Canyon Cinema and The Roxie Theater to Launch New Programming Partnership
Posted July 30th, 2021 in Announcements, Co-Presentations, Events and Screenings, News / Events
Two long-standing San Francisco film purveyors are thrilled to announce a new programming partnership. Beginning this August, Canyon Cinema and The Roxie Theater embark on a monthly collaboration: Canyon at The Roxie, bringing into focus visionary Bay Area film artists of past and present. Taking place in the Little Roxie, and in compliance with CDC, State of California, and City of San Francisco health and safety guidelines, these intimate monographic screenings will blend classic and overlooked films from Canyon’s collection, in their original 16mm splendor.
The series launches on Saturday, August 21st with a program dedicated to Canyon Cinema’s founding filmmaker, Bruce Baillie, who passed away in April 2020 at the age of 88; nearly 60 years after first welcoming friends and neighbors to a night of backyard cinema in Canyon, California. Described by J. Hoberman as “A catalytic figure in the development of West Coast avant-garde film,” Baillie “personified the Bay Area experimental cinema of the 1960s as an independent filmmaker and consummate 16mm craftsman” (The New York Times). To celebrate the occasion of Canyon Cinema’s founding in 1961, the program is co-presented with Canyon’s sister org, the San Francisco Cinematheque, and will highlight some of Baillie’s most beloved films, including his visionary Quixote (1965) and the sublime All My Life (1966), alongside lesser-known gems, Canyon newsreels, and rarities.
This debut Canyon at The Roxie program also heralds the release of Canyon’s newest publication, which will be available to purchase at the screening at a special discount price. Dear Folks: Notes and Letters from Bruce Baillie collects some of Baillie’s many dispatches to and about Canyon Cinema, ranging from a 1962 announcement co-signed with pioneering avant-garde filmmaker and Canyon co-founder Chick Strand, to voicemail messages left on Canyon’s office answering machine in the last years of Baillie’s life. The bulk of this material derives from the Canyon Cinemanews, which began in 1962 as a newsletter to solicit and circulate “fugitive information” related to a fledgling independent film movement. Years before Canyon was formally organized as a distribution cooperative, the lively pages of the Cinemanews demonstrated that there was such a community of filmmakers to be incorporated.
For complete program details and ticketing info, visit: bit.ly/bb-good-skies
The series continues through the fall with programs devoted to longtime Canyon Cinema filmmakers Greta Snider (in person), Barbara Klutinis (in memoriam), and Alfonso Alvarez (in person); with additional programs to be announced.
Support for Canyon at The Roxie is provided by the Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Foundation and the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.
Members of the press are invited to send preview and information requests to: info@canyoncinema.com
About The Roxie Theater
The Roxie Theater, a San Francisco landmark in the Mission District, brings people together to meet and connect through distinctive cinematic experiences. Guided by the passionate belief that engaging with a movie doesn’t end with the credits, we invite filmmakers, curators, entertainers and educators to interact with our audiences. We provide inspiration and opportunity for the next generation, and serve as a forum for the independent film community reflecting the spirit of the diverse Bay Area population. Through daily film screenings, festivals, series, special events, co-presentations and educational programs, the Roxie facilitates a space for people of all ages and backgrounds to gather, connect and learn about the world and one another in an accessible environment. www.roxie.com
About Canyon Cinema
Canyon Cinema is dedicated to educating the public about independent, non-commercial, experimental moving image art. We manifest this commitment by providing access to our unrivaled collection to universities and cultural organizations worldwide, as well as cultivating scholarship and appreciation of artist-made cinema. We ensure the experience of rare film works in their original medium while also reaching new audiences through our growing digital distribution program. Canyon Cinema’s unique collection traces the vital history of the experimental and avant-garde filmmaking movements of the past century. With a strong emphasis on American West Coast and San Francisco Bay Area artists, we are the access point to 3,400 ground-breaking works representing 280 artists. www.canyoncinema.com
