Godfather of avant-garde cinema JONAS MEKAS: FILM and Q&A

Jonas Mekas 100! program is a joint international collaboration between leading art and cinema organizations, curators, and publishers. It celebrates the life and work of Jonas Mekas, one of Lithuania’s most prominent cultural figures of the 20th and 21st centuries and a global cultural phenomenon in his own right, considered by many to be the “godfather of avant-garde cinema.”

This centennial celebration, Jonas Mekas 100!, seeks to expand global recognition of his work and encourage a deeper exploration of Mekas’ prolific contributions to cinema, film criticism, cultural organization, and his body of poems and prose.

The centennial program features over 50 events in an expanding list of countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The vast scope of Mekas’ contribution to global culture is examined through film screenings and retrospectives, exhibitions, readings, workshops, new publications and translations of Mekas’ writings, and concerts celebrating the spirit of his work, among other events.

Lithuanian Film Festival in New Zealand will join the celebration of Jonas Mekas’ centennial year with two films and virtual discussion and a Q&A session after the screening.

IN BETWEEN, Dir. Jonas Mekas (1978, 52 min)
JONAS KEEPS SHOOTING AROUND, Dir. Pip Chodorov (2002, 11min)
Virtual Q&A with Pip Chodorov - a filmmaker, curator, Jonas Mekas’ friend after the screening.

We invite you to visit jonasmekas.com and jonasmekas100.com for comprehensive information on Jonas Mekas’ biography and works.

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Supported by the Lithuanian Foundation and the Lithuanian Days Aotearoa.