photo by Edie Steiner
For our Seventh Anniversary we’re excited to feature the work of self-described “Toronto artist, agitator and historian,” John Porter. John’s been a loyal supporter of Early Monthly Segments since our inception—a passion he extends to all local and international microcinemas through his website www.super8porter.ca. This has also been a significant year for him with the recent publishing of “John Porter’s CineScenes: Documentary Portraits of Alternative Film Scenes, Toronto and Beyond, 1978-2015”, a fantastic visual history of the Toronto film scene (and beyond!) Now is a good time to continue the celebration with a spotlight on his amazing films.
John has been a prolific filmmaker since 1968, making over 300 films in his chosen medium of Super 8. Witty and poignant, his films embrace the limitations of the small format to inspire creative ideas. Using time-lapse for his Condensed Rituals (documenting such things as the Caribana and Santa Claus parades and university exams) and clever apparatuses for his film performances (often extending the light camera on a long string or stick), Porter brings an infectious enthusiasm to filmmaking that is open to all. The close association that Super 8 has with amateur films also means that Porter’s 50 years of filmmaking become a home-movie for Toronto in its constant and rapid change.
In keeping with his continued championing of the cinema experience and the celluloid format, none of the films shown in this program are available in any other form. This is your chance to see them, projected and performed on Super 8 film with the artist present.
Programme:
Sandbox (1968 – 1st film! – 3.5 minutes, super 8, silent)
Pirouette (1972, 2.5 minutes, 16mm, sound)
Independent Filmmaking (1974, 2.5 minutes, 16mm, live narration)
Phil’s Film Farm (2002, 11 minutes, 16mm, silent)
Landscape (1977, 1 minute, super 8, silent)
Mother and Child (1977, 2 minutes, super 8, silent)
Toy Catalogue 2 (1987/89, 18 minutes, super 8, sound on film)
Cinefuge 4&5 (1980/81, 4.5 minutes, super 8, sound on film)
Down on Me (1980/81, 4 minutes, super 8, silent)
Exams (1982, 3.5 minutes, super 8, silent)
The Secret of the Lost Tunnel (1992, 3.5 minutes, super 8, sound on film)
The List of Bicycle Messenger (1994, 4 minutes, super 8, sound on film)
Picture Pitcher (1989, 4 minutes, super 8, sound on film)
Light Sleeper (2011, 3.5 minutes, super 8, silent)
Shootout With Rebecca (1983, 3.5 min, super 8 performance, sound on film/live)
Revolving Restaurant (1981, 3.5 minutes, super 8 film performance)
Animal in Motion (1980, 1 min, super 8 film performance, sound on film)
Scanning 5 (1983, 3.5 minutes, super 8 film performance, silent/live)
@ Gladstone Hotel, Ballroom | 1214 Queen Street West
Monday March 7, 2016 | 8:00 PM screening | $5-10 suggested donation
EMS #83 = April 2016 = TBA