Filmers Almanac

Begun around 1985, the Filmers Almanac project invited Super 8 filmmakers to shoot a roll of film for a day of the 1988 calendar year, inspired largely by Hollis Frampton's "Magellan", wherein Frampton hoped to make a film for each day of the calendar year. Although Frampton died prior to realising the completion of that piece, he did leave an incredible body of work which can be considered enveloped by the Magellan construct.

Thousands of almanac invitations were sent out over the 3 years leading up to the "focus" year of 1988; most responses were from the international filmmaking and mail art communities. Almost 300 filmers responded with interest and, of those, about 125 films were sent to the PO Box in Somerville, Massachusetts, US. Owen O'Toole devoted over 5 years to organising and exhibiting this collection, and imagined it as an alternate film co-operative model.

Now, in 2006, O'Toole is attempting to re-open the project by making it visible via the Filmers Almanac site. Several compilations of the finest of these films will be selected onto DVD in the hope to show some great examples of Super 8 filmmaking. The breadth of work is incredible, from carefully textured process films to spontaneous in-camera diary entries. The website includes a selection of films viewable as medium-fidelity Quicktime movies. A full list of participants is also posted; Super 8 filmmakers are invited to make contact if they might be interested in helping flesh out the calendar. It's open season!

For more details see the Filmers Almanac.

technorati tags - super 8 | almanac | hollis frampton