GME Announces Spring 2015 Releases

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GME DVD Distribution –  Spring 2015 Releases
With the spring academic season now underway, Gartenberg Media Enterprises (GME) is pleased to present a new slate of DVD titles for distribution to the North American academic community. These publications, selected from film archives and boutique presses worldwide, represent an entire century of cinematic history, ranging from the silent French serial THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY (1919) to the latest digital production of experimental artist James Benning (NATURAL HISTORY, 2014).
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Serial films, or ciné romans were well-established in France before World War I, where they are most closely identified with writer-director Louis Feuillade (see JUDEX, also distributed by GME).  We now present (also from Flicker Alley) the silent serial entitled THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY (1923), produced by Albatros Studios, a company founded by émigré filmmakers in Paris following the Russian revolution (see also FRENCH MASTERWORKS: RUSSIAN ÉMIGRÉS in Paris (1923-1929). The serial THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY, directed by Alexandre Volkoff, and starring the versatile actor Ivan Mosjoukine, is based on a novel by Jules Mary centered on the theme of the miscarriage of justice; the film is replete with stylish elegance and narrative imagination. In the vein of Russian serials, GME has previous released MISS MEND (1927), an adventure serial in three parts directed by Fedor Ozep (assisted by Boris Barnet).
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Parallel to the foundation of the Albatros Studios, the 1920s saw the apotheosis of Soviet filmmaking.  GME currently feature several new DVD publications under the label Edition Filmmuseum; they are produced by the film archive in Vienna, which is noted for its significant holdings of Soviet-era films.  This archive is especially noted for its meticulous research and presentation of DVD editions of Soviet filmmakers’ works that often allow comparisons of different versions of the same film. From the EFM/Vienna, GME has previously released Lev Kuleshov’s BY THE LAW and Dziga Vertov’s early sound masterwork, ENTUZIAZM.

These releases comprise works by 3 of the great Soviet filmmakers: Sergei Eisenstein (BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN / OCTOBER) Dziga Vertov (THREE SONGS OF LENIN), and Mikael Kalatozov (SALT OF SVANETIA / NAIL IN THE BOOT).  Kalazatov is better known for his Soviet films of the 1950’s and 1960’s – THE CRANES ARE FLYING (1959), LETTER NEVER SENT (1959), and I AM CUBA (1964); this DVD edition presents two of his early, pioneering silent films – SALT FOR SVANETIA an austere depiction of peasant life in the inhospitable terrain of the Caucusas mountains and NAIL IN THE BOOT, a biting parable of negligence in wartime. Vertov’s THREE SONGS OF LENIN is the filmmaker’s poem to the founder of the Soviet Union, and this DVD edition including both the silent and sound versions of the film).  Eisenstein’s masterpieces POTEMKIN is presented in painstakingly restored German-language versions (both silent and sound), and OCTOBER highlights the original release together with fragments from the version distributed in Germany; all editions feature the accompanying scores by Austrian-born composer Edmund Meisel.  For additional Soviet titles distributed by GME, see LANDMARKS OF EARLY SOVIET FILM.
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Austrian native Martina Kudláček has established a unique filmmaking legacy by creating discursive documentaries on experimental cinema personalities that have included Maya Deren (IN THE MIRROR OF MAYA DEREN [2002]) and Alexander Hammid (AIMLESS WALK [1997]). GME is pleased to present the release of DVD editions of Kudláček’s two most recent films, NOTES ON MARIE MENKEN (2006) and FRAGMENTS OF KUBELKA (2012). In a discursive yet deliberately paced style, Kudláček creates indelible portraits of the creative and impactful filmmakers Marie Menken (1909-1970) and Peter Kubelka, who is still active making films on celluloid film stock.

NOTES ON MARIE MENKEN brings into focus the underground film icon Marie Menken, best known for her role as a protagonist in Andy Warhol's CHELSEA GIRLS (1966). Beginning with the excavation of Marie's rusty film cans, old photographs, and papers housed in a storage locker, Kudláček brings Menken vividly back to life through clips from her films and conversations with her creative compatriots, especially fellow artist Gerard Malanga.  

Several years in the making, Martina Kudláček’s 4 hour essay film FRAGMENTS OF KUBELKA runs four times the length of artist Peter Kubelka’s entire cinematic output. She patiently follows his daily rituals and creative life (from cooking to filmmaking), and thereby provides a unique window into Kubelka’s world view in which he patiently digests “the manifold things of the universe” (Tom Gunning).    
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James Benning’s distinctive work has primarily focused on the depiction of landscapes through the passage of time, layered with offscreen sound and on occasion with superimposed text. From 1971 until 2007, James Benning shot these films uniquely in 16mm; this body of work has been heretofore unavailable in digital format. Recently, under a longstanding partnership with the Vienna Filmmuseum, his films are being made available in high quality DVD editions. GME has previously released 3 of these publications – AMERICAN DREAMS (LOST & FOUND) / LANDSCAPE SUICIDE, CALIFORNIA TRILOGY, and CASTING A GLANCE / RR. We now offer the latest DVD edition of Benning’s work, entitled DESERET / FOUR CORNERS, that continues his investigation into landscapes of the American West, and between the visual image and the spoken or written word. In 2007, Benning abandoned celluloid filmmaking – primarily due to increasing problems with laboratory work and film projection. and turned, in partnership with German production company, digital work (motivated by problems in laboratories and projection). In this vein, GME presents the DVD edition NATURAL HISTORY / RUHR, comprising Benning’s very first digital production, RUHR, a modern day city symphony set in the industrial region of Germany, together with NATURAL HISTORY, a portrait commissioned by Vienna’s Natural History Museum.
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Peter von Bagh, an award-winning filmmaker, writer, critic, and programmer, who recently passed away at age 71, was one of the foremost authorities on international cinema . His extensive and unique body of work include some 50 films and 30 books. In homage to this brilliant figure of international cinema, GME is honored to represent the distribution of a package of his films. THE FINNISH SUITE includes three documentary feature films that make up an important part of von Bagh's works in the 21st century. HELSINKI, FOREVER (2008) is a portrait and city symphony of the White City of North; SPLINTERS – A CENTURY OF AN ARTISTIC FAMILY (2011) explores the story of Finnish art through a versatile family of artists, without forgetting wider links to European cultural currents; and REMEMBRANCE – A SMALL MOVIE ABOUT OULU IN THE 1950’S (2013) is the director's most intimate film in which he returns to his youth and his hometown of Oulu. The city is located in Northern Finland, and yet it could be anywhere in war-torn but forward-gazing Europe. In this trilogy of films, Peter von Bagh creates both an extraordinarily personal – yet at the same time universal – meditation about cinematic time, space and memory.
These DVDs are currently being made available to universities, libraries, museums, and other educational organizations in North America (US and Canada), and include public performance rights. Public performance rights extend to use in classrooms and in other non-commercial settings where no admission is charged.

Please Note:
Many of our DVDs are published in PAL format Region 0.  
PAL DVDs require a PAL or Multi-system DVD player for playback.

Order by Phone @ 212.280.8654 or by Fax @ 212.280.8656
 
For inquiries and to order by e-mail, contact: sales@gartenbergmedia.com
 
For our entire DVD/Blu-ray catalogue, as a printable PDF, click here.

For latest announcement about our releases please visit:
gartenbergmedia.com/news

RECAP of ASPP Presentation on the Life and Work of Raimondo Borea

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GME associates David Deitch and Alex Westhelle preparing for an illustrated talk on the life and career of photographer Raimondo Borea at PhotoShelter in Union Square, New York City on April 2, 2015. Presented under the auspices of ASPP, this unique event was very well attended.  
 

GME’s specialty is working with deceased photographers’ estates, and President Jon Gartenberg also led a lively discussion about his company’s work in excavating, identifying, cataloguing, and repurposing the legacy of overlooked, but historically important, photographers. 

The original announcement about this presentation is noted below:

David Deitch and Alex Westhelle handling original photos and documents from the estate of photographer Raimondo Borea.

David Deitch and Alex Westhelle handling original photos and documents from the estate of photographer Raimondo Borea.

© The Estate of Raimondo Borea

© The Estate of Raimondo Borea

Archivists and dealers Jon Gartenberg and David Deitch of Gartenberg Media Enterprises discuss the life and work of Raimondo Borea, entertainment and NYC street photographer, active from the 1950’s through the early ’80s.

Mr. Borea’s work included celebrity portraits and on-set photography for NBC. He was also an active member and past president of ASPP. Images from the Borea collection: both original prints and projections will be on view. His daughter, Carla Borea,will share her memories and her wishes for the preservation of his legacy.

Mr. Gartenberg and Mr. Deitch will also discuss the issues and concerns in the handling of photographic legacies, and the preservation and marketing of an estate collection.

http://aspp.com/whats-left-behind-photographic-estate-raimondo-borea-new-york-april-2-2015/

GME Announces Launch of Newly-Designed Website for DVD and Blu-ray Releases

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GME Announces Launch of Newly-Designed Website
for DVD and Blu-ray Releases

Gartenberg Media (GME) is proud to announce the launch of our newly-designed website. GME is actively engaged in seeking out and representing high quality DVD & Blu-ray publications of films and videos that encompass important works from the breadth and depth of the history of the moving image. These works range from pioneers of the silent narrative cinema to cutting edge filmmakers of the contemporary avant-garde.




"The superb dedication of such entities as the Criterion Collection, Milestone Films, and Gartenberg Media Enterprises, to name key players, are making possible access to a wealth of cinematic history, ephemera, and value-added materials."
As the educational film market has radically shifted from 16mm celluloid film distribution to DVD and Blu-ray editions, the contours of film history are being significantly reshaped. Well-known films are now re-released in new, high-quality digital transfers by film archives and boutique publishers, and lesser-known films from the course of moving image history are made available for the first time in video format. Bonus features and accompanying authoritative booklets frequently supplement these digital editions in order to contextualize such important works in new ways.

Both classic films and avant-garde cinema are represented by GME through a wide array of publications, organized into the following general groupings, that are specifically oriented toward academic teaching purposes and study:
 
Clicking on any of the above categories provides a listing of DVD/Blu-ray publications within the respective area of study. By then clicking on a title, an enhanced product page provides descriptive text and photos about the moving image works; as well, an updated contents area lists filmographic and technical details about the individual publication, including bonus material and booklet information.

A separate search bar also provide access to publication titles and production credits related to our DVD and Blu-ray offerings (as well as throughout the entire GME website).
These DVDs are currently being made available to universities, libraries, museums, and other educational organizations in North America (US and Canada), and include public performance rights. Public performance rights extend to use in classrooms and in other non-commercial settings where no admission is charged.

Please Note:
Many of our DVDs are published in PAL format Region 0.  
PAL DVDs require a PAL or Multi-system DVD player for playback.

Order by Phone @ 212.280.8654 or by Fax @ 212.280.8656
 
For inquiries and to order by e-mail, contact: sales@gartenbergmedia.com
 
For our entire DVD/Blu-ray catalogue, as a printable PDF, click here.

For our latest news releases please visit:
gartenbergmedia.com/news
Watch for next week’s announcement of our Spring semester DVD releases.

"What's Left Behind: The Photographic Estate Of Raimondo Borea," presentation by GME at PhotoShelter

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GME is proud to announce that we will be presenting on the life, work and legacy of photographer Raimondo Borea, one of our very own library projects. Hosted by The American Society of Picture Professionals (ASPP), "What's Left Behind: The Photographic Estate Of Raimondo Borea" will be presented at the PhotoShelter, Thursday April 2 at 6:30pm.

 
Portrait of Raimondo Borea

Portrait of Raimondo Borea

 

"Through A Lens Darkly" featuring photographer Hugh Bell to air on PBS Independent Lens

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Thomas Allen Harris’s film on the history of Black photographers, THROUGH A LENS DARKLY to be shown on PBS as part of their Independent Lens series. The film features the late photographer Hugh Bell, which GME is working with the estate of to archive his collection and promote his legacy. On PBS, Monday, February 16th at 10pm.

 
 

"NY, NY: A Century Of City Symphony Films" by Jon Gartenberg – Framework Fall 2014 Issue

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From the Fall 2014 issue of Framework – "NY, NY: A Century Of City Symphony Films" by Jon Gartenberg. This article, "…celebrates the ornate history of how the “city symphony” genre rendered New York from early twentieth-century actualitiés to late century avant-garde…" Available for purchase and through library access.

Jon Gartenberg To Moderate Discussion Between Shona Masarin and Cori Olinghouse For Their Program "Ghost Line And Other Celluloid Antics", Film Society of Lincoln Center

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Jon Gartenberg will be moderating discussion between Shona Masarin and Cori Olinghouse for the program "Ghost Line And Other Celluloid Antics" which features Shona Masarin & Cori Olinghouse's new experimental dance short GHOST LINE as well as films by Buster Keaton, Hans Richter and James Broughton. Monday, February 2nd at 6pm, at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, part of the Dance on Camera 2015 series.

 
 

Jon Gartenberg Interviewed for Article on "The Preservation And Censorship Of Johnny Minotaur, A Queer Cinema Classic"

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Published by Afterimage, "The Preservation And Censorship Of Johnny Minotaur, A Queer Cinema Classic" by Kyle Harris. Jon Gartenberg was interviewed for article about his time at MoMA and the screening of challenging work.

Here is a link to the afterimage website with excerpt from the article and video of Charles Henri Ford by Ronnie Birk:

http://vsw.org/afterimage/2014/10/28/a-short-silent-by-ronnie-burk/