Hollywood's Soft Psychedelic Underbelly

Filmforum's "Alternative Projections" symposium draws a line from avant-garde to Avatar

Comments (0) By Doug Harvey Thursday, Nov 11 2010

A screening of representative works by seven members will be followed by a discussion that undoubtedly will touch on the difficulties of holding together such a community for more than a few years.

"Alternative Projections" is, in part, a celebration of Filmforum's ability to do just that. Now in its 35th year, the organization has become a cornerstone of L.A.'s cultural identity, introducing new generations to contemporary and historical avant-garde films through weekly screenings at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre.

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The symposium is just the tip of the iceberg. As the first public event in the Getty Foundation's sprawling, comprehensive "Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980" initiative, the USC jamboree is just the first trickle in a flood of region-specific cultural-history revisionism that is scheduled to hit its stride in the fall of 2011.

Filmforum is in the midst of an extensive oral history videography project, covering much of the same history as the symposium, while developing a large-scale series of screenings to coincide with the Getty's major push. After that they're going to save the Amazon!

ALTERNATIVE PROJECTIONS: EXPERIMENTAL FILM IN LOS ANGELES 1945-1980 | Nov. 12-14 | USC School of Cinematic Arts | Free with online registration; more info at cinema.usc.edu/about/events/event_20100830.htm