Kaunas International Film Festival

The audience of Kaunas International Film Festival enjoyed an experimental cinema programme, curated by Jonas Mekas. It was an avant-garde female film programme, specially composed for a festival, a particular program – “Tribute to Adolfas Mekas” and the latest films of Jonas Mekas were demonstrated in special screenings.

30 September the audience had an opportunity to set eyes on Jonas Mekas film “Was There a War?” and in the evening –the Lithuanian premiere of Mekas latest film “My Paris Movie”. The filmmaker had filmed footage from visits in Paris over a nineteen years period of time. The playful film shows Jonas Mekas love for Paris.

On 1st October, Festival invited to remember Jonas brother Adolfas, also a famous avant-garde, who left us this year. Kaunas citizens saw Adolfas Mekas first film “Hallelujah the Hills”, which was called one of angular stones of New American cinema. It’s a vivacious parody of American cinematic classics – a crazy comedy, which tells about two friends who fall in love the same woman. There was also presented a film “Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania”, created by both brothers. This film was presented due to emphasize Adolfas, Jonas brother, part in this creation.

Adolfas Mekas played a role in one films from Jonas Mekas composed avant-garde female cinematic program “A Matter of Baobab – With One Growth”. The author of this film is a director of avant-garde cinema and Adolfas wife Pola Chapelle.

Kaunas International Film Festival also invited to avant-garde female film programme, including almost eight decades of cinema history, on 1st of September. Three part program introduced to fifteen film makers and allowed to set eyes on avant-garde classics, films as “Meshes of the Afternoon”, by Maya Deren, and the latest works of experimental female cinematic works. There was also showed “Mutiny. Is This What You Were Born For?”, created by Abigail Child – one of the most influential figures in feminist cinema; Su Friedrich work “Gently Down The Stream”; Peggy Ahwesh film “The Deadman”, created according to Georges Batalle novel, and lots of other important avant-garde films.

This program was presented by one of its authors, famous maker of experimental cinema M. M. Serra. A director of avant-garde cinema, a tutoress, a lecturer and a manager of The Film Makers Cooperative – the oldest and independent media archives in the world. M. M. Serra is the main figure of New York East Village experimental film scene. M.M Serra’s film “Turner”. Was included in the avant-garde female film programme as part of the special screening at the Kaunas International Film Festival