Third Coast (and Other Shores): A Shorts Program
with Cuyler Ballenger, Jonathan Caouette, W. MacLean, and Abinadi Meza

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 |
---|---|
Director | Paige Taul |
Producer | Paige Taul |
Language | English |
Runtime | 3 MINS, SECS |
Genre | Experimental, Short |
Subject | Experimental, The Third Coast |
Event Type | Compilation |
Terrell James
In this intimate short documentary, MacLean observes the Houston-based painter, who discusses her working methods.
Country, Year | United States, 2021 |
---|---|
Director | Wolf MacLean |
Producer | Wolf MacLean |
Language | English |
Runtime | 6 MINS, SECS |
Genre | Experimental, Short |
Subject | Experimental, The Third Coast |
Event Type | Compilation |
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 |
---|---|
Director | Lívia Sa |
Producer | Lívia Sa |
Language | Portuguese |
Runtime | 5 MINS, SECS |
Genre | Experimental, Short |
Subject | Experimental, The Third Coast |
Event Type | Compilation |
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 |
---|---|
Director | Ufuoma Essi |
Producer | Ufuoma Essi |
Language | English |
Runtime | 6 MINS, SECS |
Genre | Experimental, Short |
Subject | Experimental, The Third Coast |
Event Type | Compilation |
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 |
---|---|
Director | Cuyler Ballenger |
Producer | Cuyler Ballenger |
Language | English |
Runtime | 6 MINS, SECS |
Genre | Experimental, Short |
Subject | Experimental, The Third Coast |
Event Type | Compilation |
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 |
---|---|
Director | Malena Szlam |
Producer | Adam Bobbette |
Language | English |
Runtime | 8 MINS, SECS |
Genre | Experimental, Short |
Subject | Experimental, The Third Coast |
Event Type | Compilation |
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 |
---|---|
Director | Abinadi Meza |
Producer | Abinadi Meza |
Language | English |
Runtime | 6 MINS, SECS |
Genre | Experimental, Short |
Subject | Experimental, The Third Coast |
Event Type | Compilation |
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 |
---|---|
Director | Jonathan Caouette |
Producer | Jonathan Caouette |
Language | English |
Runtime | 30 MINS, SECS |
Genre | Experimental, Short |
Subject | Experimental, The Third Coast |
Event Type | Compilation |