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 13: i am feeling unwell is screening in the cinema on 5/8 for $15/$7 reduced.
Reptilian Freeze Reflex (Anna Hogg, Lindsey Arturo, Rachel Lane, 2 min.)
A reflection upon the way we relate to one another as individuals, scratched into 16mm black leader.
Autoritratto all'Inferno / Self-portrait in Hell (Federica Foglia, 4 min.)
Several layers of 8mm films merge to create a camera-less portrait of the filmmaker.
Squish! (Tulapop Saenjaroen, 18 min.)
Squish! is a meditation on the self through lurid and liquid forms; filtered through both old and foreseeable technology informed by Thai animation history and contemporary culture, and a constant process of constructing and deforming new selves to simulate ‘movements’.
Wear and Tear (Jason Robinson, 8 min.)
Filmed with a thrift store Super 8 camera mid-pandemic on a family vacation during a moment of massive uncertainty, the beach serves as a refuge and a temporary escape from reality.
Elephant (Maria Judice, 96 min.)
A woman struggles with day-to-day life in her apartment after witnessing the murder of a young boy by a police officer. Elephant is a visual meditation on the physiology of grief— the film explores the body, space, and mental health of those witnessing/undergoing oppression, assault, trauma, and loss.
