Shot on Tape
Home video and the handheld camcorder have always been central to the no-budget filmmaking format. This collection of films showcases several projects, ranging in genre, that embrace an attainable approach to filmmaking. All films in this selection were shot on tape, ranging from DV to Hi-8 to VHS.
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Total Transportation
2 items
Wading through a sea of memories, a young real estate agent attempts to do her job. “Total Transportation,” directed by Boothe Carlson, is an experimental oddity where cryptic anecdotes disrupt a recorded apartment tour. As our tour begins, it becomes apparent that we’ll be seeing more into the a...
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A Reason To Be Larry
Movie + 1 extra
A high-schooler named Larry tries to embrace the harsh reality that he may never be one of the “Great Larrys.” Oszkar Nosek directs “A Reason to be Larry,” a surreal character study of a young man trying to conceptualize his persona. Larry struggles to find confidence toward his own name, especia...
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Little Boy Maniac
Movie + 4 extras
After being dumped under the Manhattan bridge in a cardboard box, a lost and bewildered man tries to get home to Long Island. A frenetic extravaganza of anything-goes street cinema, “Little Boy Maniac,” directed by David Cardoza, crams what could have been a feature-length film into thirty minute...
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Townsend's Last Night
Movie + 1 extra
Across a freezing night, confused dropout Cooper Townsend tries to make it home. “Townsend’s Last Night,” directed by Rhys Scarabosio, is a chaotic, lo-fi fever dream about a young man who has lost his way. Left desperately clinging to his only refuge — scribbling lyrics in an old notebook — the ...
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Pasadena
Movie + 2 extras
A depressed writer in L.A. tries to find her way through the grieving process while her estranged brother returns home after a three year absence. “Pasadena,” the directorial debut feature from Gaston Stabiszewski, is a patiently observed character study about two siblings stuck in extreme patter...
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I'm At Home
Movie + 1 extra
The host of a children's television show starts experiencing burnout after needing to force creativity every day. “I’m At Home,” directed by and starring Philip Thompson, is a lo-fi vision of artistic fatigue that starts off all smiles before beginning to disintegrate. An artist and performer nam...
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Trash Moth
Movie + 2 extras
A found footage compilation of a young drifter’s Mini-DV adventures. Michael Santos’s “trash moth” offers a series of vignettes discovered from a young man’s handycam that becomes progressively darker. Felix makes friends with a group of hooligans in hopes they will give him a beer. Next, he has ...
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Returning, Again
Movie + 1 extra
After distancing herself from a complicated relationship with her father, 22-year-old Kate Young returns home for the Thanksgiving holiday. “Returning, Again,” directed by Jinho Myung, is a family portrait shot on Mini-DV that details a persistent family divide, doing so with an astute sense of p...
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GINGER BOY and The Purpose of Life on Earth
Movie + 1 extra
A perpetually stoned pothead floats past life’s responsibilities on a cloud of smoke until accidentally smoking an ounce of K2 and descending into an existential rabbit-hole of increasing perplexity. Spencer Witmer directs “GINGER BOY and The Purpose of Life on Earth,” a rich, experimental charac...
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Movie Star
Movie + 1 extra
An elderly woman turns to unconventional methods to create closeness with her caregiver. Spencer Gibson’s “Movie Star” is an intimate drama recognizing intergenerational companionship. Ruth and her younger caregiver, Jo, spend most of their day in the household. Despite their physical closeness, ...
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Oh Man Magdalena
A middle-aged woman runs out of things to talk about with her therapist. Ryan Wagner directs “Oh Man Magdelena,” a surreal, VHS look at a woman and her therapist who reach peculiar breakthroughs during an oddly ominous session. Magdalena peers out the blinds of her therapist’s office. The interio...
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There Is A River
Four music videos flow together in this dreamy and entrancing short film directed by Adinah Dancyger and Kaya Wilkins. “There is A River” includes tracks from the indie pop musician Okay Kaya’s second album, “Watch This Liquid Pour Itself,” to create an experimental work of beautifully captured m...
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Pair of Dice
After abusing prescription medication to induce amnesia, a woman experiences childlike wonder, terror, beauty, and love. Directors Spencer Witmer and Brandi Lynn Divine present “Pair of Dice,” a MiniDV expedition through the ruins and chambers of Orlando and its surrounding area. The young woman,...
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Cinema Brut
Setting out to “make a movie” on the streets of NYC, a man recruits strangers to act alongside him in “movie scenes”. Using a hidden camera prank show format, “Cinema Brut” is notable for capturing the strange ways people respond when asked to perform, and for the highly committed performance by ...
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Amor to Love
A city construction worker, played by Buddy Anthony Diaz, gets his girlfriend Taco Bell for their anniversary dinner. Ted Marsden directs “Amor to Love,” a Hi-8 character study of a guy who can’t seem to get things under his control. We meet Buddy working traffic management at a hectic constructi...
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Total Transportation
Wading through a sea of memories, a young real estate agent attempts to do her job. “Total Transportation,” directed by Boothe Carlson, is an experimental oddity where cryptic anecdotes disrupt a recorded apartment tour. As our tour begins, it becomes apparent that we’ll be seeing more into the a...
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A Reason to be Larry
A high-schooler named Larry tries to embrace the harsh reality that he may never be one of the “Great Larrys.” Oszkar Nosek directs “A Reason to be Larry,” a surreal character study of a young man trying to conceptualize his persona. Larry struggles to find confidence toward his own name, especia...
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Adam and Joel
A conversation between 2 friends, drinking beers, eating Combos, talking about everything, a spirited 5am social + political + religious, etc, etc., discussion. There's a jump cut every 2 or 3 seconds which takes some getting used to, but creates interesting gaps and leaps, and establishes moment...
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How to Live with Regret
The new satirical video tutorial from filmmaker John Wilson explores the world of regrets, both big and small. A bad haircut or a broken phone may not seem like a huge deal but it may cause "cascading effects that lead to long-term regret." With his signature halting voice-over, Wilson weaves in ...
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Making Eyes
A distinctive piece of homemade filmmaking that’s awkwardly funny and intriguing. Arriving and departing on its own track, "Making Eyes" is a lo-fi film about locking eyes with a stranger on the NYC subway and falling in love. An office worker who gets by with his Mad Men impressions keeps seeing...
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Critics
Two film critics discuss their profession in the park. Tynan DeLong directs “Critics,” a lighthearted satire lampooning celebrity worship, hobnobbing with movie stars, and Marvel fanboying. It stars Jeremy Levick and Rajat Suresh, playing movie geeks with podcasts — “The Dork Side” and “Are You T...
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Salt Mom
An ode to teen friendship told through a series of loose vignettes exploring the moods and personalities of a group of friends in Brooklyn, NY. “Salt Mom,” directed by Sam Kahrar, is a hybrid documentary filled with moments of casual intimacy, specificity and humor. We watch as the kids read each...
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The Valley of the Cats
Two brothers steal a car in Lisbon, Portugal and head for a lighthouse. Directed by George Daniell, “The Valley of the Cats,” is an inventive lo-fi comedy adventure, shot on 8mm tape, part road movie, part descent into madness. Dead Eye and Square Hands, as the brothers are known, make their way ...
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Kayla in 1A
A portrait of a roommate named Kayla, a teacher who watches French movies and drinks three cups of tea at a time. Directed by Travis Wood, “Kayla in 1A” is a film about two strangers living together and establishing no connection. “We’ve lived together for six months. I don’t know anything about ...