by MLP

This week, we’re doing something a little different: in lieu of our usual free program, we’ve teamed up with a couple of experimental film distributors to highlight rent-able Video On-Demand programs, and offer a discount code for our Patreon subscribers. (By signing up for as little as $1/a month, you can gain instant access to discount codes for this week’s program.)

It’s no secret that experimental film is always in a precarious state: generally not financially viable for those who support it economically. Nonetheless, the reels and the world keep turning. Works continue to be made in all corners of the planet, uncertain as to their own futures. At Ultra Dogme we try to tip our hat to some of the organizations responsible for upholding the sanctity of these small film gestures, for digging up forgotten or lost heroes and making them available for all to see.

In the previous weeks’ programs, we included with each program a link to donate to a cause our writers believed in. This week, the same groups providing the content are the ones we’re asking you to give to: RE:VOIR, Analogica, and FRACTO by renting their programs.

Direct links to rentals can be found in the table at the bottom of this page.

---

RE:VOIR has been generously offering free VOD rentals of specific titles periodically since the Covid-19 crisis began. For this program, they have contributed their ‘Holly Fisher Selected Short Films’, which consists of four titles with a total runtime of 95 minutes:

SUBWAY (1968) 7 mins
APPLE SUMMER (1974) 24 mins
CHICKEN STEW (1978) 11 mins
RUSHLIGHT – HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW (1984) 53 mins

Part structuralist and part free-wheeling documentarian, Holly Fisher imbued her works with a Les Blank-ian earthen steadiness and kinetic avant-garde energy. My personal favorite of the batch is Apple Summer: a rendering of relaxed weekend camping at the lake so candid you can almost smell it, followed by a trip into the city.

You can rent or digitally purchase the collection here, but we recommend you first subscribe to our Patreon for instant access to a 30% discount. By supporting RE:VOIR, you are supporting one of the best companies currently working to bring landmark works of the avant-garde to home video.

• 

• 

• 

• 

---

Analogica promotes currently active filmmakers working with 8mm, Super 8, 16mm, and found footage. Per their own description, they are “a platform for the investigation and dissemination of analog practices in visual and sonic experiments.” The organization began nine years ago as a festival in Rome, which now takes place during the last weekend of November in Bolzano, Italy. They’ve recently held live-streamed programs, so keep an eye out.

You can find the rental for Selection 7, program 4 (as well as the included titles and an artist bios) here.

They have kindly offered us a 10% discount code for our Patreon subscribers, though the program is already (as are all of their rentals) very affordable. By supporting Analogica, you are directly supporting an organization which promotes contemporary analog work of exceptional quality — as well as the artists they promote. If you enjoy this one, check out the other programs they have available for rent.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

---

Our friends at FRACTO Experimental Film Encounter in Berlin are holding a digital screening of works by Bruce Baillie and Chick Strand, free for all to stream, with donations highly encouraged. As per their site:

“Dear Fracto Friends,

On April 10th, we received the devastating news of the passing of Bruce Baillie. Baillie was the founder of Canyon Cinema, and co-founder of the San Francisco Cinematheque, alongside Chick Strand, whose film work was highly influential on his own.

Starting April 30, we will be presenting a digital screening program of four titles (2 by Baillie and 2 by Strand) in Bruce’s honor. As we have paid a fee (a significant portion of which will go directly to Bruce’s family) to rent the digital prints from Canyon Cinema, we kindly ask for a small donation to help us recoup the rental costs. That said, we realize these are tough and strange times for many of us, so the screening is free for all to enjoy.

The full program is as follows:
Bruce Baillie – Valentin De Las Sierras (1968) 10′
Chick Strand – Cosas de mi Vida  (1976) 24′
Bruce Baillie – Roslyn Romance (Is It Really True?) (1974) 17′
Chick Strand – Fake Fruit Factory (1986) 22′

Unfortunately the quality of the digitized Baillie prints is rather low. There do not currently exist better transfers. However, we are happy to be able to digitally share with you the two rarely shown Strand films, new digital transfers in full HD.

Any donations exceeding the cost of the rental fees will be donated to Baillie’s family.

The stream will be accessible for one week.”

By supporting FRACTO, you are supporting the best experimental film festival in Berlin. As a disclaimer, I will say that I am directly involved with the festival and its organization, but know that I wouldn’t be helping them if I didn’t believe in the great work they are doing.

You can find FRACTO’s program here and make a donation here.

• 

• 

• 

• 

---

PROGRAM	TITLE	Year	Filmmaker	Runtime
RE:VOIR	Holly Fisher Shorts	1968-1984	Holly Fisher	95
Analogica	Selection 7, program 4	2016-2017	Various	50
FRACTO	Baillie + Strand	1968-1986	Bruce Baillie + Chick Strand	73

If you’re a filmmaker, Analogica and FRACTO are currently accepting submissions for their 10th selection and 2020 edition, respectively.

• 

• 

---

Maximilien Luc Proctor (+MLP+) is a French-American filmmaker/musician/writer with a special interest in the avant-garde. He is a contributing editor for Photogénie, founder of Ultra Dogme, and social media manager for Fracto Experimental Film Encounter.

MLP on Vimeo