The Gate Theater Film Festival 1966/2019 is a week-long, 16mm film festival comprising a selection of films that were featured at the historic The Gate Theater. Located on the Lower East Side of New York City, across the street from St. Marks Church-in-the-Bowery, The Gate Theater was a leading venue for independent films between 1966 and 1968. This artist-run cinema was managed by Elsa Tambellini, below The Black Gate Theater—New York’s first electromedia-performance space, founded by Aldo Tambellini.

The Festival includes projections of rarely displayed archival film prints by Bruce Baillie, Paul Bartel, David Bienstock, Abbe Borov, Stan Brakhage, Bob Cowan, Storm De Hirsch, Maya Deren, Robert Downey Sr., Peter E. Goldman, Ed Emshwiller, Peter Gessner, Takahiko Iimura, Stanton Kaye, George Kuchar, Mike Kuchar, Willard Maas, Marie Menken, Ron Rice, Jose Rodriguez-Soltero, Mark Sadan, Jack Smith, Yoichi Takabayashi, Aldo Tambellini, Stan VanDerBeek, and Jud Yalkut.

Many of the films included in THE GATE THEATER FILM FESTIVAL 1966/2019 were part of The Gate Theater’s New Visions Festival, organized in protest against the exclusion of independent filmmakers from the 4th New York Film Festival. Together these films represent the beginning of a new era, when 16mm film and recording equipment became accessible to self-producing artists who worked in experimental ways to express transgressive ideas—regarding gender, politics, and sexuality—that were culturally censored in the 1960s. Thus, The Gate Theater was critically recognized by film-makers such as Jonas Mekas and John Waters.

TICKETS AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE IN ADVANCE ON EVENTBRITE ($10 PER TICKET / $45 ALL-ACCESS PASS) & A LIMITED NUMBER WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR

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THE GATE THEATER FILM FESTIVAL 1966/2019 is presented by curator and writer AMELIA ISHMAEL, as a tendril from her book manuscript The Black Gate Theater: Aldo Tambellini, Independent Film and Intermedia Performance in New York City’s Lower East Side 1965-1968; A Historic Revaluation of Experimental Arts Venues, Including The Bridge Theater and The Gate Theater.

THE GATE THEATER FILM FESTIVAL 1966/2019 is partially supported by an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, as well as a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Projection and 16mm equipment supplied by Chicago Film Society. Archival film prints are from the Film-makers’ Coop, Harvard Film Archives, and Janus Films.
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DAY 1

A World Half-Consumed in the Heat of Its Own Desire (4 films, 103 min)

Jack Smith, NO PRESIDENT (1967), 45 min
Ron Rice, CHUMLUM (1964), 26 min
José Rodríguez-Soltero, JEROVI (1965), 12 min
Mike Kuchar, GREEN DESIRE (1966), 20 min

Tuesday, September 24 at 7:00PM
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DAY 2

Walk the Streets at Night, Looking for Love (4 films, 100 min)

Stanton Kaye, GEORG (1964), 55 min
Stan Brakhage, REFLECTIONS ON BLACK (1955), 12min
Peter E. Goldman, NIGHT CRAWLERS (1964), 4min
Willard Maas, IMAGE IN THE SNOW (1948), 29min

Wednesday, September 25 at 7:00PM
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DAY 3

Don’t Look Now, There’s a Camera Behind You (3 films, 96 min)

Robert Downey, CHAFED ELBOWS (1966), 57 min, digital
Paul Bartel, THE SECRET CINEMA (1966), 28 min
Stan Brakhage, BLUE MOSES (1952), 11 min

Thursday, September 26 at 7:00PM
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DAY 4

The Hero Is Left with His Own Uncertainty and Fears (3 films, 94 min)

George Kuchar, CORRUPTION OF THE DAMNED (1965), 55min
Mike Kuchar, THE SECRET OF WENDEL SAMSON (1966), 34 min
Bob Cowan, MODDLE TODDLE (1967), 5 min

Friday, September 27 at 7:00PM
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DAY 5

Protest, as an Expression of Patriotic Duty (4 films, 88 min)

Bruce Baillie, QUIXOTE (1965), 45 min
Abbe Borov, LET IT SHINE (1968), 22 min
Peter Gessner, TIME OF THE LOCUST (1966), 12 min
Aldo Tambellini, BLACK PLUS-X (1966), 9 min

Saturday, September 28 at 7:00PM

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DAY 6

Going Inward Is Not Withdrawing (5 films, 60 min)

Ed Emshwiller, TOTEM (1963), 16min
Stan VanDerBeek, SPHERICAL SPACE NO. 1 (1967), 5 min
Takahiko Iimura, ANMA / THE MASSEUR (1963), 13 min
Mark Sadan, ROSEBUD (1966), 5 min
David Bienstock, NOTHING HAPPENED THIS MORNING (1965), 21 min

Sunday, September 29 at 7:00PM
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DAY 7

The Underworld of Sensory Derangement (6 films, 57 min)

Maya Deren, THE VERY EYE OF THE NIGHT (1958), 16 min
Jud Yalkut, LE PARC (1966), 4 min
Aldo Tambellini, BLACK IS (1965), 4 min
Storm De Hirsch, PEYOTE QUEEN (1965), 9 min
Yoichi Takabayashi, MUSASHINO (1965), 15 min
Marie Menken, HURRY! HURRY! (1957), 3 min

Monday, September 30 at 7:00PM

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Tags: Abbe Borov, Aldo Tambellini, Bob Cowan, Bruce Baillie, Chicago, David Bienstock, Ed Emshwiller, FilmFront, George Kuchar, jack smith, José Rodríguez-Soltero’, Jud Yalkut, Lower West Side, Marie Menken, Mark Sadan, Maya Deren, Mike Kuchar’, Paul Bartel, Peter E. Goldman, Peter Gessner, Robert Downey Sr., Ron Rice, Stan Brakhage, Stan Vanderbeek, Stanton Kaye, Storm de Hirsch, Takahiko Iimura, The Gate Theater Film Festival, Willard Maas, Yoichi Takabayashi