Selections + Selectors, an innovative new series of dynamic film screenings curated by prō jekt′ : nyc, will launch monthly at The Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn in their private screening room. Each month, host J.L. Sirisuk (who has contributed to The Huffington Post, BULLETT, Interview and AMAZING Magazine) will moderate evenings of powerful film content that includes screenings followed by conversations related to each film. Nights conclude with vinyl-only music sets by some of the city’s best DJs.
The salon style series was created as a platform to offer independent filmmakers a unique outlet to share their film content. The intimacy of the Wythe Hotel’s screening room allows for informal and in-depth conversations, much like one would have in a living room amongst friends. At the heart of the series’ ambition, is an aim to foster an environment where expression and creativity are supported; linking attendees and filmmakers in an open forum.
This fall/winter, as a partnership with marketing firm Bond 360, Selections + Selectors will present the work of groundbreaking filmmakers represented by the firm, as well as a rare chance for the audience to engage in one-on-one dialogue with directors in our intimate, participatory setting.
The monthly film series kicked off their 2015-2016 season in September with an incredible evening featuring the film “Shake The Dust” (Executively Produced by Nas). The screening was followed by an incredible panel that included the following: James Kim – Founder, B.E.A.T NYC, Bboy WaAak1 – Breaks Kru, B.E.A.T NYC (Beat Breakers Head Instructor), DJ Spooky – That Subliminal Kid, Origins Magazine, Winston Struye – Slideluck, Young Photographers Nepal, James Hanusa – UIX Global, Andrew Lockhart, project : nyc, START, The Heliotrope Foundation, Lisa Shimamura – Colab Projects, Art For Tibet & Drew Saunders – W.A.F.F.L.E. Dance Crew.
The night also served as a platform to announce a partnership between START (http://startworld.org/) and B.E.A.T NYC (http://beatnyc.org/) that will begin in January of 2016. Over the past few months B.E.A.T NYC Founder James Kim and START Director Nicola Lee have been engaged in a series of talks (facilitated by project : nyc Founder Andrew Lockhart), discussing the idea of bringing Kim’s B.E.A.T NYC program to the Middle East and surrounding regions, through a partnership with START. As a result of those talks a formal B.E.A.T NYC program will begin in January of 2016.
The series started in New York City in February of 2015 with the film Danchi No Yume by filmmakers, Sam Cole andJonathan Turner. The panel for that evening included: Charlie Ahearn (Wildstyle), Eric Shiner (Director, Andy Warhol Museum), Wills Glasspiegel (NPR), and was a smashing success. The night concluded with an all vinyl DJ set by Bill McMullen (Designer, Beastie Boys “Hello Nasty” album cover). Since then, screenings have included live performances by violinist Marquis Toliver and the rising New York based W.A.F.F.L.E. dance crew.
The series looks forward to expanding to further cities. In April of 2015, the series made its way to the city of Detroit, with a screening of the film N’Kisi Concorde at The Carr Center. This fall, the series will begin in Los Angeles, CA, Kuwait City, Kuwait, and Miami Beach, FL.
The rest of the fall/winter schedule comprises of:
An Evening With Charlie Ahearn Vol. 3 – November 6, 2015 (Coney Island Rules, Book Of Ibid Tompkins Square, Las Vegas Flip, Claudius On The One Train, Escalators On The One Train, All City – Take It To The Bridge, Jane In Peepland)
Last summer, filmmaker Charlie Ahearn captured Jeffrey Deitch’s curated Coney Art Walls in progress, featuring a series of prestigious visual artists (including Aiko, ROA, Futura, Kenny Scharf, Retna, Crash, Skewville, Jane Dickson, Ron English, Mr. Cartoon, Kaves, El Seed, Marie Roberts and many more). An homage to New York’s latest vestige of a glittering Wonderland, freaky side show geeks and Spook-a-ramas, Coney Island Rules captures the beauty and wonderment of the seaside town. The film explores multiple themes and portrays Coney Island in a unique, new light. Mr. Ahearn will serve as guest host for the night, premiering this film as well as Book of Ibid Tompkins Square, featuring the artist Joe Lewis who will be flying in from L.A. for the evening. Mr. Ahearn will round out the night with a series of his personal shorts and some incredible anecdotes in between. It promises to be an exceptional evening!
The American Dreamer – November 25, 2015
The wild, unexpected success of Easy Rider ushered in what is now seen as one of the most significant turning points in film history, making pathologically rebellious Dennis Hopper an unlikely King of Hollywood for a day. Hopper’s follow-up work, The Last Movie, a deeply personal, but ultimately disastrous meditation on the meaning of cinema found Hopper drifting further and further into eccentricity. Captured by co-directors Lawrence Schiller and L.M. Kit Carson, The American Dreamer is a multi-faceted portrait of the life and mind of one of the 20th century’s great cinematic voices at the peak of his artistic and commercial success. Shifting between being an insightful document of a complex artist (considered one of the true “enfant terribles” of Hollywood) in the midst of his creative process and a self-reflective exploration and explosion of vérité filmmaking tropes. The American Dreamer is a mesmerizing journey into the private world of one of Hollywood’s most hypnotic directors/stars. Fortuitously timed, fantastically made, and virtually unseen, The American Dreamer is the great’70s documentary you always wished existed.
Tomorrow We Disappear – December 15, 2015
Tomorrow We Disappear chronicles the last days of Kathputli, the mysterious hand-built artist colony first discovered in Salman Rushdie’s iconic Midnight’s Children. Hidden in the alleyways of New Delhi, a community of magicians, acrobats and puppeteers approach their looming eviction to make way for a modern skyscraper. Bound together by tradition and impending gentrification, this captivating film allows us to experience a culture’s magic and wonder before it’s gone.