JoAnn Elam Movies

Footage of trees swaying in the sunlight, as seen from a window. A windchime in silhouette periodically obscures the trees.

This footage by JoAnn Elam was probably shot in San Francisco, where Elam spent the “Summer of Love” in 1967 and which she perhaps...

A myriad of purple and blue markings flicker hypnotically across the screen in “Filmabuse.” Periodically a blue screen flashes,...

USPS workers go bowling.

Filmed during the 52nd National Convention of the American National Association of Letter Carriers in August 1980.

An outdoor gathering.

Cleaning supplies and flames.

Two pumpkins.

Consists of frantic and (mostly) uninformative pans sprinting across Elam's lawn.

Contrasting environments, in and outside.

Filmed in extreme close-up, the lit-up pine needles of a Christmas tree are abstracted into forms of line and contrast. “Christmas Tree”...

Joann Elam captures urban residents on the go in various seasons. The film begins in winter, as JoAnn captures sleepy neighborhood scenes from her...

Set to the Beatles 1965 song "You Like Me Too Much," Daytime Television consists of a series of close-up handheld pans of cleaning supply labels and...

The film was made in response to an evening during which a number of male members of Chicago's experimental film scene gathered at JoAnn's house and...

Images of Christmas lights at night, a group of baton-twirlers in the street, postal carriers, kids walking down the street, etc. Exact date of...

Images of a shadow puppet play, intermittent rapid editing, and sweeping shots of a farm, dogs playing outside, plants, kitchens and interiors,...

This film celebrates the frenzy of light and color found amid exploding fireworks and the speeding headlights of cars on a nighttime road. In the...

Shot from the inside of a house and through a window's curtains, one can sometimes distinguish the colorful flowers in the yard outside. But, as in...

Similar to her "Back Porch" films, JoAnn Elam's "Front Porch" documents the scenes of life in her neighborhood in Chicago. The film pays especial...

An affectionate and humorous portrayal of the relationship between a woman and her dog. As the dog explores the world and meets other dogs on their...