pillar Daniel King will be part of a screening at the Wexner Center here in Columbus tomorrow night. His film AUTHORITY HEAD EXORCISM will be screened alongside other short films from Ohio.

Also at the screening will be a film by Matt Meindl, the JSF's most recent Ohio filmmaker to be published (Vol. 7). We're not sure which of his is showing, but it's bound to be good.

The details: Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio Film & Video Showcase 2007. May 12, 7pm, Columbus, OH.

Screening: Neil Ira Needleman, NYC, 4/12/07

2007-05-08T15:40:00.000-04:00

Neil’s solo screening on Saturday night will include no fewer than nine of his films. Two of them—Last Request and Meditation—are world premieres, and the rest are “recent and virtually recent.” (You will recall Neil’s film in Volume 2, Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn.) Join him and his following at the Millennium Film Workshop at 8pm.

Speaking of the Millennium, go there Saturday, June 9, for “Southwest Experimental Video” night, curated by friend-of-the-JSF Brian Konefsky. The screening is made up of work from Basement Films, an Albuquerque-based microcinema and performance group.

press release: The Journal of Short Film Releases Volume 7 (Spring 2007)

2007-05-01T16:08:00.000-04:00

for immediate release

Columbus, OH (May 1, 2007) The Journal of Short Film released Volume 7 (Spring 2007) today. The JSF is a quarterly DVD publication of exceptional, peer-reviewed short films. To date, the JSF has published 70 filmmakers from 8 countries.

Volume 7 opens with a thoughtful and entertaining documentary about Hurricane Katrina and the impact of religion on the American South. Several strong narrative films, two of which are Spanish, take us from medieval France to an abandoned bombing range. Love stories sit next to revenge stories, with comedies nearby. Several experimental films and hand-made animations complete the collection.

The Journal is pleased to welcome Chicago-based filmmaker Deborah Stratman as a guest editor for Volume 8. She is known for her work through her production company Pythagoras. She was a 2003 Guggenheim Fellow and was praised for her short work In Order Not To Be Here. She recently completed Kings of the Sky, a feature documentary about Muslim Uyghur tightrope walkers in western China.

The Journal continues to have a free and open submissions process. Submissions should be sent to The JSF, PO Box 8217, Columbus, OH 43201, USA. The Journal also remains ad-free, committed to independent and underrepresented work, and insistent that art and entertainment are not mutually exclusive.

Following is a list of the films in Volume 7:

1. GOD PROVIDES – Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky (2006, 8:30) Shot in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this unexpected short examines faith and inexplicable loss in the American South. 2. BOMB – Ian Olds (2006, 13:50) An almost love story set on the edge of an old Air Force bombing range. 3. HOW SHE SLEPT AT NIGHT – Lilli Carré (2006, 3:30) A man tries to remember his wife but only comes up with scant details as his memory starts to stray. 4. CHOQUE (COLLISION) – Nacho Vigalondo (2005, 10:00) Strong temperaments—and cars—collide in this chic film from Oscar-nominated director Nacho Vigalondo. 5. LOLLYGAGGER – Matt Meindl (2006, 5:00) All sidewalks are not created equal in this experimental travelogue. 6. CRANIUM THEATER – Jason Sandri (2006, 6:45) A quirky and surrealistic critique on the excessive demands of Church and State on the common man. 7. AVATAR – Lluís Quílez (2005, 15:00) Avatar: 1) Chance event that usually involves a sudden change in the course of something. Change of fortune. 2) Test someone goes through. 8. DISCONNECTED – Karl Lind (2006, 3:00) A million tiny hearts break. Somehow, everything is much more one sided than we would like it to be. 9. CHRISTINE. 1403. – Erica Berg (2006, 12:45) A magical cry for peace from the midst of the 100 Years' War, inspired by the words of medieval writer Christine de Pizan.

Contact: Karl Mechem, publisher, The Journal of Short Film, contact@theJSF.org

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