New Artist Member: Rock Ross

Posted April 28th, 2022 in Announcements, New Acquisitions, New Films, News / Events


Canyon Cinema is delighted to welcome Rock Ross back to the collection!

Rock Ross is an independent filmmaker and musician living and working in San Francisco. After receiving his BFA and MFA in Filmmaking from San Francisco Art Institute, Ross worked as Film Inspector and Shipper for the Canyon Cinema Co-op from 1975 to 1978, Editing Facility Manager for Film Arts Foundation from 1982 to 1986, and in 1988, served as Director of the Ann Arbor Film Festival. As a founding member and projectionist of the No Nothing Cinema (1982-1997) and New Nothing Cinema (1997-2017), Ross has screened thousands of independent and experimental films and videos. As a title designer, from 1978 to 2013, Ross designed thousands of titles for independent films, shooting directly on film using his own animation stand. He has also scored a number of films with his band, The Goat Family, which formed in 2003.

16mm prints of 14 of Rock’s films, made between 1972 and 2002, are now available from Canyon Cinema.


Thoughtless (2002, 4 minutes, color, sound, 16mm, 18fps)

A handmade paint/scratch/letraset etc. film made with Michael Walsh.

Baglight (1996, 4.5 minutes, color, sound, 16mm)

Taking a cue from Mothlight but harming no critters. An iron-on film.

Stupor Mundi (1996, 11 minutes, b&w, sound, 16mm)

An allegorical homage to silent films. Suggested sheet music included but not required.

Babuba (1989, 8 minutes, color, sound, 16mm)

An original mambo-rap creation myth of chaos and vacation.

Nectar of the Cyclops (1989, 11.5 minutes, color, sound, 16mm)

As a reaction to the political bafflegab that surrounds us, I made this endless heatseeking black hole of a soundbite.

Bushes of the Rhineland (1988, 2 minutes, color, sound, 16mm)

My first educational film.

Sosueme (1988, 6.5 minutes, b&w, sound, 16mm)

My first surfing film.

Go Like This (1985, 4 minutes, b&w, sound, 16mm)

This is about living fast and dying peacefully.

Reternity (1982, 6 minutes, color, sound, 16mm)

Moments chosen for a nuclear annihilation … Where are you going to run to?

Vespucciland, the Great and Free (1982, 3 minutes, color, sound, 16mm)

A celebration of Abandon in the Parallel Nation.

Intermission (1980, 1.5 minutes, color, sound, 16mm)

Bagels pixelated into a tasty Swan Lake – designed for use as an intermission. Made in collaboration with Michael Rudnick.

Dr. Hawaii (1976, 45 minutes, color, sound, 16mm)

A film made in collaboration with Michael Rudnick, who is responsible for all of the cinematography. Elaborate sampler of various film techniques we learned at SFAI. It is about a man who loses his sanity while watching TV.

Face the Facts (1975, 7.5 minutes, color, sound, 16mm)

Made in the Spring of ’75 with a beginning film class at the San Francisco Art Institute using various cheap production techniques. Featuring the person and narration of Ed Jones.

Inside Doubt (1972, 6.5 minutes, color, sound, 16mm)

“… Satiric invention … as animated vegetables take their revenge on an unsuspecting young homemaker.” Made in collaboration with Michael Rudnick.