Purple Valley Films

Winter Study 2009 – Free University
Gender and New German Cinema

Instructor: Ariel Kavoussi

Meeting location: Paresky Theatre (lower level)

Meeting Times: 7:00pmThursdays

* January 8th: The Night Porter (1974)
* January 15th: In a Year with 13 Moons (1978)
* January 22nd: The Second Awakening of Christina Klages (1978)

From the 1960s to early 1990s, Germany saw the emergence of a new generation of innovative and odd directors. These filmmakers created work that challenged what they saw as the “stagnant” presentation of gender in the established German cinema. The impact of New German cinema (”Junger Deutscher Film“) can be seen in the work of contemporary queer filmmakers even to this day. In this course, we will be watching 3 films (specifically from the 1970s) that deal with issues of sexuality in New German cinema. Each film screening will be preceded by segments from Ernst Hofbauer’s “School Girl Report”, an extremely popular German exploitation film. Screenings are to be followed by informal discussion with topics ranging from transgender representations to feminist reactions to sadomasochistic romanticism.

The Williams Show is PVF’s latest project, a weekly program produced at Willinet, Williamstown’s local cable access station. The show allows Williams students, faculty, and staff to be on a regular program and participate in any way they like. This can include, but is not limited to: singing, dancing, acting, debates, opinion pieces, chats, musical performances, educational pieces, and fencing. Williams students are also invited to submit their own videos for the show. Additional segments will replicate the “man on the street” journalist stylings of the Video Freex, and the critical, skeptical reporting of Paper Tiger Television.

http://www.youtube.com/TheWilliamsShow

Please email ak1@williams.edu if you are interested in helping film or if you would like to be on the show.

Photographs by Gabriel Diaz.

Do not be surprised this weekend (Nov 8 and 9) if you see a large group of people with cameras, lights, SteadiCam, dollies and jibs/cranes—because we are making a music video! Co-produced by Bulldog Productions (Yale) and Purple Valley Films (Williams), “Heart Twice Broken” is directed by award-winning actor and screenwriter Alexander Dominitz, along with several other crew members from the Yale film school and Purple Valley Films.

The production gives Williams students a rare chance to work with professional equipment from Boston and a director of photography from Chicago. Few college films ever achieve this level of production quality and scale (we have over 40 extras). In addition, Williams actors will get a chance to perform on-camera along with the band. On most film sets, crew members only get to work with one department; on the “Heart Twice Broken” set, however, students will sample the camera, wardrobe, and grip/electric departments. This production brings to our students a unique film-making experience as it is in the industry.

The video will be shot at various locations including Dodd, Thompson, Goodrich and Currier. You’re more than welcome to visit us and talk to the cast and crew members. For more information about the shooting schedule, contact Danny Y. Huang (yh1) or Andrew Dominitz (ard1).

Where: Paresky Theater
When: Friday, October 17th 2008, 7:30pm

A night of mind melting tripped out animated videos and interactive psychedelic multi-media performances presented by Portland, Oregon musical group Hooliganship.

The 2008 AMRCAN Fall tour is an 80-minute travelling roadshow including shorts by artists Bruce Bickford, Shana Moulton, Adrian Freeman Takeshi Murata, Paper Rad and more. Alongside this cartoon theater will be a performance by Hooliganship a grunge rock inspired dance-off duo that combines highly orchestrated cell phone tunes with freak-out animations for a sensory-overload multimedia party.
They will perform their most recent piece entitled Realer in which audiences strap on a pair of 3D glasses to watch them wreak 3D havoc with a televised parade. This program provides a rare opportunity to see videos by emerging and internationally known artists.

Cartune Xprez: http://www.cartunexprez.com/
Hooliganship: http://www.hooliganship.com/

September: American Classics

Where: Paresky Theatre (Lower level L02, Paresky Center)

When: 7:30pm every Friday

September Raffle: Just go to any of our screenings this month and, for only $1, you’ll stand a chance to win 10 free movie ticket at the Images Cinema. Join the raffle and support indie film-making on campus. At the end of September, we’ll announce the winner!

Schedule

A production by Purple Valley Films, this video serves as training material for volunteers working at Images Cinema, a non-profit organization in Williamstown, MA. It tries to recreate the 1960s educational film style, which is often cheesy and full of cliches, in the action and narration. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to Purple Valley Films’ new website!

Click here to visit the old website.