[Frameworks] Anyone else like me out there?

[Doug Chaffin("Douglas Graves")]

 As an isolated 16mm abstract moviemaker I'm very interested to know if there's anyone else like me around today? 
 
 Specifically, is there anyone who works on photo-chemical celluloid motion picture film and makes any kind of formal aesthetic work that is either purely cinematic, abstract, or just generally lyrical and poetic, visually speaking?
 
I'm 30 and I spent 3 years and 10,000 dollars making a really ambitious and stylized abstract 16mm movie called "PALMS", it's a serious piece of work that I think is worthy of following in the tradition of what I feel are the truly great non-narrative cinematic artists such as Will Hindle, Ed Emshwiller, James Whitney, Pat O'Neill, Jordan Belson, Scott Bartlett, Bruce Baillie, Maya Deren, Slavko Vorkapich, and Dziga Vertov, among others.
 
Are other people out there, particularly people younger than 50 and currently active, who are also passionate and excited by the work of all these great cinematic artists and are committed to working on celluloid? The last 3 years have been a struggle for me to make another movie and to get my 1st one even seen by anyone. and i also just haven't been able to find people who share my love of cinematic technique and will share it in any way, such as emailing or talking to each other about great shots and montages and optical techniques or sound design techniques in the brilliant movies by these artists. 
 
That kind of community and sharing is i feel necessary, even if only between a few people, and it's sad when we're so alone in our struggling and hard work. The only current 16mm moviemakers I know that are similar to me in any way are Timoleon Wilkins and Mark Toscano and they are unfortunately inaccessible for various reasons. I can't see their work or stay in touch with them as friends or even associates.            

Especially nowadays with all these faster, easier, and cheaper ways of communicating around the whole world such as the internet and cell phones, it's amazing how it seems like most people are if anything more reluctant and difficult about staying in touch and enjoying community and fellowship.

I know that maybe there are some really great cinematic-celluloid artists working today out there who just make their work for themselves and don't really show it and don't desire to  know other cinema enthusiasts. In a way I can understand wanting to be like that and maybe nowadays it's the only way to be. I might get like that too but right now I would welcome the interest and association of serious people whom love what I love and, as my mentor the great Bruce Baillie would say, want to be human to each other about it.         
 
 
Doug Graves

4636 Talbot Drive
Boulder, CO 80303 
 
702-580-4293
PURE CINEMA CELLULOID
http://www.purecinemacelluloid.webstarts.com/
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