First session in a series of useful labs in partnership with Le Lieu Unique on the porosities between the experimental image and the documentary: documentary cinema / experimental cinema - borders, influences. This first meeting is devoted to one of the common origins of experimental film and documentary cinema: the first science films from the early twentieth century.

The moving image as an observation, and contemplation tool, of natural phenomena or environments, fragile, unknown and often invisible to the naked eye. A marine evening with the 16mm performance Intertidal by filmmaker Alex MacKenzie (Vancouver, Canada) and the projection in 16mm of the film Hyas & Stenorinques by Jean Painlevé.

At the majestic Castro Theatre, San Francisco Cinematheque presents The Chelsea Girls, Andy Warhol’s sprawling parody of the Hollywood melodrama. Inspired by wide-screen cinema, this enormous double-projected camp classic simultaneously screens scenes from the decadent and desperate downtown lives of Warhol’s art world entourage, in garish color and gritty black and white. Mary Woronov appears in her debut role as Hanoi Hannah, interrogating a humiliated cast of captured GI Joes (portrayed by Ultra Violet and International Velvet) with other outrageously improvised “performances” by Nico, Eric Emerson, Brigid Polk, filmmaker Marie Menken and the one and only Pope Ondine. Soundtrack features a rare live recording of the Velvet Underground.

Mary Woronov in person

Please join us at the Center for New Music for a special reception and silent art auction from 7pm to 10pm—including fabulous food, libations and music from DJ Keith Slogan with many artists and filmmakers in person—in celebration and support of San Francisco Cinematheque, our artists and our upcoming 54th year of exhibiting cutting-edge avant-garde film and video art!

Over 50 international, national and regional artists have contributed artworks to this year’s stellar exhibition of drawings, paintings, photography, collage and multi-media installations. We are proud to feature work by Miya Ando, Kim Anno, Craig Baldwin, Bonnie Banks, Tommy Becker, Gina Borg, Nate Boyce, Tim Buckwalter, Brian Caraway, Deric Carner, Alexander Cheves, Joshua Churchill, Paul Clipson, Bill Daniel, John Davis, Nathaniel Dorsky, Veronica De Jesus, Lauren Douglas, Jeanne C. Finley + John Muse, Maria Forde, Sandra Gibson & Luis Recoder, Brynda Glazier, Mayumi Hamanaka, Jeff Hantman, Lynn Hershman, Carrie Hott, Lawrence Jordan, Miranda July, Kevin Killian, Kadet Kuhne, Kerry Laitala, Sarah Jane Lapp, Janis Crystal Lipzin, Walter Logue, Terri Loewenthal, Jodie Mack, Anne McGuire, Kim Miskowicz, Grace Rosario Perkins, Carissa Potter, Kathleen Quillian, Dick Ramsey, Amy Rathbone, Gwenaël Rattke, Michael Robinson, Jeremy Rourke, Alexander Stewart, Chris Thorson, Mark Wilson, Vanessa Woods, Karen Yasinsky and more.