[Frameworks] Alternative Film Venues in Boston

Tue Apr 9 23:12:11 UTC 2024

Hi Ann,

I just thought I'd clarify some points that Bob made.

I joined Balagan in 2011 with Mariya Nikiforova, but since 2014, I've been the only member of the team still living in the Boston area. Balagan remains active as a screening series to some extent, but most of my energies have shifted to the AgX Film Collective, which I helped to start in 2015.

AgX is a collective of filmmakers supporting one another in the creation of film, but we also have a shared lab / workshop, and a small screening room where we host screenings of our own work, along with the work of visiting filmmakers, in Waltham. Usually when I program screenings nowadays, they happen at AgX, but I haven't sworn off hosting events at other venues in the future, so you can tell your friends to follow both the Balagan Film Series on Facebook and join the mailing list if they want to stay apprised of future events:https://balaganfilms.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3562882bab6879d3eb1bacfe8&id=2f7c451b05

They should also follow the AgX Film Collective and sign up for that newsletter, as we share lots of events organized by different members of the collective. We have a screening organized by AgX member, Raymond Rea, coming up on April 20th:https://agxfilm.org/events/2024/4/20/abortionclinicfilmcollective

Wenhua Shi is also an AgX members and has been programming very actively under the RPM Film Fest moniker. Their website is: http://revolutionsperminutefest.org/

Saul Levine has continued to organize screenings periodically, too. In fact, there's one tonight that he organized alongside AgX member, Mike Piso:https://www.facebook.com/events/1521669001711502

MassArt has likewise continued to organize screenings without Saul, though they don't seem to promote very actively outside their student body. There's one tomorrow co-organized with the Wicked Queer Film Festival:https://blogs.massart.edu/macc/

The Harvard Art Museums and ICA Boston also have nice screening rooms, but I don't believe anyone is actively programming at either space. It's worth keeping on one's radar, anyhow.

Best,
Stefan Grabowski
programmer, Balagan Film Series
founding member, AgX Film Collective

________________________________
From: Frameworks <frameworks-bounces at film-gallery.org> on behalf of Robert Harris <lagonaboba at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 5:39 PM
To: frameworks at film-gallery.org <frameworks at film-gallery.org>
Subject: Re: [Frameworks] Alternative Film Venues in Boston

In greater Boston, filmmaker, educator, curator Wenhua Shi is investing exceptional energy and passion, promoting innovative film work, and supporting artists through all the aspects of the RPM festival and screening series he founded with a few colleagues. They show work in an expanding variety of venues, including the Brattle, U. Mass, and various Harvard auditoria.  The film lab, 16mm workshop group AgX Collective also hosts screenings at their loft in Waltham. This has been a model in Boston, where singular individuals with energy and vision have sponsored screenings over the years. For a long time, this was Saul Levine sponsoring group shows and individual filmmaker evenings at Mass Art Film Society.  Sadly MAFS is no longer. Jeff Silva and Alla Kovgan ran Balagan, a regular avant-garde screening series without a permanent theater, but Jeff has decamped to Marseille and Alla left for New York and directed the 3D Merce Cunningham film.

> On Apr 9, 2024, at 4:28 PM, Ann Deborah Levy <adlevy at resonantimages.com> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> Some Boston friends who are not involved in film, but would like to be able to see films that go beyond the Hollywood fare in the multiplexes, have asked about where they might see good films.  I’m not that familiar with Boston anymore, but came up with:  Harvard Film Archive, Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, and Somerville Theatre.  Does anyone have any suggestions to add to my list?  Also, notable Boston area film festivals.
>
> Thanks,
> Ann
>
>
>
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