Celebrating 60 Years of NYC's Millennium Film Workshop
Founded by the Film-Makers’ Cooperative, the avant-garde space remains a suppotive home for a community of experimental and non-commercial filmmakers.
Millennium Film Workshop, a unique institution in New York City, has been championing self-expression and experimentation in filmmaking for over six decades. Throughout its existence, the organization has fostered a vibrant community of artists and creators, providing them with resources including camera equipment, workshop programs, a gallery, and the Millennium Film Journal.
As the 1960s dawned, the 35mm camera became more prevalent, empowering individuals to tell their stories through filmmaking. This era marked the emergence of experimental film as a distinct genre, embracing a departure from the polished aesthetics of high-budget films. Filmmakers began to explore breaks in narrative structure and conventional rules, giving rise to a more immersive viewing experience that focused on sensory elements such as color, lighting, focus on the mundane or surreal.
In 1961, Cinema 16, the sole theater in New York City dedicated to showcasing experimental film, declined to screen Stan Brakhage's Anticipation of the Night. In response to this rejection, Jonas Mekas, Shirley Clarke, Ken and Flo Jacobs, and other pioneering filmmakers came together to form the New American Cinema Group.
Simultaneously, the Film-Makers' Cooperative was established to distribute and archive the burgeoning collection of experimental films. Today, Millennium Film Workshop continues to thrive, celebrating its rich history and commitment to the avant-garde in cinema. To mark this milestone, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is organizing screenings in October, honoring Millennium Film Workshop and the Film-Makers' Cooperative.
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