Light Industry
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| Address | 361 Stagg Street, Suite 407 Brooklyn, New York United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°42′39″N73°56′3″W/ 40.71083°N 73.93417°W |
| Type | Microcinema |
| Opened | 2008 |
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Light Industryis an Americanmicrocinemafounded byEd Halterand Thomas Beard. Since 2008 it has operated in several locations aroundBrooklyn, New York.Its programming focuses on obscure and unusual works.
History
[edit]Halter and Beard met through theNew York Underground Film Festival,which Halter ran.[1]They started Light Industry in 2008, inspired byAmos Vogelwho ran theCinema 16film society and co-founded theNew York Film Festival.[2]After opening inIndustry City,they moved to a storefront inDowntown Brooklynand later offered itinerant programming at other venues such asAnthology Film ArchivesandISSUE Project Room.[3]
Light Industry found a new permanent location inGreenpointin 2011. The space had a simple design, with folding chairs and a small projection screen. They eventually built a wooden projection booth named after directorChantal Akerman,who had previously criticized the layout when presenting a film byMichael Snow.[2]Halter and Beard co-curated film and video programs for the 2012Whitney Biennial.[4]
In 2017 Light Industry partnered withAnthology Film Archivesto republishStan Brakhage'sMetaphors on Vision,with annotations byP. Adams Sitney.[5]In 2020 they republished Michael Snow's 1975artist's bookCover to CoverwithPrimary Information.[6]Beard turned the back room into Monday Night Books, a pop-up store for secondhand books.[7]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic,Light Industry established the Cinema Worker Solidarity Fund withScreen Slateto provide financial assistance for local theater workers.[2]It had its final show at the Greenpoint location in April 2023, before reopening shortly after inWilliamsburg.[8]
Programming
[edit]Light Industry generally holds one screening each week, specializing in obscure and unusual works.[1]Its programming draws from many artistic scenes that may otherwise have distinct audiences, such asavant-garde film,underground film,internationalart film,video art,and new media.[4]Light Industry has often programmed works of queer cinema, which Halter described as understanding "the inestimable value of spaces that allow like-minded people to come together for a shared experience, a shared understanding."[2]
References
[edit]- ^abDisser, Nicole (April 1, 2015)."Greenpoint's Light Industry, Illuminating the Obscure for Cinephiles and All the Rest of Us".Brooklyn Magazine.RetrievedMarch 11,2024.
- ^abcdWilliams, Conor (August 25, 2022)."A Schoolhouse for Cinephiles: In Praise of Light Industry".Filmmaker.RetrievedMarch 11,2024.
- ^Rakes, Rachael; Goldsmith, Leo (September 2011)."CINEMA AS AN EVENT: An Interview with Light Industry's Ed Halter".The Brooklyn Rail.RetrievedMarch 11,2024.
- ^abLim, Dennis (September 4, 2011)."Choosing Cinematheque Over Cineplex".The New York Times.p. 6.RetrievedMarch 11,2024.
- ^Balsom, Erika (January 2018)."Stan Brakhage'sMetaphors on Vision".Artforum.Vol. 56, no. 5.RetrievedMarch 11,2024.
- ^Stephens, Chuck (December 22, 2020)."Exploded View | Michael Snow's Cover to Cover".Cinema Scope.No. 85.RetrievedMarch 11,2024.
- ^Fry, Naomi (February 14, 2022)."Book Sale".The New Yorker.RetrievedMarch 11,2024.
- ^Kenigsberg, Ben (May 14, 2023)."New York's Movie Theaters, From Art-House to Dine-In".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 11,2024.