Amazing filmic gathering of American traditional artists at the Anthology Film Archives beginning tonight in NYC:
- THE HIGH LONESOME SCREEN: A FOLK FILM FESTIVAL AT ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES
AUGUST 20-29
FILMS FROM THE ALAN LOMAX ARCHIVE, APPALSHOP, AND JOHN COHEN
Just think of us as one enormous porch! From August 20 to August 29, Anthology Film Archives will be host to a film gathering of folk musicians and personalities that reads like a veritable who’s who of American traditional music. Son House, Bukka White, Skip James, Roscoe Holcomb, Othar Turner, Bois-Sec Ardoin, the Carter Family Fold, Hazel Dickens, Jimmy Martin, The Holy Modal Rounders, Ralph Stanley, Nimrod Workman, and many more will grace the screen with more than 40 hours of foot-stomping footage.
Over 50 works will be screened from three of America’s most prominent sources of filmed performance: The Alan Lomax Archive, Appalshop, and John Cohen. Highlights include a special work-in-progress screening of an incredible documentary on the ultimate underground band, The Holy Modal Rounders, followed by a performance by Rounders-founder Peter Stampfel, an outdoor BBQ on Saturday, August 21, a special presentation by John Cohen, and rare screenings of films and raw footage by Alan Lomax that have never been shown publicly.
Alan Lomax Films to be screened include:
The first-ever public screening of BALLADS, BLUES, AND BLUEGRASS (featuring Roscoe Holcomb, Memphis Slim, Willie Dixon, Doc Watson, Clarence Ashley, Jack Elliott, and many more)
From PBS’ American Patchwork series:
THE LAND WHERE THE BLUES BEGAN
APPALACHIAN JOURNEY
CAJUN COUNTRY
THE DREAMS AND SONGS OF THE NOBLE OLD
JAZZ PARADES: FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW
as well as riveting, never-seen-in-public raw footage from the American Patchwork field trips
Live footage from the 1966 Newport Folk Festival:
DEVIL GOT MY WOMAN
DELTA BLUES / CAJUN TWO-STEP
BILLY IN THE LOWGROUNDS: OLD-TIME MUSIC FROM NEWPORT
The Choreometrics / Movement Style and Culture film series:
DANCE AND HUMAN HISTORY
PALM PLAY
STEP STYLE
Three films by BESS LOMAX HAWES will also be shown.
APPALSHOP
Appalshop is a multi-disciplinary arts and education center producing original films, video, theater, music and spoken-word recordings, radio, photography, multimedia, and books in the heart of Appalachia. Appalshop’s education and training programs support communities’ efforts to solve their own problems in a just and equitable way. Each year, Appalshop productions and services reach several million people nationally and internationally. Appalshop is dedicated to the proposition that the world is immeasurably enriched when local cultures garner the resources, including new technologies, to tell their own stories and to listen to the unique stories of others.
Films to be screened include: HAZEL DICKENS, THE RALPH STANLEY STORY, SUNNY SIDE OF LIFE, STRANGER WITH A CAMERA, AND MORE!
JOHN COHEN
Although he is best known as a musician, John Cohen’s photographs and films have been recognized by museums, galleries and at film festivals worldwide. His campaign for the recognition of traditional roots/folk music has led to the production of fifteen films, hundreds of photographs and sound recordings. He has also made more than twenty recordings with the New Lost City Ramblers, along with related articles, liner notes and interviews about music.
Films to be screened include: THE HIGH LONESOME SOUND, THE BALLAD AND THE SOURCE, SARA AND MAYBELLE, CARNIVAL IN Q’EROS, AND MORE!
Anthology Film Archives is located at 32 Second Ave. at Second Street and can be reached by the Second Avenue F train or the #6, Bleecker Street stop. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students, seniors, & AFA members.
Sounds like a mighty soul-satisfying experience of rural-based American music with pictures to go along with the sound. I like BBQ too.
The entire schedule can be found here.