Part of the VICE Presents: The Film Foundation Screening Series at Nitehawk Cinema. Introduction by writer/director Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior)!

Shirley Clarke’s controversial and influential film, The Connection, portrays a group of drug addicts and jazz musicians waiting in a New York loft apartment for their drug connection.

Considered one of the most vital and fascinating films of American independent cinema, The Connection was made by Shirley Clarke at a time when women directors were in very short supply. As her first feature, she adapted the controversial off-Broady play by Jack Gelber making a play within a play within a jazz concert (including a musical score by legendary pianist Freddie Redd). With all of the action contained on one-set, the kinetic movement of the film comes from Clarke’s mobile camera, one that plays off of the fluidity of jazz and embraces the Beat saturated dialogue. 

Ultimately Clarke made film that shattered stereotypes and, rather than showing good guys gone bad, she graphically depicted the raw reality of drug addiction in America. Therefore, despite being acclaimed as a masterpiece at the Cannes International Film Festival and heralded as influential by fellow filmmakers, The Connection was promptly banned by government censor boards for indecent language and a struggle ensued to have theatrical release in the United States. The fallout from the battle to have a wide release caused it to remained unseen for many years. Now restored and newly re-released, audiences finally have the opportunity to see The Connection on the big screen.

*A portion of each ticket sale goes towards The Film Foundation. Tickets also include complimentary Larceny Bourbon drinks at an after-party in Nitehawk’s downstairs bar! 

THE CONNECTION (SHIRLEY CLARKE, 1962)
Preserved by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by The Film Foundation.

Print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive.

Feminism, punk music, and rare archival footage slam together in this blazing history of riot grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna.

Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of the punk band Bikini Kill and dance-punk trio Le Tigre, rose to national attention as the reluctant but never shy voice of the riot grrrl movement. She became one of the most famously outspoken feminist icons, a cultural lightning rod. Her critics wished she would just shut-up, and her fans hoped she never would. So in 2005, when Hanna stopped shouting, many wondered why. Through 20 years of archival footage and intimate interviews with Hanna, THE PUNK SINGER takes viewers on a fascinating tour of contemporary music and offers a never-before-seen view into the life of this fearless leader.

dublab presents…A LABRAT MATINEE XII: visions unveiled at Nitehawk Cinema for One Nite Only during our Shorts Festival!

Peel back the layers and open your eyes wide to witness a mind-melting collage of rarely seen music videos, comedy clips, far-out animation and high vibrational scenes.  Don’t miss these visions burning bright!!!

Screening includes a special intro created by Jennifer Juniper Stratford and dublab.com DJs in Nitehawk’s downstairs bar from 10pm-12am before the screening!

FILMS BY:
5-Second Films, Adarsha Benjamin, Angus Borsos, Cosmic D’Alessandro, Diego Herrera, Eddie Ruscha, Emile Sornin, Eric Coleman, Forrest Borie, Hans Lo, Hiro Murai, Hyperballad, Isaiah Seret, Jack Whiteley, Jennifer Juniper Stratford, Jib Kidder, Joe Broady, Keith Musil, Keith Stanfield, Kyle Whittington, Ross Harris, Sam Fleishner, Takeshi Murata, The Howling, Tom Kuntz, + more…

VIDEOS FEATURING:
Anika, ASAP Rocky, Canyons, Cults, Dizzy Rascal, Daedelus, Devendra Banhart, Fol Chen, Jib Kidder, Julia Holter, MGMT, Moors, Myron & E, Nedelle Torrisi, Oneohtrix Point Never, Rainbow Arabia, Secret Circuit, Teenage Girls Fanatasy. The Gaslamp Killer, + more…

The debut of the Nitehawk Shorts Festival launches with our opening night screening celebrating New York filmmakers.

The opening night of Nitehawk’s debut Shorts Festival focuses on short film and video created by filmmakers living and working in the five boroughs of New York. This screening includes personal selections by Nitehawk’s Cinema Department and will be followed by a Q&A with the directors.

NITEHAWK SHORTS FESTIVAL: OPENING NIGHT PROGRAM
Steven Siegel – Times Square Of The 80s: A Short Documentary (8 minutes)
Joe Palacios – The Pitch (5 minutes)
Ryan Koo – Amateur (9 minutes)
Eleanor Wilson – Possum (16 minutes)
A.V. Rockwell – Open City: The Dreamer (6 minutes, 30 seconds)
Marcel Simoneau and Kevin Corrigan – Two People He Never Saw (19 minutes)
Nicholas Bedo – Green Death (8 minutes)
Aida Ruilova – Goner (11 minutes, 30 seconds)
Jessica Edwards – SeltzerWorks (6 minutes)

Prize sponsorship provided by Nice Shoes, the full service, artist-driven design, animation, visual effects and color grading studio specializing in high-end commercials, web content, film, TV and music videos. Nice Shoes will give 20 hours of color grading with one of their night colorists (valued at $16K) to one Nitehawk Shorts Festival filmmaker selected by festival organizers and invited guest.

Find out more about our sponsor Jameson’s Jameson First Shot 2014 short film competition.

New York Surf Film Festival presents a screening of Telepathic Supersonic Space Ninja Surfers and Innersection: Black…

Telepathic Supersonic Space Ninja Surfers (2013) directed by Dan Fogler, starring Dan’s cousins! Q&A with director Dan Fogler! (3 minutes)
Telepathic Supersonic Space Ninja Surfers is a film short by Hollywood actor Dan Fogler and his production company Studio 13.  It is an homage to video games, surfing, and the mighty morphing power rangers!  Starring Dan’s own little cousins.

Innersection: Black (2013) directed Nathan Myers, Calvin Knowlton, Saul Garcia, Ben Gulliver, Damien Robertson, Adam Chilton, Adam DeWolfe, Joao Rito, Nat Lanyon, Jay Button, Dan Norkunas, Zachary Hill, Toby Cregan, starring Albee Layer, Peter Devries, Gilbert Brown, Carlos Munoz, Raph Bruhwiler, Leif Engstrom, Asher Pacey, Nic Von Rupp, Alex Chacon, Keikea Elias, Josh Mulcoy, Brett Burcher, Noah Cohen (45 minutes)
Innersection is the world’s original open-source freesurfing competition, developed by Taylor Steele and Nathan Myers. The 13 all-new sections that form Innersection: Black were each produced by the surfers themselves, then selected from hundreds of online submissions to be reimagined for this final release. The surfing was filmed all around the world, with highlights in Canada, Portugal, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Australia, and Hawaii. There’s also an all-new submission from defending $100,000 champion, Albee Layer. Innersection is pure surfing: surfer created, viewer selected, and ocean inspired.

.

New York Surf Film Festival presents a screening of Surf Right and Immersion…

Surf Right (2012) directed by John Huet (3 minutes)
A documentary short film inspired by a community of cold water surfers who embrace unforgiving conditions to follow their passion.

Immersion (2012) directed by Tim Bonython (104 minutes)
Over the past seven years, surfing enthusiast and filmmaker Tim Bonython has spent every available moment doing what he loves: filming images of breath-taking wave riding in all corners of the globe and conducting interviews with the biggest figureheads of the surfing industry. Over 16 TB of footage and 150 interviews later, Tim Bonython started bringing his greatest project yet to life. Immersion the movie looks at every aspect of surfing; from its early history, through the evolution of surfboards, the science of surfing, the growth of the sport and development of competition, how surfing is portrayed in the media, to the business of surfing through interviews with its athletes, cameramen and film editors.

Immersion features some of surfing’s greatest talents and personalities, and takes you to some of the world’s most isolated, notorious and picturesque surfing locations. It’s not all big waves and boards! The film covers all aspects of the sport – from body surfing and body boarding, surf ski, long boarding and even the new stand up paddle boarding.
Immersion is an intense sight and sound experience, a “must see” for surfing enthusiasts of all tastes, generations and walks of life.

New York Surf Film Festival presents a screening of Soul of a Carnation, Heart of a Surfer,  1964, Gasoline, and Groundswell…

Soul of a Carnation, Heart of a Surfer (2013) directed by Hélio Valentim starring Pedro Martins de Lima, Carlos Lopes, Andrea Molina, Hugo Silva Montero, Lurdes & Leonor (9 minutes)
“A surf story about freedom and friendship, history and life, about the feeling of being free…and about soul surf!

The short film is a mix of documentary with the finnest and first great Portuguese Surfer and Waterman, Pedro Martins de Lima, talking about surfing in the 50?s until 1974, during the opressive regime in Portugal where surf were not allowed, and also a visual fiction of some friends that celebrates freedom, in reunion around the fire in a beautiful beach.

The film it’s a freedom surfer celebration…”

1964 (2012) directed by Mike Bromley, starring Dean Petty (5 minutes)
Set in the year “1964? and shot on location in Nova Scotia, Canada. Dean Petty stars in this short film with a classic feel. “1964? is clean and crisp and brings us back to a simpler time, not only in life but also in surfing.

Gasoline (2012) directed by Júlio Barreiros, starring Ricardo Carrajola (23 minutes)
The wave, the surfer, the dream… When these three words are combined, our lives can change. A surfer always seeks the best waves, that relentless pursuit that makes him travel the world searching for the perfect wave. But what if the wave, which we often dreamed of the ocean, was closer than ever imagined? And when we least expect it in a river?

A group of friends from Barreiro city, in Portugal, discovered a phenomenon: the boat that connects their city to Lisbon provides a perfect wave that rolls along 150 meters in the Tagus river. They call it: “Gasoline”.

A wave is just a wave until someone has the vision to ride it. And then the imagination can become reality. Perfect, beautiful and mysterious, the wave shows only to those who really like her, seek her, cherish, and have a special relationship with her. This is a story of friendship, dedication, strength to believe and sharing happiness in an unlikely scenario surfing Portugal’s most urban wave. Despite being in the sight of thousands of people, the secret was now revealed…

Groundswell (2012) directed by Chris Malloy, starring Dan Malloy (23 minutes). Q&A with the Malloy Brothers!
“It’s not blind opposition to progress, but opposition to blind progress”- John Muir

Venice, CA (January 30) – At great environmental risk, and against the wishes of most British Columbians and its aboriginal people, the Enbridge Northern Gateway project would pipe tar sands oil from Alberta to the coast of British Columbia for delivery to markets in Asia and California. Last fall, Raincoast Conservation Foundation teamed up with filmmaker/Patagonia surf ambassador Chris Malloy to highlight all that’s at stake. Groundswell, Chris’ short documentary, charts an extraordinary surf trip along BC’s unspoiled west coast with surfers acting as ambassadors for marine life. Through their remarkable experiences, and compelling narrative by young indigenous leaders, the film provides a fresh voice to a coast in peril.

New York Surf Film Festival presents a screening of Abyss, friction free finless – musical notes whilst surfing, and A Hundred Miles to the End…

Abyss (2013) directed by Jay Grant, starring Creed McTaggart (10 minutes)
Take a dark and psychedelic voyage with Creed McTaggart as he messes with the hostile waters of Western Australia’s Indian ocean, set to one mind bending 10 minute track by Sleepy Sun. Abyss sends you back in time as it unveils and transforms a grip of differing shapes, sounds and personalities.

friction free finless – musical notes whilst surfing (2012) directed by Chris Duczynski, Starring: Derek Hynd, Ryan Burch, Taylor Miller and the Avalon crew (10 minutes)
All music performed by The Australian Chamber Orchestra in conjunction with Steve Pigram on vocals/guitar and Mark Atkins on didgeridoo.

Finless exponent Derek Hynd, Californian young gun Ryan Burch and Rusty Millers free-surfing daughter Taylor, take on a Western Australian desert reef on finless boards. They are accompanied by members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra led by artistic director Richard Tognetti and indigenous musicians Steve Pigram and Mark Atkins. Over two weeks they compose music, surf finless boards and shoot footage for a live performance project called The Reef, which would tour all around Australia. This is the story behind “The Reef”.

A Hundred Miles to the End (2013) directed by John Beattie, starring Balaram Stack, TJ Gumillea, Will Skudin, Leif Engstrom, Mikey DeTemple, Bruce Bailey, Josh Goetz and a host of others. (52 minutes)
Follow a lifelong Surfer as he re-visits the places he used to surf over his 48 years of surfing on Long Island. Starting at Long Beach in Western Long Island and heading East to Montauk “The End”.

Surfers are amazing creature, no matter what life throws their way, the are characteristically unfazed by setbacks and never give up.

Long Island native John Beattie was a lifelong surfer up until 2007 when he suffered a stroke. Beattie had to retire his surfboard. Instead, he picked up his camera and began to document his irrevocable love for surfing “As a way to remain connected to the sport I love so much I began to film others surfing,” Beattie said. “I decided that I wanted to give something back to the Long Island surfing community for all the good times and all the people I met and places I’ve been over the years.” From Long Beach to Montauk, Beattie set out on a journey to recount some of his favorite surf spots, hence the film’s title, A Hundred Miles to The End.

New York Surf Film Festival presents a screening of Sunyata Lapse, What to Wear, and Waverider…

Sunyata Lapse (2013) directed by Yarir Abou, starring Ibon Muguerza (23 minutes)
Ibon is a young basque guy that bring us a  message and a  reflexion about life…The state of mind he gets when he is focussed in NOW, The Sunyata, an illuminated void, this little lapse without reality, without time and without pain….just happiness…

What to Wear (2013) directed by Jennie Rutz (30 seconds)
A surfer girl wakes up in the morning and makes the not so difficult choice of what to wear. Music by Rosie and Me.

Jennie Rutz is an illustrator and animator from Canada, now living in Italy. She started surfing in 2012 in Sicily although she dreamed about blue waves all her life while growing up on the yellow plains of Alberta. She loves working with music and movement and exploring life from a girl’s perspective. She recently opened her first solo exhibition of original paintings in Palermo, Sicily entitled “Boys & Girls, Girls, Girls” which included surfing and the sea as it’s prominent theme.

Waverider  (2013) directed by Karl Lear, starring Isei Tokovou, Kelly Slater, Travis Logie, Jordy Smith, Mitch Coleborn, Patrick Gudauskas, CJ Hobgood, Joel Parkinson and Chad Campbell (62 minutes)
In the early 90?s, a photograph of a young boy dropping in on a huge unknown wave made the cover of Surfing Life. The photograph became iconic. 20 years later, the Fijian surfer the world had never heard of, earned the chance to compete against the best surfer the world has ever seen. This is his story.

At Cloudbreak, now rated by many as the best wave in the World, local boatman, Isei Tokovou won a wildcard entry into the Volcom Fiji Pro World Championship, with more than $400,000 in prize money. Surfing his home-­?break with hand-­?me-­?down boards and without a trainer or support team, Isei carries the hopes of a nation into competition.

New York Surf Film Festival presents a screening of Step N’ Soul, Cactus Wagon, and The North Canyon: Nazaré Calling…

Step N’ Soul  (2012) directed by Toma Jablon, starring Sam Bleakley (5 minutes)
Step N Soul is a short film that explores the synergy between jazz, surfing, dance and improvisation by capturing a series of surfing performances choreographed and synchronised to Wynton Marsalis Sunflowers track. It features English pro surfer Sam Bleakley who uses an mp3 waterproof player and surfs his longboard while listening to Marsalis track.

This is a unique approach to surf film making and surfing itself. The goal is to explore more of the potential the music brings to our experiences through action sport and life in general.

Cactus Wagon  (2012) directed by Denny Aaberg, starring Jan-Michael Vincent and Denny Aaberg (10 minutes)
When Big Wednesday went south, so did its star, Jan-Michael Vincent. He hauled the film’s screenwriter, Denny Aaberg, with him. Turns out Denny had a Super-8 Camera. Across the border and into the hills they went. To the ag towns and bracero buses of the Valle de San Quintin. Through the sage-to-Sonoran transition zone of Roasario de Arriba. Past the charismatic mega flora of the Valle de los Cirios. Onward through the featureless Vizcaino. And finally – finally! To San Juanicio. Rattlesnake Point. Punta Pequena. Scorpion Bay.

In this short film you’ll see Scorpion one year after the trans-peninsula highway was opened. No streets, no services, no Gringo Hill. Hardscrabble, empty, and perfect. Aaberg and Vincent surfed, drank, and licked their wounds. As the film’s Matt Barlow, Jan-Michael, said, “I surf just ’cause it’s good to ride with your friends.” Here’s Jan – and Denny – doing just that.

The North Canyon: Nazaré Calling (2011) with Garrett McNamara directed by Garrett McNamara, Polvo Concepts, Paulo Caldeira, Gustavo Neves, starring Garrett McNamara, Nicole Macias, Cj Macias, Andrew Cotton, Al Mennie (60 minutes)
In October 2011 Garrett McNamara returned to explore the giant waves formed by the Nazaré Canyon. This is the story of one month leading up to an incredible ride, told by a group of people who helped to shine light on one of the biggest wave spots in the world.