Prismatic Ground is a New York City film festival centered on experimental documentary and avant-garde film, co-hosted by Maysles Documentary Center and media partner Screen Slate. 2022 marks the second ever and first hybrid edition of the festival, with physical events taking place at Maysles, the Museum of the Moving Image, and Anthology Film Archives. The majority of films will simultaneously be available free, worldwide on-demand during the festival dates at http://www.prismaticground.com. New Yorkers are encouraged to attend in person; each program will feature live filmmaker Q&As.

Note: “wave” tickets are purchased as a whole, but patrons are free to come and go during the noted breaks. Once sold out, a limited number of tickets for each program will be available on a first-come basis at the door, and seats that are vacated after breaks will be re-sold. All “waves” screen at Maysles Documentary Center.

wave 2: wings is screening in the cinema on 5/5 for $15/$7 reduced. 

Goat (Paige Taul, 3 min.)

A film about a girl and her js. A meditation on the politics of style, collectivity, and personal taste.

D'Homme A Homme (Super 8mm) (Yashaddai Owens, 3 min.)

A black trumpeter searches for the truth of this world, but doesn't know which path to take until he's confronted by the image of self. 

Alive in Death (Maliyamungu Muhande, 6 min.)

Burned, scratched, and painted film guides a reflection on healing from colonial trauma; physical scars blend with damaged film.

Autoethnography (Iván Reina Ortiz, 15 min.)

Artist Iván Reina Ortiz explores their gender identity through examining archival material, personal footage, and how they came into feeling freedom between the gender spectrum.

When Angels Speak of Love (Helen Peña, 13 min)

A ritual portrait of a Miami woman as she grieves her sister’s passing and prepares for new life in Clearwater, FL.