Image courtesy of the Flaherty.
Propelled by a desire to upend entrenched norms and unequal power dynamics, the Flaherty champions new models of nonfiction filmmaking, curating, and theorizing. With their revered annual Seminar taking place in Thailand for the first time this year, “Gatherings” are popping up around the world, including at The 8th Floor in New York. Learn about this year’s theme, TO COMMUNE, below.
Attendees will engage in deep conversation around one of this year’s programs at The 8th Floor on Saturday, June 29, 2pm. In the Flaherty tradition of “non-preconception,” the films and artists will not be known by attendees ahead of time. An extended horizontal discussion will be facilitated by Charles de Agustin, Programs & Engagement Manager at the Foundation, with support materials from the Flaherty Seminar programmers.
An RSVP for this program is required through the Flaherty here (select “Manhattan, NYC”). Reach out to info@the8thfloor.org if you do not receive a confirmation email from The 8th Floor within one business day. Please note that space is limited and not guaranteed. All Gathering attendees will also be offered a discount code for the full Seminar Online Experience.
Programmers May Adadol Ingawanij and Julian Ross describe this year’s Seminar theme, TO COMMUNE, as such: “We approach documentary filmmaking as that which brings together bodies, minds and spirits across different spaces, worlds and temporalities. Beyond self-organizing and community-building, to commune is to communicate with mystical, animistic, and ritualistic capacities. (…) Our programme seeks to explore how contemporary filmmakers and moving image artists are expanding the imaginative possibilities of communing through documentary forms. We want to highlight how filmmakers and artists, especially those connected to the Global South, are inheriting surprising legacies of historical efforts to commune. We’re intrigued by artistic explorations of communal capacities in spaces and situations such as the classroom, the ritual, the carnival, the film set, the potent site, the gathering and the protest.” Learn more about TO COMMUNE and the Flaherty here.
All events are free and open to the public at The 8th Floor. On the day of the program, the gallery will be open from 11am for exhibition viewing, with select works obstructed from 1:30pm due to the event setup. Info on accessing our space can be found here. Email us with any questions.
Image description: A poster for the 69th Flaherty Film Seminar. A green orb is in the center, floating above darkened cinema seating. Text circling the orb reads: “The 69th Flaherty Film Seminar / To Commune / June 27–July 2 / Thai Film Archive, Salaya, Thailand / Programmed by May Adadol Ingawanij & Julian Ross”