Patti Smith, John Zorn and Jim Jarmusch headline tribute to Jonas Mekas at City Winery

Jonas Mekas the filmmaker, writer, poet, curator, historian as well as co-founder of the Anthology Film Archives on Second Street and Second Avenue, died on Jan. 23. He was 96.

This coming Thursday (Feb. 21), City Winery is presenting a celebration of his life and work.

Here are details:

The event will highlight the many aspects of Mekas’ remarkable life as an internationally-acclaimed creative visionary who left behind a body of work that includes film, poetry, prose, and photography, and will include screenings, readings, and musical performances.

Scheduled to perform are musicians Patti Smith, John Zorn, Richard Barone, David Amram, Lee Ranaldo, Glenn Mercer (The Feelies), Jim Jarmusch, Amy Taubin and special guests to be announced.

Jonas Mekas was a force of nature. Regarded as "the godfather of American avant-garde cinema”, his influence in art and cinema reverberates all across the globe. His joyful creative energy and fascination with life was an inspiration to all who knew him, and he will continue to inspire new generations through his writings and film legacy. On this night we celebrate Jonas’s remarkable life and work in words, music, and films.

Proceeds will go to benefit Anthology Film Archives, continuing Jonas's work in the preservation, restoration, and exhibition of independent and avant-garde cinema from around the world.

This link has ticket info. City Winery is at 155 Varick St.

EVG repost: Foreigner affairs

This weekend, Film Anthology Archives is screening a handful of works by Amos Poe, including "The Foreigner." Which reminded me of this post from October 2009.

I recently had an event in my life — the kind in which people may give you birthday presents. [Pause for applause] A family member with the best of intentions asked me for a few suggestions — a book, DVD, CD. That kind of thing. So I came up with a short list. On that list: Amos Poe's "The Foreigner," complete with some great shots of the EV via 1978. (Alex recently wrote about this film...) And on this glorious day, I opened the package. And....


Well, it's no "Half Past Dead" — but what is?

Free screening tonight: 'Local Faith Communities of the East Village'

Tonight is the premiere of the documentary "Local Faith Communities of the East Village," a film by East Village resident Anthony Donovan, who, as the Lower East Side History Project put it, "has been selflessly bridging the neighborhood's various religious and spiritual institutions for a long time."

Monday, July 12th, 7:30 p.m.
@ Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Ave. at E. Second Street
Free (donations appreciated)

EV Grieve goes to the movies (not often, though): "If people don't like it now, they will"

I'm not one to go around recommending movies. But! There's an excellent documentary opening tonight at the Anthology Film Archives. My Name is Albert Ayler explores the free jazz saxophonist’s too-short life and legacy. It plays through Tuesday night.

I had a chance to see the film during its premiere at the Anthology Film Archives last November. It's directed by Swedish filmmaker Kasper Collin, who spoke about Ayler after the November screening. This is the result of nearly seven years of work. He built the film around various audio recordings of Ayler’s voice from interviews. Collin also found archival footage from Stockholm and New York featuring some scorching live performances. All this is rounded out by talking head interviews with friends, family and musicians who knew Ayler. Their stories are just a small part of the film, which humanizes the enigmatic musician who died in 1975. He was 34.

Oh, and that headline? Ever confident, Ayler always had this to say about his rather jarring brand of jazz, “If people don’t like it now, they will.”

Here's a little background on Ayler: