List of avant-garde films of the 1960s: 1960–1964

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This is a list of avant-garde and experimental films released between 1960 and 1964. Unless where noted, all films had sound and were in black and white.

TitleDirectorCastNationNotes
1960
Actua-TiltJean Herman (Jean Vautrin)Monique Le Porrier, Claude-Jean PhillipeFrance [1]
Arnulf Rainer Peter Kubelka Austria
Bäume in Herbst (Trees in Autumn) Kurt Kren Austria
The Dead Stan Brakhage Kenneth Anger United States [2]
The Flower Thief Ron Rice Taylor Mead United States [3]
Savage Eye Ben Maddow, Sidney Meyers, Joseph Strick United States
Vasarely' Peter Kassovitz FranceMusic, "NEG-ALE," by Iannis Xenakis [4]
1961
Allures Jordan Belson United StatesAbstract animation, color
The Autumn Feast Piero Heliczer, Jeff Keen Piero Heliczer, Kate Heliczer United KingdomBlack and white/color, sound on tape [5]
Critique de la séparation Guy Debord France
Dadascope Hans Richter United States
A Fire Ebrahim Golestan Iran
Forgotten Faces Peter Watkins United Kingdom
Mr Hayashi Bruce Baillie United States
Night Tide Curtis Harrington Dennis Hopper, Margaret Cameron United States [6]
On Sundays Bruce Baillie Jean Wong, Roy FergusonUnited StatesBegun in 1960. Baillie's first film, a hybrid of documentary and experimental narrative. [7] [8]
The Sin of Jesus Robert Frank Roberts Blossom, Julie Bovasso United StatesBased on story by Isaac Babel, music by Morton Feldman. [9] [10]
Thigh Line Lyre Triangular Stan Brakhage Jane Brakhage United States [2]
1962
Baud'larian Capers Ken Jacobs United States
Blue Moses Stan Brakhage Robert BensonUnited States [2]
Dog Star Man: Prelude Stan Brakhage Stan Brakhage, Jane Brakhage United States [2]
Heaven and Earth MagicHarry SmithUnited States [11]
The House is Black Forugh Farrokhzad Iran
La Jetée Chris Marker Hélène Chatelain, Davos HanichFrance [12]
Regardez-moi, cela suffit Ben (Ben Vautier) France
Sonne halt! Ferry Radax Konrad Bayer Austria
Speak John Latham United Kingdom
Thanatopsis Ed Emshwiller United States
1963
Blonde Cobra Ken Jacobs, Bob Fleischner Jack Smith, Jerry SimsUnited StatesFilmed in 1959-60; completed by Jacobs in 1963 [13]
By the Sea Pat O'Neill United States
Christmas on Earth Barbara Rubin Gerard Malanga United StatesBlack and white
Chumlum Ron Rice United States
The Death of P'town Ken Jacobs United States
Dog Star Man: Part I Stan Brakhage Stan Brakhage, Jane Brakhage United States [2]
The ExistentialistLeon ProchnikRuth Abramson, Gilbert Archer, Edward BlairUnited States
Flaming Creatures Jack Smith Jack Smith, Mario Montez, Judith Malina United StatesColor [14]
Little Stabs at Happiness Ken Jacobs Jack Smith, Jerry SimsUnited StatesColor; partly filmed in 1959-60 and often dated to 1960, but film states 1963 [15] [16]
Mothlight Stan Brakhage United States
Normal Love Jack Smith Diana Baccus, Beverly Grant, Mario Montez United StatesColor [14]
O necem jinem (Something Different) Vera Chytilová Vladimir Bosak, Eva Bosáková, Dagmar CejnkovaCzechoslovakia
The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man Ron Rice Winifred Bryan, Taylor Mead United States
Scorpio Rising Kenneth Anger Bruce ByronUnited StatesColor
Sun in Your Head Wolf Vostell West GermanyEarly video art, captured on film; converted back to video in 1967 [17]
Towers Open Fire Antony Balch William S. Burroughs, Brion Gysin United KingdomBlack and white/color, first shown in 1966; written by Burroughs [18]
TV Plug Ken Jacobs United States
William Buys a Parrot Antony Balch William S. Burroughs United KingdomColor [19]
1964
Blue Rider (Godard-art)Tomislav GotovacYugoslavia
The Brig Jonas Mekas Jim Anderson, Warren FinnertyUnited States
The Cool World Shirley Clarke Hampton ClantonUnited StatesBlack and white, music by Dizzy Gillespie
Dog Star Man Stan Brakhage United StatesBegun in 1961, color, silent [20]
Help! My Snowman's Burning DownCarson DavidsonBob LarkinUnited StatesIndependently produced surrealist comedy short, nominated for best short subject, Academy Awards 1965. Music by Gerry Mulligan. [21] [22]
Hugh MacDiarmid: A Portrait Margaret Tait Hugh MacDiarmid United Kingdom
I Am Cuba Mikhail Kalotozov Sergio Corrieri, Salvador WoodCuba
Soviet Union
It Happened Here Kevin Brownlow, Andrew Mollo Pauline Murray, Sebastian ShawUnited Kingdom
The Last Clean Shirt Alfred Leslie United StatesDialogue by Frank O'Hara [23]
Sleep Andy Warhol John Giorno United StatesFilmed in July 1963; first shown in January 1964. [24]
Song 1 Stan Brakhage Stan Brakhage, Jane Brakhage United StatesPart of Songs cycle [2]
Song 2 Stan Brakhage United StatesPart of Songs cycle [2]
Song 3 Stan Brakhage United StatesPart of Songs cycle [2]
Song 4 Stan Brakhage United StatesPart of Songs cycle [2]
Song 5 Stan Brakhage Jane Brakhage United StatesPart of Songs cycle [2]
Song 6 Stan Brakhage United StatesPart of Songs cycle [2]
Song 7 Stan Brakhage United StatesPart of Songs cycle [2]
Song 8 Stan Brakhage United StatesPart of Songs cycle [2]

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References

  1. Pratt Library 16mm Experimental Films Catalog entry
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Fred Camper Stan Brakhage filmography
  3. Ron Rice's The Flower Thief
  4. Mode Records Xenakis Edition 9
  5. Piero Heliczer Web Page Archived 2014-04-12 at the Wayback Machine
  6. TCM Dennis Hopper Tribute: Night Tide
  7. Film-Maker's Coop Entry
  8. Light Cone Entry
  9. Film-Maker's Coop Entry
  10. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0201932/ imdb Entry] [ user-generated source ]
  11. Heaven and Earth Magic (1962) , retrieved 2017-08-21
  12. Criterion Collection La Jetée DVD
  13. P. Adams Sitney: Visionary Film [P. Adams Sitney - Visionary Film: The American Avant-Garde, 1943-2000. Oxford University Press, 2003, ppg. 315-319]
  14. 1 2 J. Hoberman: Up On the Roof
  15. Underground Film Guide entry Archived 2014-02-26 at the Wayback Machine
  16. Little Stabs at Happiness
  17. "UbuWeb Film & Video: 40jahrevideokunst.de : Sun in your head / Wolf Vostell (1963)".
  18. Rob Bridgett. An Appraisal of the Films of William Burroughs, Brion Gysin, and Anthony Balch in terms of Recent Avant Garde Theory, Bright Lights Film Journal Issue 39
  19. Timothy S. Murphy. Wising Up the Marks: The Amodern William Burroughs. University of California Press, 1997, pg. 207
  20. Brakhage filmography
  21. Internet Archive: Help!My Snowman's Burning Down
  22. http://www.afana.org/davidsoncarson.htm Carson Davidson Bio
  23. "Olivier Brossard on 'The Last Clean Shirt,' a film by Alfred Leslie & Frank O'Hara | Jacket2". jacket2.org. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  24. Warholstars "Sleep"