This film is currently unavailable
At the Academy
A found-footage film made entirely from the countdown leader that is normally used to cue the start of films.
Overview
This film makes use of found footage that has been manipulated by hand on a simple home-made contact printer, and processed in a kitchen sink. The same film strip was superimposed and re-printed several times over to create a complex layering of both image and sound. Its raw material and only imagery is the countdown that usually cues the beginning of a film, widely known as Academy leader. At The Academy is representative of the emphasis on film material and process in early films produced at the LFMC, where Guy Sherwin ran the film workshop in the mid-1970s.
Founded in 1966, the London Film-Makers’ Co-operative started life at Better Books, a counter-culture bookshop on Charing Cross Road, where a group led by poet Bob Cobbing and filmmakers Stephen Dwoskin and Jeff Keen met to screen films. Initially inspired by the activities of the New American Cinema Group in New York, the London Co-op grew into a pioneering organisation that incorporated a film workshop, cinema space and distribution office. During its four-decade history, the Co-op played a crucial role in establishing film as an art form in the UK and participated in a vibrant international film scene. This BFI Player collection brings together new scans of films distributed by and/or produced at the London Co-op.
Related
Focii Focii
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1975 9 mins Silent
A female dancer performs in front of what appears to be a wall of mirrors until her reflection takes on a life of its own.
Emily (Third Party Speculation) Emily (Third Party Speculation)
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1979 62 mins
Filmed in a closed domestic environment, this film investigates the question of identification and point of view in cinema.
Tea Leaf Tea Leaf
Documentary 1988 8 mins
An intimate account of frustration and disarray in 1980s Britain from the point of view of a young woman.
Spot the Microdot Spot the Microdot
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1969 8 mins
An unprintable film, handmade by punching holes into an opaque 16mm strip.
Guerillere Talks Guerillere Talks
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1978 24 mins
Six film portraits of women associated with the punk music scene in 1970s New York.
Blind White Duration Blind White Duration
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1968 13 mins Silent
Interaction between a blank white screen and filmed snow.
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.