FotoFocus has appointed Cincinnati-based film specialist and artist C. Jacqueline Wood as FotoFocus film curator at large. In her role, Wood will spearhead a new free monthly film series presented across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky every second Tuesday in 2020. Titled Second Screens, the series will celebrate FotoFocus’ tenth anniversary and expand its mission of promoting lens-based art to fully encompass film, video, and the moving image.
The aim of Second Screens is to enrich the region’s cinematic landscape through public screenings of works that span many years, subjects, and genres, including narrative, documentary, avant-garde, and animation. Ranging from the 2018 HBO documentary on African-American roller rink communities to Terrence Malick’s 1978 period drama “Days of Heaven,” screenings will take place in accessible, handpicked spaces.
“For many years, FotoFocus has supported my personal commitment to growing the Cincinnati film community,” said C. Jacqueline Wood. “It is an honor to be recognized for my past accomplishments, but even more meaningful to be given the opportunity to expand FotoFocus’ curatorial vision to fully encompass the moving image arts. I am thrilled to work with FotoFocus and help make their 10th anniversary a true celebration of all lens-based art, including cinema, which is the medium that I have dedicated my career and artistic practice to.”
According to Mary Ellen Goeke, FotoFocus executive director, “We have spent an incredible 10 years building a dedicated community of photography and lens-based art lovers. Now that we are moving into our second decade, we are delighted to expand our reach into film with a new curator and new program. Jacqueline has been an integral part of Cincinnati’s independent film scene and we are grateful to have her insight and expertise on the team.”
Wood will continue her work as the director of The Mini Microcinema, the nonprofit organization she founded to promote moving image work by filmmakers and artists working outside of the mainstream. While the Mini’s permanent location closes this week with a farewell celebration Dec. 19, there are reportedly plans for future pop-up screenings to keep its mission alive.
Second Screens schedule: January-June
| Jan. 14 “Varda by Agnès” (2019) Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine Doors 6:30 PM. Start 7:00 PM. 120 mins. FotoFocus kicks off the series with the Cincinnati premiere of Agnes Varda’s final film, a personal and whimsical look back at the director’s prolific career. Feb. 11 “Days of Heaven” (1978) Newsreel Theater (Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal), 1301 Western Ave, Queensgate Doors 6:30 PM. Start 7:00 PM. 94 mins. With a career spanning over fifty years, FotoFocus re-examines Terrence Malick’s second feature film set in 1916 in the Texas panhandle. Starring Sam Shepard, Brooke Adams, Richard Gere and Linda Manz, the film is set against the golden landscape of a forgotten time. March 10 “United Skates” (2018) Rhinegeist Brewery, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine Doors 6:30 PM. Start 7:00 PM. 89 mins. Directed by Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown, this documentary peers into the underground subculture of African-American roller skate communities. |
| April 14 “Monterey Pop” (1968) Lightborne, 212 E. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine Doors 6:30 PM. Start 7:00 PM. 79 mins. FotoFocus celebrates the life of documentarian D.A. Pennebaker with a screening of his iconic work in its new 4k restoration, highlighting musical performances by Janis Joplin and Otis Redding in surround sound. May 12 “Two Journeys – A Shorts Program,” curated by The Golden Pixel Cooperative 21c Museum Hotel, 609 Walnut St., downtown Doors 6:30 PM. Start 7:00 PM. 90 mins. Los Angeles-based filmmaker and curator Nora Sweeney heads back to her hometown to present a program of film shorts ranging in style from narrative to experimental, examining the notion of place. June 9 “NSFW (Animation For Adults),” curated by C. Jacqueline Wood The Lodge, 231 Sixth Ave., Dayton, Kentucky Doors 6:30 PM. Start 7:00 PM. 60 mins. “NSFW (Animation For Adults)” is a short animation screening that considers the various ways that sex and the human form are represented in both historical and contemporary styles of animation. The program ranges in tone and style, presenting work by iconic artists, while also highlighting local talent. A regional call for submissions will open in February. |