Skip to content

Third Coast (and Other Shores): A Shorts Program

with Cuyler Ballenger, Jonathan Caouette, W. MacLean, and Abinadi Meza

Nov 14, 2021, 01:00 PM Rice Cinema $20.00 Get Tickets

A survey of some recent experimental short films, Third Coast (and Other Shores) presents the latest works by film artists based in Houston and around the world. All of the works are united by a concern with place, landscape, and the interconnections between the local and the global. The program will be followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Cuyler Ballenger, Jonathan Caouette, W. MacLean, and Abinadi Meza, moderated by Guest Curator Michael Sicinski.

Also available virtually for 72 hours beginning Nov 19 at 7:30pm, followed by a Q&A with Ufoma Essi, Livia Sa, and Paige Taul. For more information visit here.

This is part of The Third Coast section.

Please note that Rice Cinema has moved from its previous home. We recommend parking in Founders Court Lot and entering Sewall Hall at the ground level to find the cinema towards the back of the building located at Sewall 301.

Special Guests

Jonathan Caouette

Jonathan Caouette is invested in breaking from the traditional rules of narrative filmmaking. He has been a prolific filmmaker for the past 35 years, directing short films, music videos and three feature-length documentaries: Tarnation (2004), All Tomorrow’s Parties (2009), and Walk Away Renee (2012).

Michael Sicinski

Michael Sicinski is a writer, critic, and teacher based in Houston.

Goat

About a girl and her Js. A meditation on the politics of style, collectivity, and self definition.

Country, Year United States, 2021
DirectorPaige Taul
ProducerPaige Taul
LanguageEnglish
Runtime3 MINS, SECS
GenreExperimental, Short
SubjectExperimental, The Third Coast
Event TypeCompilation

Terrell James

In this intimate short documentary, MacLean observes the Houston-based painter, who discusses her working methods.

Country, Year United States, 2021
DirectorWolf MacLean
ProducerWolf MacLean
LanguageEnglish
Runtime6 MINS, SECS
GenreExperimental, Short
SubjectExperimental, The Third Coast
Event TypeCompilation

Land in Sight

Land in Sight is an experimental short film shot on Super 8mm film in Brazil, in the states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.The film begins with an image of Monte Pascoal, the first spotted land by the Portuguese, through which the colonization process was initiated and consequently, the extermination of the indigenous people. The film documents everyday moments that juxtapose with scenes of resistance from different indigenous communities during a protest in São Paulo. The film has the narration of Leila Rocha Guarani Nhandeva (indigenous leadership of Yvy Katu/ Porto Lindo; Guarani-Kaiowás- Mato Grosso do Sul).

Country, Year Brazil, 2021
DirectorLívia Sa
ProducerLívia Sa
LanguagePortuguese
Runtime5 MINS, SECS
GenreExperimental, Short
SubjectExperimental, The Third Coast
Event TypeCompilation

Bodies in Dissent

Bodies In Dissent is an exploration of the body as a central site of remembrance and resistance.

Country, Year United Kingdom, 2021
DirectorUfuoma Essi
ProducerUfuoma Essi
LanguageEnglish
Runtime6 MINS, SECS
GenreExperimental, Short
SubjectExperimental, The Third Coast
Event TypeCompilation

Dumpster 4

A garbage truck plows through the dawn silence. It pulls into place next to a dumpster at a residential apartment complex, whereupon Diego, a Chilean trash worker in Houston, wheels the dumpster over to the truck. As the dumpster is lifted and its contents spilled out, images of residents show us who produced this trash, while an unnamed narrator tells of the earliest forms of waste management, highlighting how little has changed over thousands of years.

Country, Year United States, 2021
DirectorCuyler Ballenger
ProducerCuyler Ballenger
LanguageEnglish
Runtime6 MINS, SECS
GenreExperimental, Short
SubjectExperimental, The Third Coast
Event TypeCompilation

Merapi

Shot around Mount Merapi in Indonesia, Szlam's film depicts an active, evolving landscape.

*please note: this film contains no sound*

Country, Year Indonesia, 2021
DirectorMalena Szlam
ProducerAdam Bobbette
LanguageEnglish
Runtime8 MINS, SECS
GenreExperimental, Short
SubjectExperimental, The Third Coast
Event TypeCompilation

Time Crystals

Time Crystals is an experimental art film about images, memory, and time, as told by a not-quite-human narrator.

Country, Year United States, 2021
DirectorAbinadi Meza
ProducerAbinadi Meza
LanguageEnglish
Runtime6 MINS, SECS
GenreExperimental, Short
SubjectExperimental, The Third Coast
Event TypeCompilation

The Blazing

A mysterious frequency seeps its way into the airwaves. Felt around the globe, its terrifying effects transform the fabric of reality.

Country, Year United States, 2021
DirectorJonathan Caouette
ProducerJonathan Caouette
LanguageEnglish
Runtime30 MINS, SECS
GenreExperimental, Short
SubjectExperimental, The Third Coast
Event TypeCompilation