All F****d Up
(1983),
send-up of sex-ed and social hygiene films by Heather McAdams
(2021 Federal Grants).
Autre fois, j’ai aimé une femme (Once I Loved a Woman)
(1966),
fragmentary experimental film by Edward Owens, dedicated to Gregory Markopoulos
(2019 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).
Bathroom
(1969),
Fred Camper’s structural film study of a boarding house restroom
(2019 Federal Grants).
Better Be Careful
(1986),
personal film by Heather McAdams that mines educational films, kung-fu features, home movies, and industrial reels, punctuated with scratch animation captions to espouse a litany of denunciations
(2025 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).
The City of Dreams
(1983),
70mm cityscape made for the “Here’s Chicago” exhibit at the town’s Water Tower Pumping Station
(2020 Federal Grants).
Come to a Point Like an Ice Cream Cone
(1995),
documentary on early 20th century circus and sideshow culture by Heather McAdams and Chris Ligon
(2021 Federal Grants).
Corn’s-A-Poppin’
(1955),
independent feature showcasing Kansas City’s musical talent, cowritten by Robert Altman
(2013 Federal Grants).
Dan Potter
(1969),
film critic Fred Camper’s experimental study of an acquaintance in relation to the natural world
(2016 Federal Grants).
Demon Lover Diary
(1980),
Joel DeMott’s caustic behind-the-scenes documentary on the production of a low-budget horror film
(2023 Federal Grants).
Doll Messengers of Friendship
(1929),
documentation of a 1920s doll exchange between the U.S. and Japan, initiated by the Committee on World Friendship Among Children
(2019 Federal Grants).
The Dream
(1978),
Heather McAdams’s surrealist parody of a psychodrama featuring original and reappropriated footage
(2025 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).
Dr. Loomis
(1978),
student film by Heather McAdams that humorously depicts an eccentric doctor’s advice for breast growth using recontextualized sound and scratch animation
(2025 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).
The Editor’s Notebook
(1950),
promotional film about the Chicago Daily News in its Pulitzer Prize–winning heyday
(2017 Federal Grants).
Play film
Fetal Pig Anatomy
(1989),
Heather McAdams’s found footage montage of atomic test footage and animal dissection
(2021 Federal Grants).
Harmony
(1991),
abstract depiction of the hustle and bustle of the Loop in Chicago by Tatsu Aoki
(2024 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).
Holiday Magic
(1985),
Heather McAdams’s satirical collage of hair care and beauty product commercials
(2021 Federal Grants).
Joe Was Not So Happy
(1990),
Heather McAdams’s film made from an educational film about tadpoles growing into frogs set to a recontextualized soundtrack about teenage guilt
(2003 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).
The Lester Film
(1992),
Heather McAdams and Chris Ligon’s experimental profile of artist and drag performer Lester Brodzik, aka Lestushka
(2021 Federal Grants).
Meet…Bradley Harrison Picklesimer
(1988),
Heather McAdams’s experimental portrait of the gender-bending owner of a Kentucky drag bar
(2022 Avant-Garde Masters Grants ).
Mr. Glenn W. Turner
(1990),
found footage film by Heather McAdams comedically juxtaposing a soundtrack from a motivational album called Dare To Be Great! with images of struggle, misfortune, disaster, and calamity
(2025 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).
A Musical Mixup
(ca.1928),
silent comedy produced by the Weiss Brothers starring Jimmy Aubrey and Bud Duncan
(2024 Federal Grants).
My Postcard Collection
(1999),
animated film by Heather McAdams setting selections from her extensive postcard collection to “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Hank Snow
(2025 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).
Private Imaginings and Narrative Facts
(1968),
Edward Owens’s lyrical montage exploration of the lives of his mother Mildred and her social circle
(2019 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).
Remembrance: A Portrait Study
(1967),
Edward Owens’s avant-garde home movie of his mother Mildred at home with her friends
(2019 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).
The Scratchman
(1980),
found footage parody of industrial filmmaking by Heather McAdams
(2021 Federal Grants).
The Scratchman II
(1982),
Heather McAdams’s second found footage parody of industrial filmmaking
(2021 Federal Grants).
Share the Care
(1941),
public service announcement to dissuade littering, produced by the Chicago Park District
(2024 Federal Grants).
SN
(1976–84),
Fred Camper’s feature-length experimental Super 8mm portrait of New York City
(2025 Federal Grants).
The Space Cadets
(1979),
found footage film by Heather McAdams ironically pairing the soundtrack from a 1950’s children’s television show with disparate images of combat, atomic weapons tests, and other footage in a playful critique of American imperialism
(2025 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).
The Spider and the Fly
(1938),
one of the earliest surviving American home movies with synchronous sound
(2018 Federal Grants).
Play film
Tomorrow’s Promise
(1967),
psychosexual exploration of “vacantness,” visualized through a series of flickering portraits by Edward Owens
(2019 Avant-Garde Masters Grants).