New York Underground Film Festival
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1994 by filmmakers Todd Phillips
(Road Trip, Old School
) and Andrew Gurland, the New York Underground Film Festival was an annual event that occurred each March at Anthology Film Archives
in New York City
from 1994 through 2008. After Phillips and Gurland turned the festival over to programmer Ed Halter (now an author and occasional critic for the Village Voice), it became noted for documentary
and experimental film
programming, and occasionally courted controversy, particularly in its early years.
Some of these have included: premiering the North American Man/Boy Love Association
(NAMBLA) documentary, Chicken Hawk: Men Who Love Boys
, in 1994; premiering a film in 1995 that accused Quentin Tarantino
of plagiarism; being protested by Reverend Fred Phelps
in 2002 (apparently for not choosing to show a film about Phelps); and premiering a theatrical version of Brad Neely's Harry Potter
parody Wizard People, Dear Reader
, which eventually led to action by Warner Brothers to suppress future theatrical performances of the work.
Nevertheless, though the festival has remained a small affair, and has little value as a market, its programming has attained a certain prestige, especially among younger or more experimental filmmakers.
In February 2008 the festival organizers announced that, instead of passing on the torch to a younger generation - as has been the tradition, the 15th festival would be the last. Instead two of the former organizers intend to create a new festival under the name Migrating Forms (taking the name from a film by James Fotopoulos
).
Todd Phillips
Todd Phillips is an American screenwriter and film director. He is best known for directing the comedy films Road Trip, Old School, The Hangover, and Due Date.-Early life:...
(Road Trip, Old School
Old school
In slang, old school can refer to anything that is from an earlier era. Old school refers to something that is fairly old and not very recent. Depending on the context and intent, the term can imply a high regard or respect, or be a pejorative...
) and Andrew Gurland, the New York Underground Film Festival was an annual event that occurred each March at Anthology Film Archives
Anthology Film Archives
__notoc__Anthology Film Archives is a film archive and theater located at 32 Second Avenue on the corner of East Second Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City devoted to the preservation and exhibition of experimental film. It is the only non-profit organization of its...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
from 1994 through 2008. After Phillips and Gurland turned the festival over to programmer Ed Halter (now an author and occasional critic for the Village Voice), it became noted for documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
and experimental film
Experimental film
Experimental film or experimental cinema is a type of cinema. Experimental film is an artistic practice relieving both of visual arts and cinema. Its origins can be found in European avant-garde movements of the twenties. Experimental cinema has built its history through the texts of theoreticians...
programming, and occasionally courted controversy, particularly in its early years.
Some of these have included: premiering the North American Man/Boy Love Association
North American Man/Boy Love Association
The North American Man/Boy Love Association is a pedophile and pederasty advocacy organization in the United States that works to abolish age of consent laws criminalizing adult sexual involvement with minors, and for the release of all men who have been jailed for sexual contacts with minors that...
(NAMBLA) documentary, Chicken Hawk: Men Who Love Boys
Chicken Hawk: Men Who Love Boys
Chicken Hawk: Men Who Love Boys is a 1994 documentary produced, written and directed by Adi Sideman. In the film, members of the pedophile/pederasty advocacy organization North American Man/Boy Love Association discuss why they support sexual relationships between men and boys below the age of...
, in 1994; premiering a film in 1995 that accused Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
of plagiarism; being protested by Reverend Fred Phelps
Fred Phelps
Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr. is an American pastor heading the Westboro Baptist Church , an independent Baptist church based in Topeka, Kansas...
in 2002 (apparently for not choosing to show a film about Phelps); and premiering a theatrical version of Brad Neely's Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
parody Wizard People, Dear Reader
Wizard People, Dear Reader
Wizard People, Dear Reader, released in 2004, is an unauthorized, alternative soundtrack to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, written by Brad Neely, a comic book artist from Fort Smith, Arkansas....
, which eventually led to action by Warner Brothers to suppress future theatrical performances of the work.
Nevertheless, though the festival has remained a small affair, and has little value as a market, its programming has attained a certain prestige, especially among younger or more experimental filmmakers.
In February 2008 the festival organizers announced that, instead of passing on the torch to a younger generation - as has been the tradition, the 15th festival would be the last. Instead two of the former organizers intend to create a new festival under the name Migrating Forms (taking the name from a film by James Fotopoulos
James Fotopoulos
James Fotopoulos is an independent filmmaker and media artist living in Chicago, Illinois. His work is low-budget and rigorous, and consists of experimental narrative features, non-narrative shorts, and video installations...
).
List of films shown
- 15th festival, April 2-8, 20082008 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 15th New York Underground Film Festival, held from April 2–8, 2008.-External links:* *...
- 14th festival, March 28 - April 3, 20072007 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 14th New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 28 - April 3, 2007.-See also:* *...
- 13th festival, March 8-14, 20062006 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 13th New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 8–14, 2006-See also:* *...
- 12th festival, March 9-15, 20052005 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 12th New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 9–15, 2005-See also:* *...
- 11th festival, March 10-16, 20042004 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 11th New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 10–16, 2004.-See also:* *...
- 10th festival, March 5-11, 20032003 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 10th New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 5–11, 2003.-See also:* *...
- 9th festival, March 6-12, 20022002 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 9th New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 6–12, 2002.-See also:* *...
- 8th festival, March 7-13, 20012001 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 8th New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 7–13, 2001.-See also:* *...
- 7th festival, March 8-14, 20002000 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 7th New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 8–14, 2000.-See also:* *...
- 6th festival, March 10-14, 19991999 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 6th New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 10–14, 1999-See also:* *...
- 5th festival, March 18-22, 19981998 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 5th New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 18–22, 1998....
- 4th festival, March 19-23, 19971997 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 4th New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 19–23, 1997.-See also:* *...
- 3rd festival, March 20-24, 19961996 New York Underground Film FestivalThese are the films shown at the 3rd New York Underground Film Festival, held from March 20–24, 1996....