A POTENTIALITY (2020, digital, 16mm film, 16 minutes)
Winner of the Alice Guy Prize Special Mention at FID Marseille 2020. Notes from the Jury: A film which meticulously reflects upon the materiality of time following specific histories. While focusing on details, the images prevent us from accessing the whole. This gesture reflects the subject where voice has been violently stripped from the people, left silenced. The Special Mention for Prix Alice Guy goes to “A POTENTIALITY” by Dana Berman Duff.
A POTENTIALITY is a continuation of my interest in using film to shoot printed material, as in the Catalogue series. I'm especially interested in the equivalence of the film grain to the halftone print dot at the base level of the construction of reproduced image and language.
This piece is built on a graphic project by Susan Silton in which she reprinted five pages of the New York Times from the 1930s. Her project has a disturbing resemblance to present day newspaper reports.
Opera "The Emperor of Atlantis" composed in 1944 by Viktor Ulmann, libretto by Peter Kien.
2-MINUTE TRAILER
NEWS
August 16 – September 28, 2025
The Universe Breathes Us, Collaborative installation (as Relational) with Shirley Tse at Kling & Bang, Reykjavik, Iceland
August 12–18, 2024
Mimesis Documentary Festival, Boulder Colorado: 3-channel installation of Reading Aloud: What Is Power? by Fred Dewey
April 23 - 27, 2024 (in person), May 4 - 18, 2024 (online)
Experiments in Cinema v18.4., Albuquerque NM: screening of Reading Aloud: What Is Power? by Fred Dewey (short version)
March 9, 2024
La Gaya Scienza, Nice, France: screening of A POTENTIALITY (via FIDMarseille)
August 2023
Jubilee Summer School Brussels: Alternative Learning and Self-organisation, Brussels: screening of Reading Aloud: What Is Power? by Fred Dewey
May 18 to June 20, 2023
London: Arcade Gallery premiere of Reading Aloud: What Is Power? by Fred Dewey in exhibition by Jeremiah Day
12-23 April, 2023
SWEPT AWAY: LOVE LETTER TO A SURROGATE(S), Annenberg Beach House, Los Angeles CA. Curated by Warren Neidich, Anuradha Vikram, and Renée Petropoulos
June 29 to July 19, 2023
Fisura Festival, Mexico City (screening of Catalogue Vol.4)
September 2022 to May 2023
Production of Reading Aloud:What Is Power? by Fred Dewey. Fundraiser and trailer at Beyond Baroque February 23, 2023.
April 18 - 22, 2023 (in person), May 1 - 10, 2023 (online)
Experiments in Cinema v18.4., Albuquerque NM: screening of Catalogue Vol.4
21 & 22 October 2022
Transient Visions: Festival of the Moving Image, Johnson City, NY: screening of Catalogue Volume 10
10, 17, 24 September and 1 October, 2022 and spring 2023
SWEPT AWAY: LOVE LETTER TO A SURROGATE(S), East Hampton NY and Los Angeles CA, curated by Warren Neidich, Anuradha Vikram, and Renée Petropoulos
16–21 August 2022
Rencontres Internationales Berlin, Haus der Kulturen der Welt: A POTENTIALITY
2 to 8 May 2022
Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin, Louvre Museum Paris: A POTENTIALITY
19 March 2022
Q & A with filmmakers at ULTRACinema, Mexico https://streamyard.com/44aub5g3yb
12–21 November 2021
ULTRACinema Film Festival, Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico: Screening of A POTENTIALITY in Spanish
19 November 2021
Interview with Gerry Fialka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j26HXAqbsoo
20–26 October 2021 with live Q & A on October 24, 12pm PDT
Picture More: Inverventions into Filmic Space, curated by Dana Berman Duff for Los Angeles Filmforum. Online at https://www.lafilmforum.org/schedule/fall-2021/picture-more/
26 September – 2 October 2021
FLIGHT | Mostra internazionale del cinema di Genova: Screening of The House Is Empty
17–23 September, 2021 and 16 & 17 October, 2021
25–29 August 2021
Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin: Screening of The House Is Empty
11-17 August 2021
GLAZOK online platform of the Moscow International Experimental Film Festival: Screening of The House Is Empty
1–30 August, 2021
Bogotá Experimental Film Festival: Screening of A POTENTIALITY in Spanish
5–9 July 2021
DAIMON International Film Exhibition, Mexico City: Screening of A POTENTIALITY (Spanish version)
10–13 June, 2021
Onion City Film Festival, Chicago: Screening of A POTENTIALITY
15 May—26 June 2021
Presence Requested, exhibition curated by Cassie Riger, Missiongathering Church, Pasadena: The World Is Round: Sabina Goes video sculpture
1–21 May 2021
Experiments in Cinema, Albuquerque: Screening of The House Is Empty
23–28 February 2021
Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin at the Louvre Museum: The House Is Empty
29–31 January 2021
West Sound Film Festival, Bremerton, Washington: Screening of A POTENTIALITY
9 – 13 December 2020
Alternative Festival of New Film and Video, Belgrade, Serbia: Screening of A POTENTIALITY
November 21 – December 16, 2020
Fisura, International Experimental Film and Video Festival, Mexico City: screening of The House Is Empty
31 October–1 November 2020
Slow Film Festival, Mayfield, East Sussex, UK: Screening of Catalogue Vol.2
14–19 October 2020
Antimatter Film Festival, Vancouver, Canada: screening of The House Is Empty
9-31 October, 2020
La Plata International Independent Film Festival–Festifreak, Buenos Aires, Argentina: screening of A POTENTIALITY
1 October 2020
Festival international Signes de Nuit, Paris: screening The House Is Empty
24 September 2020
A POTENTIALITY was mentioned in a feature article in the LA Times about Susan Silton.
August 2020
Dana Berman Duff is recognized as a Cultural Trailblazer with an award from Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
August 4, 2020 Review of FIDMarseille screening of A POTENTIALITY by Nepheli Gambade in Critikat revue de cinéma.
22–26 July 2020
FID Marseille Film Festival, WINNER OF THE ALICE GUY PRIZE SPECIAL MENTION, UNE POTENTIALITÉ
11 May, 2020
Dana Berman Duff: Re-productions—New Films, REDCAT, Los Angeles — COVID POSTPONED TO SPRING 2022
5 June 2019 Review
Nicholson, Ben, “Wild wonder inside and out at Alchemy 2019,” BFI Sight and Sound
2–5 May 2019
Installation of What Does She See When She Shuts Her Eyes at Alchemy Film Festival, Hawick, Scotland,
16 February 2019
The Dear Friend Closing event for What Does She See When She Shuts Her Eyes (click to hear recording of panel discussion)
Reading by Karen Finley, Performance by A.J. McClenon. Conversation with Stephanie Barber, Phyllis Bramson, Karen Finley,
Matthew Girson, Jefferson Godard, Tracie D. Hall, La Keisha Leek, A.J. McClenon, and Lori Waxman, moderated by Dana Berman Duff
11 Jan –16 Feb 2019
What Does She See When She Shuts Her Eyes, installation by Sabina Ott and Dana Berman Duff, Aspect/Ratio, Chicago
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
30 Oct – 25 Nov 2018
Vol.6 and Volume 10 at Visions in the Nunnery, Bow Arts/Nunnery Gallery, London. (programme launch Thursday 1 November 6-9pm)
24 October 2018
Catalogue and Vol. 6 in What Have We Here: Interiors in Film DWR Showroom San Francisco,
curated by Gina Basso copresented by San Francisco Cinematheque
17–21 September 2018
Catalogue Volume 10, Bideodromo Festival 2018, BilbaoArte Art Production Center, Bilbao, Spain
17–22 July 2018
Catalogue and Catalogue Vol.6, Festival Ecrã at MAM Cinematheque, Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janiero, Brazil
19 April 2018
Your Eye Would Glide Over the Grey 500 Capp Street/David Ireland House, San Francisco (curated SF Cinematheque),
part of the exhibition "School of Chairs"
10–14 April 2018
Experiments in Cinema Film Festival v13, Albuquerque
16-24 September 2019
Screening of What Does She See When She Shuts Her Eyes, Bideodromo Festival 2019, Bilbao, Spain
1–31 March 2018
Traverse Vidéo, Toulouse France, screening of Catalogue Volume 10 (version français). Essay by Simone Dompeyre:
2–4 February 2018
aDifferent Festival, Milwaukee, screening of Catalogue Vol.3 and Catalogue Volume 10
30 Nov–3 Dec 2017
ULTRAcinema Film Festival, Puebla, Mexico, screening of Catalogue Vol.6
13–28 October 2017
Antimatter Film Festival, Victoria, Canada, screening of Catalogue Vol.6
30 September 2017
Echo Park Film Center, solo screening of the Catalogue series.
6–9 July 2017
Tabor International Film Festival, Croatia, Catalogue Vol.6 included in a curated program by Michael Pattison.
24 June–22 July 2017
Deluge Contemporary Art, Victoria BC, Canada. Catalogue Vol.2 will be included in a 5-person gallery
exhibition entitled "Unmade Spaces" curated by Deborah de Boer and Todd Eacrett.
13–18 June 2017
Berlin: Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin New Cinema and Contemporary Art, screening Catalogue Vol.6.
18–23 April 2017
Experiments in Cinema v12.3, Albuquerque, screening Catalogue Vol.6.
22 March, 2017
Martinique Film Festival, Online Festival, screening Catalogue Vol.6.
13–29 March 2017
Paris: Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin at Gaîté Lyrique, screening Catalogue Vol. 6.
2–5 March 2017
Alchemy Film Festival, Hawick, Scotland, screening Catalogue Vol. 2, Catalogue Vol. 3, Catalogue Vol. 4, Catalog Vol.6.
21 October 2016
Antimatter Film Festival, Victoria, Canada, screening of Catalogue Vol. 4
15 October 2016
Transient Visions Festival of the Moving Image, Johnson City New York, screening of Catalogue Vol. 2
15 October 2016
LAM Gallery, Hollywood "Concrete Plastic" KollActiv curated exhibition, Catalogue Vol. 7
7–14 July 2016
EXiS Experimental Film Festival, Seoul, South Korea screens Catalogue Vol. 2
July 2016
LaborBerlin artist collective lab and microcinema, Berlin, Germany, curated by Andrew Kim,
screening of the original film version of Catalogue.
27–29 May 2016
Motivate Underground Film Festival screens Catalogue
5–10 April 2016
Experiments in Cinema Film Festival, Albuquerque, NM, USA, screening of Catalogue Vol. 2
1–3 April 2016
Crossroads Film Festival, San Francisco Cinematheque, USA, screening of Catalogue Vol. 3
17 February 2016
Another Experiment by Women Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, NYC, USA, screening of Catalogue
Jan–May 2016
California 101: Art from the Collection, Design & Architecture Museum, UC Santa Barbara, USA,
16–31 October 2015
Antimatter Media Art Festival, Victoria, Canada, screening of Catalogue Vol. 2
18–20 Sept 2015
Haverhill Experimental Film Festival, Massachusetts USA, screening of Catalogue
August–Sept 2015
Group exhibition, "Black and White Mike," curated by Benjamin Weissman at Center for the Arts Eagle Rock.
Based on the show "B/W" curated by Mike Kelley at Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art in 1985, which included two of my drawings.
15–19 April 2015
Experiments in Cinema Festival, Albuquerque, screening of Catalogue
14–19 April 2015
Internationale Frauenfilmfestival Dortmund | Köln (Dortmund/Cologne International Women's Film Festival)
12 February 2015
Bad Feminism, Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina SK, Canada, screening of Catalogue as part of Material Girls exhibition
February 2015
Feature Interview in Videofocus Journal by STIMART 10:
http://issuu.com/stigmart10press/docs/stigmart_videofocus_special_edition_e674518f8fafe0/16
28–31 January 2015
Onion City Experimental Film Festival, Chicago, screening of Catalogue
15 October 2014
Nathalie Atkinson: "Even in a digital age, catalogues have weight" in Toronto Globe and Mail.
2014 Screenings of “Catalogue,” (16mm film):
- Toronto International Film Festival
- Edinburgh International Film Festival
- EXiS Experimental Film Festival, Seoul, South Korea
- Antimatter Film Festival, Victoria, Canada
- Timishorts Film Festival, Timisoara, Romania
- Cairo Video Festival
- Filmmakers Festival, Milan
- Northwest Filmforum, Seattle
- Echo Park Film Center, Los Angeles
29 October 2014
Deluge, Victoria, BC screening of Catalogue: Wish You Were Here program
July 2014
“The Gringas,” Mexico International Film Festival, winner for Best Documentary Feature