The Films of Jon Behrens are exclusively Distributed by Canyon Cinema

Beginning in the late 1950s, a growing movement brought together independent film artists whose work reflected a remarkable diversity in style and content. Variously called avant garde, underground, and experimental, these artists' work shared a vision of filmmaking as a form of personal expression, free from the demands and constraints of commercial filmmaking conventions. This movement gained momentum on the West Coast with the birth of Canyon Cinema in the Bay Area. Begun as a "floating cinematheque," it has developed into one of the principal distribution sources for independent cinema today. Its collection of films constitutes a history of the movement from the 1950s to the present. Canyon Cinema first emerged in filmmaker Bruce Baillie's Canyon, California backyard in 1961. Films were projected from the kitchen window onto an army surplus screen. Free wine and popcorn were given out to the audience who came to watch the films made by local filmmakers. Moving to other basements and backyards, from Canyon to Berkeley to San Francisco, Canyon Cinema gained energy and purpose and attracted larger audiences.  Around the same time, filmmaker Chick Strand established the Canyon Cinemanews, a monthly journal through which filmmakers could share opinions, technical tips and discoveries. The journal became a vital organ of the growing movement. Arising as it did from the underground (literally, from basements, storefronts and backyard sheds), the independent film movement began to require an organizational structure that could accomodate the diverse nature of the films that had then emerged. In 1967, a group of filmmakers-among them Bruce Conner, Larry Jordan, Robert Nelson, Lenny Lipton, and Ben Van Meter-founded Canyon Cinema, Inc, as a distribution company. It was established as a cooperative, owned and operated by the filmmaker members. Earl Bodien lent the use of his apartment for this operation, being paid for only the phone bill, and he, along with Edith Kramer volunteered to run the business.  Filmmaker members wrote their own descriptions (and still do) of their films for the Canyon Cinema Catalog. The first catalog listed 40 films by 25 member filmmakers. In the years of its operation, Canyon Cinema has become one of the world's leading distributors of experimental and independent film dedicated to the support, promotion, distribution and preservation of motion picture film as an art form. At present, Canyon Cinema has 360 members worldwide and distributes more than 3,700 films and videotapes. Despite Canyon's dramatic increase in scale, we remain a democratic, artist-run organization committed to the principles upon which Canyon Cinema was founded.

Canyon Cinema is the most successful and enduring organization of filmmakers dedicated to the distribution, promotion, education and preservation of motion picture film as an art form. Canyon Cinema was born in 1961, in filmmaker Bruce Baillie's backyard as a venue of alternative cinema. Since 1966, Canyon Cinema has served the international filmmaking community as a leading distributor and access facility of experimental and independent films.

 

THE FOLLOWING FILMS ARE ALL AVAILABLE FOR RENTAL ON 16MM FROM CANYON CINEMA

SYMMETRY This film was the first and to this day is one of very few of my films that are considered to be narrative I think you could call this film an experimental/narrative hybrid and stars Underground superstar Pony Mourice. It is the sad and psychedelic tale of the spiral like downfall of a young woman following the breakup with a boyfriend. The film's theme revolves around the symmetry of things and the symmetry of things to come. Duane Wright wrote the screenplay for this film. 1991, 16mm, color/bw, sound, 13min

 

REFLECTIONS This film was the second installment of what I call the URBAN LANDSCAPE SERIES. The film is more like an extension my earlier film Exposures, but this time I made a much more valiant attempt to say what I wanted to say. By the time I made this film I felt that I had mastered the art of cinematography. This was the first film in which I collaborated with long time friend and music composer RUBATO. 1992, 16mm, bw/tint, sound, 22min

 

LIQUID I made this film with the help of friend Timmi Harrop she graced the screen in this liquid like atmospheric industrial performance piece. Multiple exposures, water, and weird underwater cinematography shots that create the environment drowning the viewer in a symphony of sight and sound. 1993, 16mm,

 bw/tint, sound, 4min,

UNDERCURRENTS This film was the third and final installment of my Urban Landscape Series and is my personal favorite of the three. In this film I utilized all the techniques that I had learned over the years and put them all into this film. I finally felt that my mission was complete regarding structures and that I could move forward and try other ideas. RUBATO provided the films sound track. 1994, 16mm, bw/tint, sound, 10min

 

GIRL AND A BICYCLE This film was made in collaboration with fellow filmmaker and friend Rasha Refaie.The film was inspired by a dream that Rasha had about a girl and a bicycle and a silver colored egg. The viewer sees Rasha peddling all over Seattle through city streets, parks, all over and ultimately ending up a graveyard were she begins to experience the nosebleed of her life. This film was going to be the first in a series of films based on Rasha's dreams; however, shortly after this film was completed Rasha moved to New York City and this was the only film that was made. Rubato composed the films sound track.  1995, 16mm, bw/tint, sound, 15min
 

THE MOVEMENT OF LIGHT AT NIGHT This was the first film that I collaborated with fellow filmmaker and friend Steve Creson. We each shot a 100ft roll of film and we did not know what each other were shooting. The only thing that our footage had in common was the fact that it was all shot in color and at night. At the time that we did this we were each experimenting with new techniques of our own. This took place on a nice summer evening in July of 1996. This film sparked the beginning of a very prolific partnership. Film score by RUBATO.  1996, 16mm, color, sound, 5min
 

7 MINUTES IN MAY I made this film using friend Kitty the fire eater doing her fire eating routine at the Pike St. Cinema. I then took all the footage and cut it up into section not more than 11inches long. I then added footage that I had taken earlier of an organic nature and repeated the process. I then took all the footage and put it into a garbage bag and cut it all back together again at random. This film was inspired by the early cut up poems of WM.S Burroughs. The film is not 7 minutes long and was not shot in May. I wanted the title to be done the same way, I cut up a page out of a magazine and pasted a few words together and came up with Seven Minutes In May. 1996, 16mm, bw/tint silent, 2min

DESERT ABSTRACTIONS This is a film that I had wanted to make for many years. It was not until the summer of 1996 that I actually got it together and shot it. Again with the help of Steve Creson we packed up all our equipment and loaded on to a plane and flew to Arizona were we rented a car and drove around the desert for week and filmed everything that we thought looked interesting. This film is similar to the films in my urban landscapes series, only this film was shot in eye popping full color and there are no man made elements in this film at all. Lots of rock formations, colors, and shapes only things made my mother nature. This film also has a film score by RUBATO  1997, 16mm, color, sound, 10min

STANS SALON I was in Boulder Col. on a film shoot when I attended one of Stan Brakhage's film salons that he hosted. I saw some very incredible images that night and got to meet the grand master himself. I was so inspired by what I saw and the people that I met that the moment that I returned home to Seattle I made this film. My first fully hand painted motion picture, and the techniques that I used in this film are the beginning of an entirely new faze of my filmmaking and I hope to master this technique some day. 1997, 16mm, color, silent, 3min

FLUFFY FLUFFY CALM CALM Is sort of a film poem it is the story of the week in the life of an eyeball. The viewer sees the eyeball darting around and also sees what the eyeball sees as well. The week has been condensed down to 9 min. This film was an experiment that worked. I shot all the eyeshots using my friend Letitia Tyler on 200ft of film and shot all the other shots on another 200ft. I then cut the negative together without ever seeing what the film looked like projected. I just wanted the editing process to be all part of the eye theme. I was hoping that it would all say something, and it does.  1998, 16mm, bw/tint, silent, 10min

THE LAST TEN MINUTES OF EXISTENCE This is a film that I had planed on making for more than two years before I began to shoot it. The Idea was to shoot an entire 400 ft. magazine of film from start to finish without stopping. When news came that they were going to destroy the King County Domed Stadium I thought that this would be a perfect subject for this film. I got up at 3:45 am on that faithful morning and loaded up my beloved Auricon Pro 600 movie camera and made my way to the location that I had seeked out weeks prior. I set up my camera and framed up my shot and began shooting exactly 5 minutes before the Stadium was due to be imploded. My Idea was to document the last moments before destruction, the moments during destruction and the moments after destruction, a full 400ft of film shot in one take from one angle with out stopping. The film was shot in black and white and printed on color stock with a royal blue tint. I had always wanted to make a film this  way and pay homage to one of my early film influences the late great Andy Warhol. 2000,16mm,b/w/tint,silent,10min

ALL SAINTS DAY This film is a collaboration with filmmaker Joel Schlemowitz , on ALL SAINTS DAY 2000 we each shot 100 ft of film, at the same time of the day , 3000 miles apart, and we did not tell each other what we shot. The film was hand processed and cut up into 2ft length’s and then cut back together alternating from Joel’s footage to Jon’s until all the film was gone. The soundtrack for this film was done the same way. 2001 16mm color/bw 5min

 

THE FLICKERING OF THE MINDS EYE This film is made up of hand painted and batik sections of film that I then step printed on an optical printer. I also used fingers, potatoes, sponges to print textures and patterns. The film was then cut into a rhythmic pattern that may play a few tricks on your brain. 2001 16mm color 10 min

ALL SAINTS DAY II This film is a collaboration with filmmaker Joel Schlemowitz , on ALL SAINTS DAY 2001 we each shot 100 ft of film, at the same time of the day , 3000 miles apart, and we did not tell each other what we shot. The film was hand processed and cut up into 2ft length’s and then cut back together alternating from Joel’s footage to Jon’s until all the film was gone. This film is the follow up to ALL SAINTS DAY which was done using the same techniques the year prior soundtrack for this film was done the same way  2002,16mm color/bw 5min

CINEMATIC ABSTRACTIONS # 4 This film is collaboration between filmmakers Jon Behrens and Ryan Keith Adams. This Cinematic experiment was done using what is called a mat box. The two filmmakers each shot different Image’s, one shooting out side of the star the other shooting inside the Star. The also used stripe shaped mat shots alternating between the two. This film was shot, the sound design created and edited and printed in three days. This is the first film collaboration between these two veteran Seattle Filmmakers.  2002 16mm color sound 7min.

ANOMALIES OF THE UNCONSCIOUS This is the second film of the Anomalies Cycle. It is a hand Painted and manipulated film. I also used the technique of bleaching and batiking of the film emulsion. The footage was then step printed on a J-K Optical Printer. Although similar in style to The Flickering of the Minds Eye I began to experiment more with other colors and different textures such as dried leaves and flowers, hair, insect parts, and a variety of different types of inks and paints. The sound track for this film was preformed by NEGATIVLAND  2003 16mm color/sound/12min

VERNAL OBEISANCE "The second collaboration I did with R.K. Adams, we proceeded to experiment with the Idea of using panels in our films. When we talked about doing this we decided that we wanted to pay homage to the upcoming spring, the result was this film." – Jon Behrens

"This collaboration merges 5 elements of cinematic vision. Classic Jon Behrens hand painted elements frame a single image torn into four pieces. The mood alternates between color and black & white cinematography in this experimental homage to spring" - Ryan Adams Alpha Cine Labs 2003, 16mm, color/b/w, sound, 6min

ANTIPODE POLYCHOMASIA  is 6 minutes of pure cinematic bliss. Hand painted textures and Parisian architecture are painterly composite in  brilliant color using almost forgotten film printing techniques. A hauntingly familiar soundtrack  punctuates this visual  collaboration. 2004 16mm color sound 6min

THE ASTRUM ARGENTIUM Is the third film in a series  that is being called the Anomalies cycle. It is mostly a hand painted and step printed film. This time I used stained glass dyes and also experimented  2006, 16mm, Color, Sound, 6 min

 

THE PRODUCTION AND DECAY OF STRANGE PARTICLES In this film I began to experiment more with creating mats with liquid latex directly on the film emulsion then bleaching of all the excess image around the latex and using the clear bleached sections of film as a canvas to paint my film poem I used special inks that were custom made just for me called Keneville Dyes I then to re-photographed it all on my beloved JK optical printer. I also created this films sound design.

2008, 16mm color sound 7 ½ min 

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