Basement Films

Basement Films Serving up experimental, undependent, and under-represented film and video since 1991 There Basement Films houses a collection of roughly 8,000 orphaned films.

Basement Films is a nonprofit, volunteer-run microcinema for experimental, undependent, and under-represented forms of film and video making. We serve as a resource for artists, filmmakers, and students interested in exploring new approaches to moving image art. Our headquarters are located at the UNM Cinematic Arts Department building out at Mesa del Sol, in the yawning desert just south of the ABQ airport. The collection consists of 16mm educational films and religious films, 8mm films an home movies, 35 film slides, and educational filmstrips dating mostly from the 1950's through 1980's. We are very happy to be partnered with UNM Cinematic Arts Department, who are so graciously providing a clean, well-lighted place for this collection. Every April, Basement Films produces Experiments in Cinema: a film festival that celebrates recent trends in international cinematic experimentation. This 5-day event consists of film screenings, lectures, workshops, and thoughtful dialogue, always. http://www.experimentsincinema.com/

For all our pals who will be in the NYC area in the coming weeks, please check out Toney Merritt's brilliant and much de...
09/15/2026

For all our pals who will be in the NYC area in the coming weeks, please check out Toney Merritt's brilliant and much deserved retrospective at Anthology Film Archives.

📽️CALL FOR FILMS! 📽️Submissions for the 2027 edition of Experiments in Cinema open now through November 1st.Seeking expe...
08/02/2026

📽️CALL FOR FILMS! 📽️Submissions for the 2027 edition of Experiments in Cinema open now through November 1st.

Seeking experimental essay films, film poems, portrait films, structural films, post-structural films, post-post-structural film, underground films, abstract films, experimental narratives, experimental documentaries, transgressive films, dance films, political rant films, video installations, expanded cinema performances, and more.

Submit through FilmFreeway:
www.filmfreeway.com/experimentsincinema

Experiments in Cinema strives to create an artist-centered, collaborative and critically engaged experience for all our attendees. We remain committed to paying screening fees to all included artists.

Experiments in Cinema v22.3 will take place April 15-18, 2027 in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the .cinema. The festival will be viewable online from April 29-May 11, 2027.

Huge thank you to MoMAZoZo for hosting us for a screening of Hell or Hot Water and other experimental films at the Lyric...
07/27/2026

Huge thank you to MoMAZoZo for hosting us for a screening of Hell or Hot Water and other experimental films at the Lyric Theater this past weekend! Paula Wilson, Visual Artist based in Carrizozo, New Mexico and Mike Lagg have created such a magical space and event series in Carrizozo, and we had a blast spending time with them. Thanks to the Carrizozo community members for welcoming us coming out to watch the program!

We’re excited to share a program of films at the historical Lyric Theater at MoMAZoZo in Carrizozo, NM on Friday, July 2...
07/15/2026

We’re excited to share a program of films at the historical Lyric Theater at MoMAZoZo in Carrizozo, NM on Friday, July 24th at HIGH NOON!

The screening will feature Hell or Hot Water (2025) as well as short films by members of the Hot Tub Western Ensemble and 16mm films from the Basement Films 📽🎞🎥📼📽 archive. Flute Loops, an anarchic amateur flute ensemble, will perform a live musical score. This event is FREE!

Hell or Hot Water (2025) is an experimental “hot tub western,” created by an ensemble of New Mexico based artists (many of whom are members of Basement Films!) and filmed in Truth or Consequences, NM. The film is an irreverent reimagining of the western genre, playing with the familiar vocabulary of Hollywood - saloon, showdown, dust, card game, fate, death - to create a dreamy camp pastiche. The project took inspiration from such films as Andy Warhol’s Lonesome Cowboys (1968), Kenneth Anger’s Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954), and Sheila Page’s Women’s Happy Time Commune (1972).

We hope to see you there! 💦

Friday, July 24, 2026
12pm
503 12th St
Carrizozo, NM

Last Day of Experiments in Cinema v21.5!!! Full Sunday of film programs, all showing at the . Experiment 10 - 1:00 - 2:...
04/19/2026

Last Day of Experiments in Cinema v21.5!!!
Full Sunday of film programs, all showing at the .

Experiment 10 - 1:00 - 2:00pm (99 Ho**er live)
Experiment 11 - 2:45 - 4:15pm (EXiS Festival)
Experiment 12 - 4:45 - 6:15pm (Dance on Film)
Experiment 13 - 7:45 - 8:45pm

Conversations with the filmmakers after each program. Filmmakers present with films showing today!

99 Ho**er
Rosie Trump
John Akre
Mark Street
David Sherman .sherman.560

Full program information at experimentincinema.org. For those outside of Albuquerque, programs will be viewab le online April 28 - May 10, pay what you want.

Day 3 of Experiments in Cinema v21.5! A beautiful Saturday for experimental cinema! All programs at the . Experiment 8 -...
04/18/2026

Day 3 of Experiments in Cinema v21.5!
A beautiful Saturday for experimental cinema! All programs at the .

Experiment 8 - 4:30 - 6:00 (Q***r X 3.0)
Experiment 9 - 7:30 - 9:00

Conversations with the filmmakers after each program. Filmmakers present with films showing today!

Peggy Ahwesh
Csanad Baksa-Soos .baksasoos
Rebecca Barten
Lily Greene .b.greene
Toney Merritt
Rankin Renwick

Full program information at experimentincinema.org. For those outside of Albuquerque, programs will be viewable online April 28 - May 10, pay what you want.

Day 2 of Experiments in Cinema v21.5! All programs at the Experiment 4 - 1:00 - 1:45pmExperiment 5 - 2:30 - 4:00pmExper...
04/17/2026

Day 2 of Experiments in Cinema v21.5!
All programs at the

Experiment 4 - 1:00 - 1:45pm
Experiment 5 - 2:30 - 4:00pm
Experiment 6 - 4:45 - 6:00pm
Experiment 7 - 7:30 - 9:00pm

Conversations with the filmmakers after each program. Filmmakers present with films showing today!

Alison Johnson
Lynne Sachs
Nina Fonoroff
Rebecca Barten
Dominic Angerame

Full program information at experimentincinema.org. For those outside of Albuquerque, programs will be viewable online April 28 - May 10, pay what you want

Day 1 of 4 of Experiments in Cinema v21.5! A full Thursday afternoon of artist films from around the world, all screeni...
04/16/2026

Day 1 of 4 of Experiments in Cinema v21.5!

A full Thursday afternoon of artist films from around the world, all screening at the beloved Guild Cinema. $10 for a full day pass. Grab popcorn, grab a program, and open your mind to the experiments!

Experiment 1 - 2:00 - 4:00pm
Experiment 2 - 5:30 - 7:00pm
Experiment 3 - 7:45 - 9:15pm

Conversations with the filmmakers after each program. Filmmakers present with films showing today!

Susan DeLeo susan deleo
Mélissa Faivre
Salise Hughes Salise Hughes
Heidi Kumao Heidi Kumao
James Lawrence fredricksbrooke
Diane Noreen Diane Nerwen
Lynn Silverman
Yinan Wang Yinan Wang
Kit Young Kit Young

Full program information at experimentincinema.org. For those outside of Albuquerque who can’t attend in person, all programs will be viewable online April 28 - May 10, pay what you want.

More tomorrow….

Highlights EICv21.5 Experiment 13 Sunday, April 18 at 7:45-8:45 Film stills: 🎞 “BETTER LIGHTING” by Kathryn Ramey🎞 “Spi...
04/16/2026

Highlights EICv21.5 Experiment 13
Sunday, April 18 at 7:45-8:45

Film stills:
🎞 “BETTER LIGHTING” by Kathryn Ramey
🎞 “Spirit Away” by Sally Cloninger
🎞 “Prefer Not To Say” by Tommy Becker

All programs screen at the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque. $10 for a full day pass.
Full program details at experimentsincinema.org

EIC special program spotlight: Dance On Screen, curated by Rosie TrumpSunday, April 19 at 4:45 - 6:15 pm at the A progra...
04/15/2026

EIC special program spotlight:
Dance On Screen, curated by Rosie Trump
Sunday, April 19 at 4:45 - 6:15 pm at the

A program of recent short films from the Third Coast Dance Film Festival curated by Rosie Trump. The Third Coast Dance Film Festival celebrates the intersection of contemporary dance and the moving image with a screening series of short dance films. They program films that reflect diversity in genre, form, and representation.This program is supported by the University of Nevada, Reno with grant support from the College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Film stills:
🎞 “the window kind of opens by itself” by Rebecca Salzer/Anya Cloud
🎞 “Sueño de Obsidiana (Obsidian Dream)” by Scotty Hardwig/Claudia Lavista

All programs screen at the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque, NM. $10 for a full day pass.
Full program details at experimentsincinema.org

Address

1415 4th St SW
Albuquerque, NM
87102

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