Photos from Friday’s opening-night ceremony at the iconic Cinema Village! VAEFF25 kicked off with previews of films screening throughout the weekend, followed by everyone socializing over wine and cheese.
Stay tuned for more photos throughout the weekend — coming to VIDEOART.NET soon!
An Evening in the spotlight with Kalup Linzy and James Franco
Kalup Linzy and James Franco shared the stage for a live discussion moderated by Mark Alpert, following the screening of Kalup Linzy’s body of work, including the New York premiere of The Real Housewives of Tulsa. It was an amazing moment to reflect on the remarkable collaboration between Kalup Linzy and James Franco.
Thank you to the Tulsa Artist Fellowship for making this extraordinary night possible.
For more photos, check out Videoart.net
Check out more photos on VIDEOART.net
VAEFF25 was a tremendous success! It was incredible to see all the artists’ films showcased at the iconic Cinema Village.
Here’s a quick recap of the weekend’s Q&A panels—and a huge thank you to everyone who came out and supported VAEFF25.
Check out more photos on VIDEOART.NET
AMARA is a project unfolding across music, film, performance and installation.
The short film emerges from the same conceptual ground as the homonymous EP, reworking its material through voice and text.
The work unfolds through a series of monologues that displace the relationship between daughter, mother, and body. The voice does not originate from the figure on screen, but hovers above it, producing distance and fragmentation.
Two recurring figures appear as internal presences, embodying states of repression and emotional paralysis. What unfolds is not narrative, but a process of internal collapse.
The project extends into live and performative formats, where sound, body and spatial elements are activated in real time.
Honorable Mention — Video Art & Experimental Film Festival (VAEFF), New York
Screening — The Factory, London
Screening — Ultra Cinema Film Festival, Ferrara
Screening — Livida Lab, Bologna
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music @pelussje + me
humanoids @ele.urbanetto / @alice_devecchi / @pelussje / @arturo.devecchi
mua @gisartistry
photo @nnikes + @_lauph_
cover art direction @nnikes + me
legs @mixgender
Last week was one for the books.
The XVII squad went out to NYC for VAEFF’s 15th year, and our film The Whole of Loneliness was officially selected for the category “The City, Loneliness, and Forbidden Desire.”
Huge thank you to @vaeff for the love, the platform, and the experience.
Shoutout to the incredible filmmakers, such an inspiring group. Being surrounded by so many creatives reminded us why we do this.
And the biggest love to our own team for an unforgettable weekend in the city.
Hearts full. Batteries recharged.
More stories on the way. 🎥💫
Introducing: The “Between Fashion and Music” program. “What lies between fashion and music? A vast spectrum of works that value style and aesthetic, whether visual or auditory. Now in its ninth edition, this programme has become a role and opportunity that I truly cherish. It allows me to share with you my perspective on some of the most influential recent video works in fashion and music. Mind you, this isn’t intended as a ‘Best of Music and Fashion Films 2025’, but rather a reflection of my current curatorial voice across these worlds. ” – Niccolo Montanari
Niccolo Montanari has been a VAEFF Guest Curator since 2016. He is the founder of Curation Hour, a platform that amplifies the voices of filmmakers through curated screenings with partner festivals, online features, and network building.
Cover Image: UNICO UNO directed by Riccardo Minari
Films:
Stasis directed by Griffin Gl
endinning
Loneliness Doesn’t Come Alone directed
by Amanda Valle
Needle and Light directed by Felicia Manning
Face Tweak directed by Bianca Poletti
The Sound of Burning Man directed by BONAMAZE
UNO (and all the other numbers) directed by Leone
VALERIA directed by Genís Baró
heart shaped bed - BED directed by Andrea Crisci
Bodily Renaissance directed by Claudia Lee
Patterns from Nature (Movement III: Cracks) directed by Quinsin Nachoff and Gita Blak
Get tickets now by clicking the link in our bio, or visiting videoart.net
Introducing: The “Something is wrong… very wrong” program represents our struggle to perceive the eerie, unstable and seemingly unpredictable state of our present world.
Cover Image: 12th House directed by Ilona Laboy and Israel Laboy
Films:
This Unremarkable Life directed by jake j brush
A Frog Sits In Water directed by Dylan Friese-Greene
Shame directed by Jason Gottlieb
Fried Eggs and Rockets directed by Holly Veselka
Drɵn Iz Vineniy directed by Alexander Popov
A Parable directed by Jeremiah Dickey
Unparalleled directed by Jessye McDowell
The Future is Virtual directed by Michael Mackenzie
Get tickets now by clicking the link in our bio, or visiting videoart.net
Trailer for my film SUBJECT OF DESIRE, which will be premiering at @vaeff tonight at Cinema Village!
Moses, a seasonal worker on Fire Island, navigates the tempestuous waters of pleasure and connection in a journey to become an artist seen on their own terms.
Director - Benett Holgerson @ben__ett
Starring - Moses Leonardo @versaceshortie
Written by - Moses Leonardo and Benett Holgerson
Editor - Benett Holgerson
Director of photography - Benett Holgerson
Title design - Jamie Steele Griffiths @jamie___steele
Music - Oskar Blake @w_o_u_o_m
Colorist - Pat Fitzgerald @pat.fitzgerald.color
Sound design - Alex Symcox @alexsymcox
Sound recording - Benett Holgerson
Five films from directors we proudly represent are headed to @vaeff 2025, one of NYC’s most daring and innovative showcases of video art and experimental film.
Selected Films: LA SOLEDAD NO VIENE SOLA — @ama.valle FAIRGROUND — @brrygood PATTERNS FROM NATURE — @quinsingram NEEDLE AND LIGHT — @feliciamvnning THE SOUND OF BURNING MAN — @bonamaze
Catch them at Cinema Village, Nov 14–16, as VAEFF enters its 15th year celebrating bold, boundary-pushing work.
#VAEFF #VAEFF2025 #NYCFilm #VideoArt #ExperimentalFilm
Introducing: “The City, Loneliness, & Forbidden Desire” program. Set to the pulse of urban life, this program brings together dark comedies, music videos, and experimental narratives that explore isolation, connection, and longing. Moving through restless nights, subway rides, blurred memories, and fleeting encounters, the films capture an ongoing search for meaning, craving, and desire—flowing between the city’s crowded streets and the quiet intimacy of its interior apartments.
Cover Image: After Hours directed by Tyra Galiyeva
Films:
WORK DRAINS MY SOUL, but I love it directed by Tyra Galiyeva
Dear Kevin directed by Kate Ferguson
Super Sweet directed by Noora Fahad and Eduarda Aun Anguita
Don’t Believe What’s On TV directed by Genevieve Ferns
I Wish I Could Blame It on Someone directed by Mathilde Brandi
The Whole Of Loneliness directed by Manan “Taizu” Pandya
Their eyes were moving directed by Carlos Yamil
Dark Bunny directed by Will Miller
Get tickets now by clicking the link in our bio, or visiting videoart.net
Presenting the trailer for “Processing” directed by Antwan Williams screening Sunday, November 16, 2:00-4:00pm during the “Fragmented World” program at Cinema Village.
Get tickets now by clicking the link in our bio, or visiting videoart.net
