Experimental Curator: The Sally Dixon Story 2022
Distributed by Documentary Educational Resources, 108 Water Street, 5A, Watertown, MA 02472; 617-926-0491
Produced by Brigid Maher, Alexander “Zander” Dixon, Emmy Vadnais, Erik Vadnais, and Zahra Ahmed
Directed by Brigid Maher
Streaming, 56 mins
High School - General Adult
Art History; Biography; Experimental Films
Date Entered: 11/30/2023
Reviewed by Dorian Bowen, Archivist/Film HistorianThis biopic shares the story of a champion of avant-garde cinema and her life’s work, facilitating greater appreciation for experimental filmmaking.
An artist and painter, Dixon’s penchant for film began when she started to shoot her own home movies. In part thanks to her familial connections, she began working at the Carnegie Museum of Art, but was disappointed to see film - “the 20th century art form” - underrepresented alongside the other visual arts. She suggested to the museum director the addition of a film department whereupon she was appointed curator of the new program, one of the first museum film screening series in the country.
From 1970 onward, Dixon’s influence and stewardship in the world of independent filmmaking flourished. As host of the museum’s screenings, she was often mediator between viewers interested in embracing non-linear storytelling and the genre’s unorthodox content. Her encouragement of patrons to enjoy avant-garde film, combined with her own curiosity for new works, made experimental film more accessible to an increasing range of audiences.
Dixon also supported the filmmaking community far beyond the selection of films and backing of individual careers, from workshops to opportunities to share expensive equipment to initiating networking tools. As her expertise in the field grew so did her reputation on a national level, and her advice and perspective on new works was sought across the country.
Experimental Curator: The Sally Dixon Story is recommended. It is a forthright telling of an underappreciated figure at the crux of an artistic movement who worked tirelessly with open-mindedness and sincerity to benefit avant-garde voices then and now. Art History, Film Studies, and Women’s Studies curricula especially will find inspiration in Dixon’s dedication and advocacy.
Awards:Winner, Best Feature Documentary Film, Doc.Boston Documentary Film Festival (2022); Award Winner, Toronto International Women Film Festival; Award Winner, Stockholm City Film Festival; Semifinalist, Berlin International Art Film Festival; Honorable Mention, UFVA Conference (2022)
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