“I tried to film what was going on around me and value it as much as the heroics of the big screen.”—Saul Levine

With a monumental filmography that dates back almost fifty years and seems to grow monthly (if not weekly), Saul Levine (b. 1943) long ago established himself as a central figure in American experimental cinema. He is also a key member of the filmmaking community in Boston and Cambridge, not only because of his own work but also for his passionate, tireless and inspiring roles as both a professor at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the programmer of the MassArt Film Society, one of the foremost venues for experimental cinema in the area. The Harvard Film Archive is extremely excited to present the first in a number of programs designed to help local audiences acquaint, or re-acquaint, themselves with Levine’s impressive body of work, from the beginnings to the present day.

Microscope welcomes Roger Beebe back to the gallery for the last Event of our 2014-15 Season. For the evening, Beebe has curated a night of selections from a decade of FLEXFest by filmmakers working outside of the tradition epicenters of experimental film New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago.

With works by Drew Christie, Lauren Cook, Christopher Harris, Jason LaRay Keener and J. Ledbetter, Jesse McLean, Jodie Mack, Kristin Reeves, Kelly Sears, Brendan and Jeremy Smyth, Scott Stark, Robert Todd.

The 12th edition of AVANT goes natural and approaches nature in various ways. The invited filmmakers and artists are: Chris Welsby (Canada), Dagie Brundert (Germany) and Mox Mäkelä (Finland).

AVANT begins on Friday evening at Kristinehamn Art Museum with a film developing performance by Dagie Brundert after which follows an artist's talk by Chris Welsby and the opening of his installation At Sea. Saturday opens with a screening of Welsby's films including a grand premiere, Momentum, Welsby's latest work. After this follows two extensive programs: Dagie Brundert's ode to super-8 film and Mox Mäkelä's unique take on nature.