This month Shadow Kitchen features a handful of Cinematographer + Director duos, with a screening and conversation moderated by Ava Benjamin Shorr and Anderson Matthew. We’ll dive into the relationship of the Cinematographer and the Director, how they shape their projects, and each other’s roles.
We’re excited to get a peek into the process of recent work by the artists Andrew Thomas Huang, Laura Merians Gonçalves, Sam Stone, Ava Benjamin Shorr, and more!
Venue Change! This month we’re partnering with Heavy Manners Library in Echo Park for our first time as this month’s host of Shadow Kitchen.
We’re excited to have you join us! See you next week at Heavy Manners! Thursday, August 15, 6:30 PM Doors, 7:00PM Show at Heavy Manners Library.
ARIST BIOS
Writer-director Andrew Thomas Huang crafts hybrid fantasy worlds and mythical dreamscapes. A Grammy-nominated music video director, Huang’s collaborators include Bjork, FKA Twigs and Thom Yorke among others. His films have been commissioned by and exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, NY, The Sydney Opera House and the Museum of Contemporary Art, LA. Huang also directs for film and TV, including an episode of Terence Nance’s Random Acts of Flyness Season 2 on HBO. Inspired by his Chinese heritage, queer Asian mythology and folklore, Huang is in late development on his feature film TIGER GIRL which has received support from Film Independent, SFFILM, Cinereach and the Sundance Institute. Huang graduated with a degree in Fine Art and Animation from the University of Southern California. Website & Instagram
Laura Merians Gonçalves latest project, Dead Ringers is the modern adaptation of David Cronenberg’s 1988 psychosexual thriller. The Emmy nominated Amazon Prime six-part series dives into the world of identical twin gynecologists, played in dual roles by Academy Award-winning actor, Rachel Weisz. Produced by Alice Birch, Sean Durkin and Annapurna. Gonçalves’ most notable work includes her role as DP on the award-winning drama Pacified (aka Pacicado), produced by Darren Aronofsky. Her work on the film resulted in her winning the Jury Prize for Best Cinematography at the prestigious San Sebastián International Film Festival, making her the first woman in the history of the festival to ever win this award. Pacified also won the Cinematographers’ Debut Competition at the Cameraimage Film Festival. Gonçalves has also worked as a Director of Photography on Beyonce’s highly anticipated film, Black is King, as well as on HBO’s acclaimed series Gnera+ion. Her music video work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art NY, PS1, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and the Tate Modern in London. Gonçalves’ served as a mentor at the Sundance Lab as well as the mentorship program for The International Cinematographers Guild. She was selected as a Rising Star of the ASC. Website & Instagram
Ava Benjamin Shorr is a Director of Photography whose work is influenced by fine art, skate videos, 90s Magic: the Gathering cards, and art-house film. Her most recent credit is 2AM/Killer Films’ OMNI LOOP (SXSW 2024), directed by Bernardo Britto and starring Ayo Edebiri and Mary-Louise Parker. Other credits include: DISCLOSURE (Sundance 2020, Netflix), FRAMING AGNES (Sundance 2022, Kino Lober), and EQUAL for HBO/Max. Ava was awarded an ASC Vision Mentorship with Rachel Morrison, ASC (Black Panther, Mudbound), and is a participant of The Sundance Institute’s Reframe Rise program. She also co-hosts the popular Cinematography Salon podcast, which has over 45k followers on Instagram. Website & Instagram
Sam Stone is a director based in Los Angeles with a background in advertising, music, and fashion. Website & Instagram
Daniel Henry’s projects often come from a narrative place. His unique approach, marked by a blend of matter of factness, irony, and absurdity, breathes life into every story he tells. Daniel’s ability to elevate the ordinary is a testament to his meticulous aesthetic and keen sense of humor. A figure in the commercial and music video industry, Daniel boasts an impressive portfolio, having collaborated with virtually every major music label. His projects have garnered millions of views worldwide, a true testament to their artistic appeal. Recognized for his exceptional work, Daniel has earned multiple Vimeo Staff Picks and has been prominently featured on esteemed platforms such as Booooom, Rolling Stone, Shots, Directors Library, and OnePointFour. Website & Instagram
Dustin Lane grew up in the southern city of Chattanooga, TN. Taking an interest in visual art of all kinds since early childhood, he began to focus on photography and cinematography in his late teens. Working his way up in the camera department, Dustin began cultivating his style with like-minded young filmmakers. Developing a narrative look within the music video and commercial world lead to shooting his first feature film ‘Dayveon’ (Sundance ’17, Berlinale ’17) in rural Arkansas with director Amman Abassi. Continued work in the commercial and narrative space has garnered recognition from international awards to premieres at various film festivals including SXSW, Vancouver, Tribeca. His latest feature film ‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ directed by Rachel Lambert and starring Daisy Ridley premiered at Sundance 2023. Dustin is represented by Iconic Talent Agency for narrative and commercial work in the US, and Cosmic Agency abroad. Website & Instagram
MODERATOR BIOS
Ava Benjamin Shorr is a Director of Photography whose work is influenced by fine art, skate videos, 90s Magic: the Gathering cards, and art-house film. Her most recent credit is 2AM/Killer Films’ OMNI LOOP (SXSW 2024), directed by Bernardo Britto and starring Ayo Edebiri and Mary-Louise Parker. Other credits include: DISCLOSURE (Sundance 2020, Netflix), FRAMING AGNES (Sundance 2022, Kino Lorber), and EQUAL for HBO/Max. Ava was awarded an ASC Vision Mentorship with Rachel Morrison, ASC (Black Panther, Mudbound), and is a participant of The Sundance Institute’s Reframe Rise program. She also co-hosts the popular Cinematography Salon podcast, which has over 45k followers on Instagram. Website & Instagram
Anderson Matthew is a visual artist working in film, video, and publishing whose work seeks ecstatic states through a queer perspective. He is the writer and director of the feature film BAJA COME DOWN, the short film LAS GITANAS and has directed various short fiction, experimental, documentary and opera films that have screened and been exhibited internationally. As an editor, he’s worked on various short films, music videos, in TV and on feature films including the upcoming directors cut of the cult classic GYPSY 83 (dir. Todd Stephens), and with Pavli Serenetsky (aka Brielle Brilliant) on their upcoming sophomore film, MBP. Anderson is co-creator and programmer of Shadow Kitchen, a Los Angeles filmmaker collaborative. He holds a BFA from Chapman University, and is currently based in Los Angeles, CA. Website & Instagram
Ticket Link: Eventbrite
August 15, 2024 at Heavy Manners Library – Doors: 6:30pm Show: 7pm Location Address: 1200 N Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Heavy Manners Library is a lending library, gallery, and bookstore that seeks to provide a space for developing, sharing, and discussing artwork and creative practice.