Stan Brakhage

Stan Brakhage (1933–2003) was an American filmmaker born in Kansas City, Missouri. He was described by various artists, including Jonas Mekas, as one of the greatest exponents of 20th-century avant-garde cinema.

After spending his childhood in Colorado, Brakhage studied briefly at the renowned Dartmouth College, but decided to drop out to direct his own films, the first of which was Interim (1952) He spent some time living in San Francisco, before settling in New York, where he became part of an artistic community comprising Maya Deren, Jonas Mekas, Willard Maas and Marie Menken, amongst others. Throughout his career, he developed a style rich in experimentation, using techniques such as painting and scratching the film stock, collage, rapid editing and handheld camerawork. Despite his undeniable talent, Stan Brakhage was unable to make a living from his films and faced considerable financial difficulties throughout his life.

In 1958, shortly after marrying Mary Jane Collom (with whom he had five children), he took part in EXPRMNTL 2, with six films in competition. At the festival, he received the Prix du Jury de Sélection for the ensemble of his of work. He returned to EXPRMNTL for its third edition in 1963.