Aurora Artists and Co-presentations at Cinema Arts Festival Houston

Aurora Picture Show is delighted to have been among the arts organizations that helped shape and define Houston’s newest film festival, Cinema Arts Festival Houston. Running November 11-15, 2009, Cinema Arts Festival highlights contemporary art and artists through feature films, panels, workshops, and special events. Listed below are screenings co-presented with Aurora, and events that feature past Aurora Artists who will be in attendance.

Be sure to check out the Cinema Arts Festival website for a full schedule and ticketing info. Aurora will also be hosting ticket give-aways to some festival events, so stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter pages for chances to win!


What if, Why Not? Underground Adventures with Ant Farm
Thursday, November 12 at 7PM, UH College of Architecture Auditorium
Presented with Aurora Picture Show
What If, Why Not is the first film to delve into the work of the renegade 1970s architecture collective Ant Farm, best known for its iconic land-art piece Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. Radical architects, video pioneers, and mordantly funny cultural commentators, the Ant Farmers created a body of deeply subversive work that questioned everything by posing a set of creative and comedic alternatives. Combining futuristic notions gleaned from Buckminster Fuller and NASA with lo-fi production methods; utopian visions with a love of trashy backyard Americana; and a respect for "high" intellectual ideas with an irreverent, often crass sense of humor, Ant Farm's work was quintessential American in its ethos and methodology and emblematic of a period in American history that continues to captivate and shape modern culture.

Aurora Connections:
Laura Harrison: Co-director, Aurora Advisory Board member, and past Aurora artist
Beth Federici: Co-director, former Aurora Advisory Board member, and past Aurora artist
Chip Lord: Art Farm member, recipient of Aurora Award 2004, past Aurora artist
Curtis Schreier: Art Farm member, recipient of Aurora Award 2004, past Aurora artist

Experimental Film and Visual Arts: Holly Fisher and Jennifer Reeves
Moderated by Andrea Grover
Friday, November 13 at 1PM, Alabama Theater
The moving image, as manipulated in striking, painterly ways by experimental filmmakers Jennifer Reeves and Holly Fisher, will be explored in relation to painting, sculpture and photography.

Aurora Connections:
Andrea Grover: Founder, Aurora Picture Show
Jennifer Reeves: Featured artist on Aurora Video Label, Cinemad DVD.

Pictures from a Revolution
Friday, November 13 at 4PM, Museum of Fine Arts Houston
No one captured more powerfully the suffering, sacrifice, and finally celebration that accompanied the Sandinista victory than Susan Meiselas, the award-winning photojournalist who covered the Nicaraguan revolution for the New York Times and London Times. In Pictures from a Revolution, Meiselas returns to Nicaragua a decade later with codirectors Richard P. Rogers and Alfred Guzzetti to track down the people—soldiers, revolutionaries, and ordinary people—pictured in her original photographs and their previous film, Living at Risk (screening Saturday at the Cinema Arts Festival Houston). Pictures from a Revolution is not a sequel to the previous work, which explored the life of a Nicaraguan family; rather, it is a deeper and wider analysis of a country and its people.

Aurora Connection:
Alfred Guzzetti: Past Aurora artist

When it was Blue
Friday, November 13 at 7PM, Rice Media Center
Cine artist, Jennifer Reeves is again showcased in a screening night that includes a double-projector performance with live musical accompaniment by Skúli Sverrisson. When It Was Blue is an ode to nature and 16mm film as they rapidly vanish. This double-projection 16mm film rejoices in the splendor of seasons, landscapes, and wildlife as we traverse land and ocean.

Aurora Connection:
Jennifer Reeves: Featured artist on Aurora Video Label, Cinemad DVD

Living at Risk: The Story of a Nicaraguan Family
Saturday, November 14 at 4PM, Rice Media Center
Filmed before Pictures From A Revolution, Alfred Guzzetti's Living at Risk is a snapshot of the life of a family during a period of civil war, uncertainty, and despair, five years after the Sandinistas gained power in Nicaragua, overthrowing the brutal and long reign of the Somoza family. The documentary centers on five brothers and sisters who commit themselves to work with the Sandinista revolutionary government and to contribute to the social changes in their professional and personal lives.

Aurora Connections:
Alfred Guzzetti: Past Aurora artist

What if, Why Not? Underground Adventures with Ant Farm
Friday, November 13 at 9:45PM, Angelika Film Center
See description above.

The Time We Killed
Saturday, November 14 at 1PM, Rice Media Center
The Time We Killed is the first feature by avant-garde filmmaker Jennifer Reeves, who had been generally known for her formal experimentation with optical printing and painting directly on film (as in the extraordinary When It Was Blue, screening Friday) and her exploration of a range of topics including women’s sexuality, mental health and recovery, poetry, and dogs. The Time We Killed is a surprising departure, a remarkably assured narrative feature.

Aurora Connection:
Jennifer Reeves: Featured artist on Aurora Video Label, Cinemad DVD

The Yes Men Fix The World
Saturday, November 14, 7PM, Rice Media Center
Winner of the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, The Yes Men Fix the World is a screwball true story about the satirical activist team the Yes Men. Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno’s theatrical performances take place on unusual stages. Dressed in thrift-store suits, posing as top executives of corporations they consider criminal, the Yes Men lie their way into business conferences and parody their corporate targets in outrageous, yet strangely plausible ways.

Aurora Connection: The Yes Men: Past Aurora artists

H Box: A conversation with Banjamin Weil
Sunday, November 15 at 1pm, Alabama Theater
In Conversation with Toby Kamps and Mary Magsamen
The artistic director of H BOX, an innovative, mobile screening room presenting work by ten international artists, talks about commissioning original works of art and exhibiting them in this exciting new venue, on display in the Alabama Theatre through November 15.

Aurora Connection: Mary Magsamen: Current Aurora Artistic Director, past Aurora artist

The Yes Men Fix The World
Sunday, November 15, 1PM, Angelika
See description above

You Can Take Our Equipment But You Can't Take Our Passion

Stealing from a non-profit seems lower than low, right? Unfortunately, everyone's favorite microcinema was broken into last night (the thieves came through the back room window) and stole several pieces of Aurora equipment that we use for our salons and screenings -- including our LCD Monitor, Blue Ray Player, two DVD Players, our sound mixer, our PC Laptop, a DVD burner, and some other small items (Pint glasses - We always knew those were popular!). Here is the complete list.

We have filed a police report and will be following up with our insurance but wanted to make everyone aware of what has happened.

If anyone has any connections to equipment vendors or are getting rid of anything in the near future, let us know. Aurora fans can also help by purchasing tickets to our annual raffle fundraiser which will take place in December with two sought-after badges to SXSW as one of the many prizes.

Thanks for the support and be on the lookout for any pint-glass-carrying bad guys selling film and video equipment.

Sending Aurora Love to our Gala Sponsors

IMG_3004
Originally uploaded by Aurora Picture Show

Just wanted to make sure that we send our love and appreciation to the Aurora Award sponsors, including:

Hotel Sorella
Saint Arnold Brewery
Stockholm Krystal Vodka
City Kitchen Catering

Along with all the supporters who came out in support of Aurora Picture Show and to see Doug Aitken.

THANK YOU!

A New Framework

Aurora friend Anne Pasternack of Creative Time is circulating a petition that calls on Congress and the Obama Administration to support art’s public purpose to mend our social fabric, promote freedom of expression and a vibrant, inclusive national dialogue, and revitalize both education and commerce with the creativity that has always been the wellspring of our energy and success. If you care about creativity, culture, public art and their role in our future, read the petition here.

Southern Exposure Gets Passive/Aggressive

If you are an artist in Northern California, don't miss an opportunity to enter your work in Southern Exposure's 2009 Series of Juried Projects (and get your work seen by Aurora's founder and nonstop curator/media arts wonder woman Andrea Grover) Here are the details:

PASSIVE/AGGRESSIVE: SoEx's 2009 Series of Juried Projects

Juried Film/Video Screening
Juried Public Art/Urban Interventions Day
Of Works by Northern California Artists

SoEx is commited to creating a space for innovative, experimental, and risk-taking art and with this in mind, invites artists to submit public and film/video works in response to a theme that encourages as broad a range of artistic interpretation as possible. This year's theme, Passive/Aggressive, was chosen in response to our current cultural, economic and political climate and reflects on how decisions are made when faced with extreme challenges. We invite artists to submit work that responds to this idea in some way, shape or form.

DEADLINE:
SoEx must receive your submission by Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 6 pm.

EVENTS:
Public Art/Urban Interventions Day: Saturday, December 5, 11 am - 5 pm
Film/Video Screening: Sunday, December 6, 5 pm
Details to be announced in November!

2009 JURORS:
Film/Video Juror: Andrea Grover is a Houston-based independent curator, artist, writer and founder of Aurora Picture Show, a now recognized center for filmic art that began in Grover's living room as “the world's most public home theater.
Public Art/Urban Interventions Day Juror: Jeannene Przyblyski is an artist, historian, urban strategist and founder the San Francisco Bureau of Urban Secrets, a visual arts and urbanism think tank that incubates and promotes art and other public interventions in city life.

To obtain information about eligibility, rules, submission drop-off, jurors, jurying and to get a submission form, please download the Call for Entry form from the SoEx website.

Fletcher in Might Be Good

One of Aurora's favorite artists and earliest supporters, Harrell Fletcher , is featured in Fluent Collaborative's art e-journal Might Be Good this week. Read early and often.

Look Out Pittsburgh

Aurora's fearless founder, Andrea Grover, heads to Pittsburgh this week for the opening of 29 Chains to the Moon, an exhibit she curated for Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University. You can read more about it, and Andrea's organization of the Houston Lyceum Lecture series at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, on Andrea's blog.

A Good Time Was Had By All

The past weekend brought laughs and cheers for all of the Aurora staff. While some of the Aurora team (Associate Director Rachel Blackney and founder Andrea Grover) headed to Boston to munch on Oysters Rockefeller and absorb panels at the NAMAC conference (returning with renewed energy and some great ideas!); the rest of the Aurora gang showed Houstonians a good time once again with the help of visiting curator Skip Elsheimer of AV Geeks. His Naughty Girls screening highlighted the best of instructional and educational films from the 70s and 80s that taught girls not to steal, lie, nor hide in fur coat storage closets. See more photos from both screenings here.

Emerging Artists at Aurora Boot Camp

Look out John Baldessari! Aurora has some young filmmakers that are hot on your heels. Last week, Aurora concluded their first ever Aurora Boot Camp, featuring fifteen very talented aspiring filmmakers. From "Art" to alien attacks, no subject was too much to tackle for these innovative campers. Check out the photos at Aurora's Flicker Site.

Found was a Hit!!!

Our friends from Found Magazine did it again. Their stories and music made us laugh and cry. Their Denim and Diamonds Tour 2009! is still not over though. Check out when they are coming near you.

Media Archeology!!!! Total Success

Media Archeology: Joshua Light Show & Silver Apples LIVE from Aurora Picture Show!!!!

Emily Hubley takes the Texas Tour

Emily Hubley, daughter of famed animators John and Faith Hubley, landed in Houston this past weekend to grace Aurora with several screenings, co -presented with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.  After an evening of short films Friday, Hubley shared her feature The Toe Tactic with audiences Saturday, who were filled with questions about the process of making a live-action and animated film.  Hubley heads to Austin today, so be sure to stop by the original Alamo Draft House Cinema if you happen to be in Austin.

Green condos coming to Hyde Park

On the corner of Hyde Park and Waugh, a long established neighborhood is intersecting with the future.

Rachel Blogs!

OK, OK... I have been here for how long? And I have never done a blog. I admit to not being very good at them. Though I do OK at Facebook, so look me up if you really want in on my personal details. It is thrilling stuff.

Sundance 2009 was great. This was my 8th year, I think. I have been quite a few times... I actually won a trip in 1997 while I was in college. To be honest, I kinda cheated by stealing all the entry forms and having parties for people to help me fill them out. But it worked, so no guilt. Then I volunteered several years. I was lucky to go with Austin Film Society and Austin Studios for marketing as well. But I think I enjoyed going with Aurora the most because it was not only about spreading the love of Aurora, but also about seeking out ideas for programs. I think that the short films and the documentaries are what make film festivals special, especially when you are in a big festival where narratives will likely be picked up and distributed.

For me, the documentary shorts were the most memorable. But it was also our first screening, with all the Aurora ladies together (Mary Magsamen, our new Curator, and Sorcha, our esteemed board member) AND it was at the Egyptian... which is really the iconic venue located on the Main Street.

My next favorite was THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD, which will likely get exhibition nationally as it was so entertaining. Go see it. Join the Yes Men website too.

There were other films, though I walked away not seeing as many as I would like. I look forward to either bringing them in through Aurora or other organizations in Houston.

Outside of films, I loved the Austin Film Society party where I got to see familiar faces and celebrate some Texas films. We hope to bring some of them to Aurora.

I did notice that I am older and can not see as many films as I did in 1997 where I would totally wear myself out, but I enjoyed myself.

A special thank you to Winsie Tow and the Sundance Filmmaker Lodge for allowing us to come and spread the Aurora word. We even met people from Houston there! Wild.

Anyhow, I still have lots of laundry to do and all kinds of catching up, but I definitely think film lovers should experience Sundance or any other major film festival in their lifetime. Inspiring and fun!

All the best from a tired Aurora Fan,

Rachel

Aurora at Sundance Film Festival

IMG_0022
Originally uploaded by Aurora Picture Show

Fundance with Aurora at the Filmmaker's Lodge

Here we are at the Filmmaker's Lodge telling everyone how great Aurora is and giving away stuff.

Fundance with Aurora day 2

Rachel and Sorcha at the New Frontier area playing with an interactive piece about feelings.

Mary and Rachel in front of the Egyptian theater.

Fundance with Aurora

We arrived at Sundance!  Here is Rachel and Sorcha on the bus going to a theater!

MOCK UP ON MU

So this is the new film by Aurora Advisory Board member Craig Baldwin! He is the godfather of microcinema one could say. In a radical hybrid of spy, sci-fi, Western, and even horror genres, Craig Baldwin's Mock Up On Mu cobbles together a feature-length "collage-narrative" based on (mostly) true stories of California's post-War sub-cultures of rocket pioneers, alternative religions, and Beat lifestyles. Pulp-serial snippets, industrial-film imagery, and B- (and Z-) fiction clips are intercut with newly shot live-action material, powering a playful, allegorical trajectory through the now-mythic occult matrix of Jack Parsons (Crowleyite founder of the Jet Propulsion Lab), L.Ron Hubbard (sci-fi author turned cult-leader), and Marjorie Cameron (bohemian artist and "mother of the New Age movement"). Their intertwined tales spin out into a speculative farce on the militarization of space, and the corporate take-over of spiritual fulfillment and leisure-time. Definitely a must see!!!

NY THEATRICAL PREMIERE RUN!
Craig Baldwin’s
MOCK UP ON MU
January 14 – 20
ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES
32 SECOND AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10003; (212) 505-5181 fax (212) 477-2714

Alex Rivera's Web Project

Visiting filmmaker Alex Rivera shared with Aurora all sorts of video work, shorts and awesome films; nevertheless, his take on the immigration issue does not end there. He is also working with Angel Nevarezon on a web project called Low Drone which consists of a remote controlled low-rider spy drone that jumps in between the US and Mexico in order to increase the level of satire surveying the US border patrol.