School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents the MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Thesis Screening 2024, a film screening of works by four graduates of the class of 2024: Anastasia Caulfield, Guanyu Liu, Jiani Wang, and Royee Weng. The screening will take place on Tuesday, September 3rd at the SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, New York City. Doors will open to the public at 5:30pm, with the screening beginning at 6:30pm.

The lens and screen arts are arguably the most ubiquitous form of creative expression today, and these four films explore the range of possibilities that today’s young video artists can make. Our department explores all elements of the moving image, from the real-world documentary to the experimental.

Grahame Weinbren, celebrated video innovator and senior video faculty member says this, “Each of these moving image projects is the culmination of a full year of focused conceptual, technical, often lonely, but ultimately rewarding effort. Though at first the four films may appear divergent in subject, genre and style, there is a common thread. Each represents an honest, personal quest of great significance to the filmmaker, which at the same time is current and urgent to the culture at large. I am proud to have worked with the four artists as they each mapped their own path through the development of these four unique works of cinema.”

Root Note (23 min) by Anastasia Caulfield is a freeform documentary that engages with an independent and performative group of people who congregate primarily in the nightlife of Union Square, New York. The camera is the vehicle that helps capture the art form of freestyle music. Root Note is a personal and artistic endeavor reflecting on the ongoing pursuit to find community for the artist herself while navigating the spontaneous interactions of the eclectic atmosphere.

SUMMER NANA (39:29 min) by Guanyu Liu is a documentary of his elderly grandmother on a journey together full of warmth and memories. The film deeply shows the roots of family and the deep affection that evokes the audience’s attachment to the nature of family and homeland. It is the story of the recent evolution of China.

Touch the Touch, From Far Away (32:05 min) by Jiani Wang is a hybrid film blending documentary and fiction, exploring the authenticity of both human-to-human and human-to-machine communication and connections. Jiani navigates the modern terrain of modern communication from chatbots to AI and everything in-between.

to pierce the wound, softly (30:02 min) by Royee Weng is a piece about the joy of her healing, the embodied self and generational trauma. It is a practice in connecting and community building as well as ritual healing.

Schedule:
Doors Open: 5:30PM
Event Start: 6:30PM

Ticket Information:
Click here to purchase tickets and for more information.