Spectacle Theater is thrilled to present THE NEW COSMOS: A collection of six short film works by Takashi Makino, one of Japan’s most prolific and adventurous experimental filmmakers. Operating in a similar structuralist mode as Ernie Gehr and Paul Sharits, Makino’s films incorporate layers upon layers upon layers of sound, image, and light to create densely-textured, hypnotic works that can only be described as— to draw from the title of a 2015 work of his— “space noise”.
Mara Mattuschka is one of the most important artists working in experimental cinema today. Bulgarian-born and currently based in Austria, Mattuschka is a multi-hyphenate—actress, painter, professor, performance artist, producer—whose work highlights the mutability of women's bodies and their power to reshape gendered norms and expectations. Mattuschka often functions as the only protagonist in her films, allowing her body to work as a canvas, an object and subject that is painted, extended, trimmed, deformed with special effects, and more.
The historic Reeling: Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival celebrates its 41st edition. The second longest film festival of its kind, Reeling, a production of Chicago Filmmakers ( www.chicagofilmmakers.org ) has long been one of the premiere showcases of groundbreaking queer cinema (and the best in experimental and avant-garde film work.) Submit now to one of the most culturally relevant film festivals in the US.