On Sunday, April 17, Pro Arts Gallery (150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza) will be christening its newest programming series, Pro Arts Cinema Matinees, with a sort of baptism. The free series will be curated by Oakland filmmaker, archivist, and Black Hole Cinemateque founder Tooth and will feature screenings of experimental and alternative films supported by discussions with the filmmaker, artist, or curator. The first event, entitled Elemental Forces: Water Signs, will showcase two cinematic water rituals by filmmakers Peter Hutton and Will Hindle. Described by the gallery: “As California begins our hopeful emergence from years of historic drought into the embraces of the seasonal deluge, we take time to look at the work of two filmmakers who cast their lens to the realms of the aquatic with different meditations on the elements as both a chaotic and ordering force.” Hutton’s piece, Skagafjörður, pairs landscape shots of northern Iceland with images of the Hudson River. Meanwhile, Hindle’s film Watersmith focuses on the freedom of bodies moving through water, as if flying. Both films will be shown on 16mm prints provided by the Canyon Cinema Foundation.
