Bring Your Camera Phones!

Though classified as a communications device, the telephone really is an instrument of culture. The phone has always shaped the way people relate by collapsing distance, reinventing conversation, even questioning the notion of privacy. But in recent years, especially with the advent of the cell phone, this device has been at the hub of a lively and inventive commerce in data delivery, fashion, recreation, intercourse, and even art. Now we have miniaturized movies dropped into waiting receivers; camera phones uploading stills to Web storage; ringtones merchandised as personal branding; text messaging coming on like a poetry slam. As usual, artists have answered the call, wringing minimalist melody from polyphonics, disrupting the everyday with creative pranks, or simply investigating the meaning of messages from nowhere. Join us for two evenings of Busy Signals: toney performance, cellular trickery, and films about phones. We promise, not a single wrong number.

Wed Nov 16
7:30 Rotary
Live Performance by Marisa Olson.

Andy Warhol's riotous 1973 quasi-TV show Phoney stars his Factory luminaries, while Christian Marclay's Telephones stars just about everyone famous as he pillages Hollywood films for a montage about the anxiety of human intercourse. Also, works from the British Pocket Shorts, and a live telephonic performance by Marisa Olson. Plus many surprises!

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On both evenings, Benjamin Hill and Carrie Burgener from UC Berkeley's School of Information Management and Systems will involve us in a projected mosaic using your camera phone images as raw material.
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Second week:
Wed Nov 30
7:30 Touchtone
Live Performance by Jon Brumit.

Some filmmakers are closet phonephreaks, and tonight's program brings them out of the phone booth: works by Eric Saks, Chris Sollars, Golan Levin, Lee Walton, and others. Composer Jon Brumit will conduct live telephonic musical auditions. Once again, bring your camera phones for a projected mosaic using your images.

The Pacific Film Archive theater is located at 2575 Bancroft Way, one block east of Telegraph Avenue, in Berkeley. for more info: 510.642.1412.