One of the more intriguing traditions of the New York Film Festival is its commitment to showcase experimental work that often goes neglected in the go-go atmosphere of the film business. Now in its 11th year, Views From The Avant-Garde is a treasure trove of new ideas, new media and inspiration from visual artists looking to smash tradition and test the horizons of the new.

Most of the films and video pieces presented this weekend are short form, and have been bundled under the elegiac titles of “Times of the Signs” and “Still Wave”. These mainly showcase the works of contemporary experimenters who are working with visual formats and stylistic imperatives that make their work a mix of stimulation and visual acuity.

The sidebar is also paying tribute to some giants of American experimental cinema, in particular the late Bruce Conner, who died this past summer. Conner was a kind of film sculptor, molding his pieces from a mix of found footage and original work to create some of the most mind-bending film poetry.

Another classic of the genre is also being shown. In Girum Imus Nocte Et Consumir Igni, a 1978 essay film by the French avant-guardist Guy Debord, is also a provocative piece of work, revisiting themes about the false values of consumer society and the passion for aestheticism and political commitment.

Audiences with a taste for the unique and the challenging will find many hidden treasures as Views From The Avant-Garde spools this weekend at the Walter Reade Theater.

Sandy Mandelberger, New York FF Dailies Editor