Moving Images - the Film-Makers' Cooperative relocates2001

The day the Film-Makers' Cooperative was forced by loss of lease to move from their offices at Lexington Ave and 31st Street in New York City filmmaker and Coop member Joel Schlemowitz showed up with a camera to document the historic moment. Rather than record the event per se, a freewheeling use of roving handheld, time lapse and double exposure were employed to create a visually evocative, impressionistic documentary about the Film-Makers' Cooperative. On the soundtrack Jonas Mekas, one of the Coop's founders, and MM Serra, the current executive director, describe the Coop's beginnings, the organization's recent struggles, and the difficulties of finding space for the arts. The Film-Makers' Cooperative, founded in 1962 as a filmmaker-run distribution center, is now the largest archive and distributor of independent and avant-garde films in the world, with over 5,000 films and videos. Since 1967 the Coop had its offices at Lexington Ave and 31st Street New York City. It has now relocated to the Clocktower Gallery at 108 Leonard Street. Screenings include:Millennium Film Workshop, 2001; Humboldt Film Festival, 2002; Thaw02 Film and Video Festival, 2002; Art Film Festival (Solvokia), 2002; Sydney Film Festival, 2002; Rhode Island International Film Festival, 2002; Seattle Underground Film Festival, 2002; Chicago InternationalFilm Festival, 2002; Denver InternationalFilm Festival, 2002 Honorable Mention, Thaw02; Silver Plaque, 38th Chicago International Film Festival