ILLUMINATIONS

ILLUMINATIONS

U.S. COMPETITION co-presented by INDIEWIRE
70 min
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WORLD PREMIERE Partners in love and art for more than 60 years, experimental filmmakers Nathaniel Dorsky and Jerome Hiler have devoted their lives to exploring how light and image can touch an audience’s heart. Illuminations follows the duo capturing images with their Bolex and creating films by hand, revealing the luminous, ethereal beauty of their work and the poetry of filmmaking. A tender tribute to analog craft, artistic devotion, and cinema’s power to expand consciousness. – Karen McMullen

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with co-directors Patrick Shen and Brandon Vedder and protagonists Jerome Hiler and Nathaniel Dorsky.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

Director: Patrick Shen, Brandon Vedder
Producer: Patrick Shen, Brandon Vedder
Executive Producer: Owsley Brown III, C.H. & Haily Hsueh, Cameron McLain
Cinematographer: Patrick Shen, Brandon Vedder
Editor: Patrick Shen, Brandon Vedder
Composer: Will Epstein
Archival Producer(s): Seth Mitter
Language: English
Year: 2026
Archival
Arts
Experimental
Films on Film/Filmmaking
LGBTQIA+
NYC
Programmer: Karen McMullen
Seniors
World Premiere

Event details

In-Person Date

Wednesday, November 11, 2026 7:15 PM

Venue

IFC Center

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In-Person Date

Friday, November 13, 2026 9:15 PM

Venue

Village East by Angelika

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Online Dates

Thursday, November 12 - Sunday, November 29, 2026

Venue

Online Screening

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The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Trisha Ziff.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.
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The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/protagonist Kevin Truong.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.
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The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer James Longley.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

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The first and second screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer/cinematographer Brandon Kapelow, producer Laurel Thomson, and protagonists Rob Christensen, Dr. Michael Ryoshin Sapiro, and Keylie Christensen.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

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The first and second screening will be followed by a Q&A with co-director James June Schneider and protagonists/Newsreel members.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

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The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with writer/director Hugo Perez and protagonist/artist/activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

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The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer/cinematographer Wyatt Maw.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.