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A Short History of Cinemaye Azad in Iran

by Azardokht Ghasemi

8th Festival of Cinemaye Azad
8th Festival of Cinemaye Azad

​From 1969 to 1979 Cinemaye Azad (or Free Cinema) was at the centre of amateur filmmaking in Iran, organizing festivals, competitions and networks of filmmakers that spanned the globe.


The Amateur Cinema of Mid-century Turkey: A Brief Introduction

by M. Mert Orsler

Young Cinema
Young Cinema

During the 1960s and 70s two arms of amateur cinema emerged in Turkey. These activities included non-commercial short films made by a few enthusiasts, as well as a more radically politicized configuration of amateurism that shaped the collective efforts of filmmaking. Despite the differences, these two categories historically overlap with each other.​


Mexican Super 8’ers: Countercultural and Revolutionary Cinema

by Berenice Cancino

Image from Otro País (Cooperativa de Cine Marginal, 1970)

During the 1970s a diverse group of artists in Mexico produced Super8 films to create countercultural content that portrayed political views and common anxieties of the time while also trying to create a truly independent Mexican cinema


Amateur Cinema and Experimentation, 1935-1972

by Lucas Anderson

Image from Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren and Alexander Hamid, 1943)
Image from Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren and Alexander Hamid, 1943)​

After 1934, experimental filmmaking fell out of favour with the amateur film community. Still, some amateur filmmakers continued to produce innovative experimental films in these years, and this type of filmmaking eventually regained a respected standing within amateur cinema.


Spotlight: The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI)

by Sheena Manabat

The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) is a non-profit organization committed to the discovery, preservation, study and exhibition of Texas’ film heritage.


Amateur Animated Films

by Lucas Anderson

Image from Portrait of Lydia (dir. John Straiton, 1963)
Image from Portrait of Lydia (John Straiton, 1963)

Amateur filmmakers produced many inventive and award-winning animated films. These films showcase a variety of animation techniques and span numerous film genres.


Amateur Cinema and Experimentation in the 1920s and 30s

by Lucas Anderson

H2O, in Close Up, Feb. 1930, 30.
Image from H2O, in Close Up, Feb. 1930, 101.

Early amateur cinema was closely linked to experimental filmmaking. Through formal experimentation, early amateur filmmakers endeavoured to enhance the artistic potential of cinema as an art form.


“Evangelists”: The Other Cinema of Dorothy and Oscar Burritt

by Dennis J. Duffy

Hand-painted footage from
Hand-painted footage from “and—” (ca. 1940).

In late 1930s and 1940s Vancouver, Dorothy Fowler and Oscar Burritt were enthusiastic film buffs and amateur filmmakers. Inspired by the international and experimental cinema they saw through Vancouver’s progressive film society, they produced a few obscure but delightful treasures of Canadian independent filmmaking. Their work and their enthusiasm inspired other local cineastes.


Spotlight: Northeast Historic Film

by Sheena Manabat

The Alamo Theatre. Image via Town of Bucksport, Maine.
The Alamo Theatre. Image via Town of Bucksport, Maine.

Northeast Historic Film is a regional archive in the United States dedicated to preserving, collecting and exhibiting northern New England’s (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts) film heritage.


Spotlight: Amateur Film Collections at the BC Archives, Royal BC Museum

by Dennis J. Duffy

The moving images collection of the BC Archives, founded in 1978, contains several fascinating collections of amateur film and home movies. Some of the key holdings, described in this article, feature excellent footage of British Columbia from the years 1925-1950, including cities, rural life, nature, industry, and the arts.


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