Paul Bartel: A New York Tribute
Dear Friends, from October 13-19, 2017, I'm hosting a week-long career retrospective of independent film pioneer PAUL BARTEL (1938-2000) at Anthology Film Archives in New York City -- the first such tribute to this beloved American director, actor and writer. From his intriguing early shorts to his work with Roger Corman in the 1970s, to his last films as producer-director, we will shine the spotlight on this influential yet under-appreciated voice in the development of American film comedy.
PAUL BARTEL: A NEW YORK TRIBUTE will explore his taste for farce, black humor and satire reflected in such films as EATING RAOUL (1982), PRIVATE PARTS (1972), DEATH RACE 2000 (1975) and SCENES FROM THE CLASS STRUGGLE IN BEVERLY HILLS (1989). We will be screening most all of his films on 35mm and will gather cast members, family, friends and the author of a new biography of Paul Bartel, Stephen Armstrong ("Paul Bartel: The Life and Films " 2016) to Anthology for post-screening discussions.
As a companion event, I've organized a gallery show of drawings and photographs by Bartel's close friend, the renowned illustrator BOB SCHULENBERG at the Patrick Parrish Gallery in Tribeca, Oct. 12-19.
Entitled "Bob Schulenberg: The Secret Cinema Drawings" the exhibit will display Bob's captivating drawings of the people involved in the making of THE SECRET CINEMA (1968), which Bob co-produced.
The retrospective will introduce a new generation of film students and those passionate about cinema to the career of Paul Bartel, giving them a rare opportunity to see his experimental early shorts, unreleased or out-of-print films and titles that were never on any home video formats. Post-screening discussions with Bartel's frequent players, associates, friends and family will explore his legacy and development as a director and his influence on younger generations of directors.
Our gallery show -- Bob Schulenberg: The Secret Cinema Drawings -- will display never-before-exhibited vintage drawings, photos and memorabilia by this important artist, offering a glimpse into a heady, storied era: Manhattan in the mid-1960s. It's the visual diary of an era, and of the lifelong friendship between Schulenberg and Bartel. (We also get to see what "independent film" looked like decades before Tarantino!) See NewYorkSocialDiary.com for Bob's hugely entertaining column on The Secret Cinema and life in New York, Paris and Los Angeles 1960-1984.
Your generous donations will be used to:
* Pay for film print rentals and shipping;
* Pay for air travel and lodging for two key guests and figures in Paul Bartel's career;
*Pay for design and exhibition construction costs associated with mounting the gallery show -- a major undertaking;
*Pay for publicity and marketing materials (poster, postcards, ad placements, etc;
*Pay for catering expenses for opening night receptions at Anthology and at Patrick Parrish Gallery;
* Miscelleaneous expenses (transportation, etc)
Funds are needed by October 10, 2017.
Your support means the world to me and my co-curator. As a screenwriter, filmmaker and film programmer , I always wanted to meet Paul Bartel but I missed my chance. This is the next best thing -- or perhaps better. We get to salute his amazing career with his friends, family, collaborators, biographer and admirers! We hope you will be part of this once-in-a-lifetime tribute to a modest genius of American independent film.
Anthology Film Archives, a non-profit institution, is an international center for the preservation, study, and exhibition of film and video, with a particular focus on independent, experimental, and avant-garde cinema. Opened in 1970 by Jonas Mekas, Jerome Hill, P. Adams Sitney, Peter Kubelka, and Stan Brakhage. Anthology has grown far beyond its original concept to encompass film and video preservation; the formation of a reference library containing the world’s largest collection of books, periodicals, stills, and other paper materials related to avant-garde cinema; and a remarkably innovative and eclectic film exhibition program. Anthology screens more than 900 programs annually, preserves an average of 25 films per year (with 900 works preserved to date), publishes books and DVDs, and hosts numerous scholars and researchers.
