
Filmmaker Guillermo Escalon and composer Igor Gandarias are in residence at EMPAC to record the Hudson River journey of Beatriz Cortez’s sculpture Ilopango, the Volcano that Left, for a forthcoming film (2024). The sculpture will sail up the Hudson River by boat from its exhibition at Storm King Art Center to EMPAC for the opening of Shifting Center, where it will be installed for the duration of the exhibition. Shifting Center also features Escalon and Gandarias’ film Rapsodia.
Self

Filmmaker Guillermo Escalon and composer Igor Gandarias are in residence at EMPAC to record the Hudson River journey of Beatriz Cortez’s sculpture Ilopango, the Volcano that Left, for a forthcoming film (2024). The sculpture will sail up the Hudson River by boat from its exhibition at Storm King Art Center to EMPAC for the opening of Shifting Center, where it will be installed for the duration of the exhibition. Shifting Center also features Escalon and Gandarias’ film Rapsodia.
2023-11-03
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The Quest for an Impossible Music
5.9After her boyfriend ends their relationship, the dreamself of a heartbroken woman floats through the air over an industrial wasteland singing ballads of love.
6.4A narcissistic runaway engages in a number of parasitic relationships amongst members of New York's waning punk scene.
6.4A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
8.7The Immaculate Collection is the first commercially released greatest videos compilation by singer Madonna. Released on November 13, 1990 to accompany the audio CD, it contained hits spanning 1983-1990. The collection won "Best Long Form Video" category at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. Includes the following videos: 1. Lucky Star 2. Borderline 3. Like a Virgin 4. Material Girl 5. Papa Don't Preach 6. Open Your Heart 7. La Isla Bonita 8. Like a Prayer 9. Express Yourself 10. Cherish 11. Oh Father 12. Vogue 13. Vogue (1990 MTV Awards Show Performance)
6.7A portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.
7.2This visual album from Beyoncé reimagines the lessons of "The Lion King" (2019) for today's young kings and queens in search of their own crowns.
6.5Ghost is an ideological musician and leader of a jazz band who would rather play his blues in the park to the birds than compromise himself. His peripatetic performances lead him to cross paths with a singer, while his masculinity is thrown into question following a violent brawl.
6.1In this anime visual album, a mysterious driver heads deep into a postapocalyptic hellscape toward a ferocious showdown with two monstrous opponents.
6.5Talented but self-centered trumpeter Bleek Gilliam is obsessed with his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends Indigo and Clarke. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend, Bleek finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined.
8.0In the town of Normal Valley, an eccentric magician named Maestro entertains the local children every day in his spooky mansion. One stormy night, the town's mayor leads a group of angry citizens to the mansion in an attempt to run Maestro out of town.
7.8A live concert experience and exclusive look into life on the road with The Jonas Brothers during their Happiness Begins concert tour.
9.0Dua Lipa's kaleidoscopic rocket fuelled journey through time, space, mirrorballs, roller discos, bucket hats, belting beats, throbbing basslines and an absolute slam dunk of the best of times in global club culture throughout the decades.
8.6Nearly 2 hours of the short films that made HIStory... Including never before released short films.
6.7Deni Maroon, a musician and dock worker is determined to pull off a music festival against the interests of the local factory owner.
7.9Home movies, photographs, and recited poetry illustrate the life of Tupac Shakur, one of the most beloved, revolutionary, and volatile hip-hop MCs of all time.
6.6After a failed comeback album, a rock star retreats to a cliffside home on Cyprus, only to find his new life complicated by visitors — and an old flame.
5.8A farm girl is on an epic quest to recover a cherished family heirloom. Her journey leads her to a strange and dangerous city where she meets her one true love – but in order to save his soul, she must put the power of destiny and song to the ultimate test.
6.3The Mambo Kings tells the story of César and Nestor Castillo, brothers and aspiring musicians who flee from Cuba to America in search of the American Dream.
8.0In his hometown of Toronto, Shawn Mendes pours his heart out on stage with a live performance in a stadium packed with adoring fans.
0.0After waking up with amnesia on the beach, the protagonist is pursued by the police to face the consequences of an unknown past. This soundscape uses tension as a tool to explore how uncertainty, anguish and urgency mobilize a body that would otherwise remain paralyzed in time.
0.0There is a south-facing house in Gyeonggi Province. In this house, there are four people: my mom, dad, grandfather, and me. They spend their days in their own space. Sounds traverse the house, both from inside and out.
0.0A field laborer fights to survive in a hostile environment. The appearance of a strange presence and a revolver will change his destiny.
0.0The 3rd installment in James A. Burkhalter's QUEER ROOTS trilogy: After years of his mother begging him to do it, James decides to finally review and erase 10 years' worth of phone messages. It tells the story of James' "roaring twenties," constructed solely through the voices of friends, family, and lovers.
8.0It's washing day for Abigail. With no one around she can finally get round to doing her dirty laundry. That is until she hears a whistle, and when you hear a whistle you better get out the basement...
0.0«Nel giardino dei suoni» («In The Garden of Sounds») is a touching, poetic exploration of the relationship between mind, body and sound, and a cinematic journey to the borders of communication. Nicola Bellucci tells the extraordinary story of Wolfgang Fasser, a blind musician and soundscape artist who works with severely handicapped children, helping them to find their place in a world not made for them. On his own way into the darkness, Fasser discovered the world of sounds, a parallel universe to our visual world. His far-reaching explorations of sound’s effect on mind and body led him to the field of music therapy.
0.0For an anxious person, being trapped on a boat with someone you don't like can be the tense. Stuck for hours afloat, nothing on the line, bad conversation, and cold winds as resentment rises. Both people chained to a rod and tackle because one won't speak up and admit that they want to go home.
5.0A mysterious rumble splits the sky and reverberates in the middle of the forest. A man delves into its depths to discover its origin and answer the questions presented by the universe.
0.0A WWII paratrooper gets lost in a forest as the line between reality and memory begins to blur.
Cranes and Voices explores the evocative power of sound through the experiences of people who hear voices and a collective of sound investigators, tenants documenting their neighborhood. By bringing together listening experiences, housing, and creative practices, the film approaches sound as an ambivalent force, questioning our ability to listen—to the city, to others, and to ourselves.
0.0A couple of sound engineers have stopped paying attention to each other. During a film shooting they see themselves in the actors who play the scene, which makes them understand the importance of listening to one another.
0.0A restless wife and a loving husband find an antique sound machine at a yard sale that they hope will let them sleep through the night, however they soon realize that the sound machine has no plans to let them have a good night's sleep at all.
0.0A young filmmaker trying to navigate the world of film finds himself caught in the grip of a Maelstrom that brings out the worst impulses in whomever it is passed to.
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0.0A hand-painted stop-motion elegy that traces the erasure of a family home by eminent domain, accompanied by a soundscape drawn from archival family VHS recordings.
7.0"A soundscape is any collection of sounds, almost like a painting is a collection of visual attractions," says composer R. Murray Schafer. "When you listen carefully to the soundscape it becomes quite miraculous." David New's portrait of the renowned composer becomes a lesson unto itself, gracing viewers (and listeners) with a singular moment of interactive subjectivity. This film was produced for the 2009 Governor General's Performing Arts Award.
10.0SWARAM is an experimental cinematic documentary film that explores the transformative power of music and sound. Through vivid field recordings and intricate depictions of sacred rituals, it immerses viewers in the profound connection between sound and the human experience. At its core, SWARAM looks into Kerala’s ritualistic art forms—Thottam Pattu, Pulluvan Pattu, and Kalamezhuthu Pattu—examining how rhythm and sound evoke trance states and facilitate spiritual transformation. It also blends ancient traditions with contemporary sonic explorations. Structured as a visual research publication, the film adopts the format of an academic paper, with distinct sections such as Backdrop, Abstract, Introduction, Case Studies, Conclusion, and Expert References. This unique approach seamlessly blends research with cinematic storytelling, offering viewers both an academic exploration and an immersive cinematic experience.