Filmmaker Ed Emshwiller’s 1965 winsome short of ‘outsider’ artist George Dumpson’s backyard

George Dumpson’s Place, 1965, an early short film by Ed Emshwiller. Music by Stuart Scharf, Jay Berliner and Bill Lee.

In this charming short film, science fiction illustrator turned avant-garde filmmaker Ed Emshwiller explores the overgrown backyard belonging to Long Island folk artist George Dumpson — who, in Emshwiller’s words, ‘created a small universe with what he found and could carry on his homemade wagon’.

Apodemy

Stunning.

(via Katerina Athanasopoulou)

Alan Zweig’s documentary film about record addiction: Vinyl (2000)

As if parodying his own addiction, Toronto-based filmmaker Alan Zweig painstakingly captures the struggle of record addiction amongst a hotchpotch of twitchy social misfits and compulsive hoarders. Vinyl is reflexive, bittersweet and, oddly, cathartic.

Watch full version (via YouTube)

The Landfill Harmonic Project

Landfill Harmonic is an upcoming feature-length documentary about a remarkable musical orchestra in Paraguay, where young musicians play instruments made from trash.

More information here.

Gap-Toothed Women (1987)

Les Blank’s 1987 short film is ‘a charming valentine to women born with a space between their teeth’.

Watch the trailer (I dare you not to smile at 00:33).

OM — a short film by John Smith

OM (1986) is a playful short film by UK avant-garde filmmaker John Smith.

The film is an edifying journey, which skillfully (mis-)leads viewers from one concrete stereotype to its diametric opposition. The outcome is stunningly simple!

Watch here

(Note: John Smith is currently part-time Professor of Fine Arts, UEL)

Teenage

Writer and broadcaster Jon Savage (Punk and the Pistols, Joy Division) has a new film project. Teenage is a journey through the history of youth culture and the birth of the teenager — a film that focuses on intimate stories of generational conflict and teen aspirations to reveal something of the ways youth movements have shaped today's society. Surrender yourself to this enthralling testimony to both fearless self-invention and diffident self-discovery. (meh!)

(via Toys & Techniques)