Flaherty has invited early-career filmmakers and artists to a college campus each year since 1954 for a private seminar experience. Behind closed doors, participants watch and discuss films for more than 10 hours a day, seeing as many as 50 films over the weeklong program. In past years, these films have introduced participants in the seminar to now-famous directors like John Cassavetes and Jean Rouch before they became widely known. Would-be participants have to write a proposal and pass a competitive application process before landing a spot at Flaherty.
This is the first time Skidmore will host Flaherty. The seminar hopes to remain at the Saratoga Springs college. Colgate University hosted Flaherty from 2008 to 2022 but could not offer the seminar this year because of a construction project on campus.
While most of the seminar is closed to the public, there will be a public screening of a film by Shu Lea Cheang at 8 p.m. Monday at Skidmore’s Gannett Auditorium. The event is free and does not require registration. Cheang will be in attendance for a post-film discussion.
Cheang, a Taiwanese-American multimedia artist, is known for her web-based and interactive installations. Her work has been showcased at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City and on the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum web collection. She has also commissioned films for the American Film Institute and Sundance Film Festival.
Flaherty has invited 51 participants — known as Flaherty fellows — to this year’s seminar. Lindsay Buchman, a visiting artist-in-residence at Skidmore College and one of the 2023 Flaherty fellows, looks forward to exchanging ideas with fellow participants.
“It’s a very intensive experience, but I think I’m excited to spend that time with people who are making interesting [film-based] work,” Buchman said. “The conversations that I anticipate will happen are…
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