Name: PARABLES OF NOW: New and Classic Works by CECELIA CONDIT
Start: 2025-12-18T19:30:00-08:00
End: 2025-12-18T21:00:00-08:00
Location: Philosophical Research Society

PARABLES OF NOW: New and Classic Works by CECELIA CONDIT

The Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles is a nonprofit cultural and educational organization which presents concerts, film screenings, lectures, performance art and theatre events, gallery exhibits and more on the intersection between the creative arts and mythology, mysticism and metaphysics.

The Philosophical Research Society

The first LA showcase of recent works by video artist Cecelia Condit, feat. the premiere of two new films, co-hosted by JJ Stratford!

Philosophical Research Society

Co-Presented by Los Angeles Filmforum and co-hosted by Jennifer Juniper Stratford! 7th House, in collaboration with Los Angeles Filmforum, is very proud to present PARABLES OF NOW, the first Los Angeles showcase of recent and classic works by 2025 Philosophical Research Society contributing artist and one of most distinctive American video artists of the past four decades — Cecelia Condit! Including the world premiere of two new films! This very special program features six of Condit’s singular short films, four recent works — including the world theatrical premieres of her new films A PARABLE OF NOW and MONSTER IN ME — bookended by her first two films, BENEATH THE SKIN (1981) and POSSIBLY IN MICHIGAN (1983)! This evening will be co-hosted by LA based video artist Jennifer Juniper (JJ) Stratford – a huge fan of Condit's who will join the filmmaker (beaming in via Zoom) in conversation for a post-screening Q&amp;A! Perhaps best known for her delectably dark and askew 1983 horror musical Possibly in Michigan (which has had a pleasantly surprising viral moment recently), Condit’s films have – since 1981 – "created heroines whose lives swing between beauty and the grotesque, innocence and cruelty, youth and fragility. Her work puts a subversive spin on the traditional mythology of women in film and the psychology of sexuality and violence. Exploring the dark side of female subjectivity, her “feminist fairy tales” focus on friendships, age, and the natural world." Artist Statement:“I consider myself a storyteller working within the psychological landscape of contemporary fairy tales, dreams and poetry. I explore archetypal themes where my characters are often shaped by violence, basic cold-heartedness and trauma. The last few years, I find myself leaning towards creating works that consider the frailty of an environmentally vulnerable world and our place in it. This world might be located in a small county park, a home, a rock or deserted housing project.” JJ Stratford on Cecelia Condit:“Cecelia Condit is a truly unique and incredible video artist. She builds worlds that vacillate between themes of aging and fragility, beauty and the grotesque, innocence and cruelty while keeping the viewer both amused and deeply understood. Her techniques follow a slightly slanted version of shot-on-tape movie-making traditions and are mixed with soundtracks and inner dialogues that completely immerse us in Cecelia’s world. She’s been making work since 1981...yet her work seems more relevant than ever. An event not to be missed!” PROGRAM:Beneath the Skin (1981) — `12 minsBeneath the Skin is a true story about a woman's unknowing involvement in the murder of her boyfriend’s other girlfriend I've Been Afraid (2020) — 7 minsI’ve Been Afraid blends stories of women who have been threatened. Annie Lloyd (2008) — 17 minsAnnie Lloyd is a daughter’s complex and poetic documentation of the last four years of her mother’s life and a portrayal of the creativity and wisdom of old age. A Parable of Now (2025) — 11 minsA Parable of Now is a vertical three-channel video that is a visual meditation on the state of innocence and a childhood that leaves one with a sense of unsettled hope. Monster in Me (2025) —8 minsMonster in Me is a story told by a woman on a couch, asking herself the question, "How did I come out of this unbroken?" Possibly in Michigan (1983) — 12 minsPossibly in Michigan is a musical about two women who are stalked by a masked man named Arthur, who follows them home. There the victims become the aggressors.Music performed by Karen Skladany. The song Animal/Cannibal was written, and performed by Karen Skladany for PiM. Dir. Cecelia Condit, 1981-2025, program runtime 67 mins, Unrated, U.S.A., English, Color, Digital. Special thanks to the filmmaker, Adam Hyman of Los Angeles Filmforum, Astral Eyez, and Jennifer Juniper Stratford. <h3>TICKETS: $10 | FREE w/ code to Los Angeles Filmforum Members (All Screenings Are In Person Only)</h3><h3>Please email events@prs.org or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.</h3>

ABOUT CECELIA CONDITSince 1981, Condit’s videos have created heroines whose lives swing between beauty and the grotesque, innocence and cruelty, youth and fragility. Her work puts a subversive spin on the traditional mythology of women in film and the psychology of sexuality and violence. Exploring the dark side of female subjectivity, her “feminist fairy tales” focus on friendships, age, and the natural world. She has shown internationally in festivals, museums and alternative spaces, and is represented in collections including the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Centre Georges Pompidou Musee National d'Art Moderne, Paris, France. She has received numerous film festival awards, and grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, American Film Institute, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Mary L. Nohl Foundation. She’s a professor emerita in the Department of Film, Video, Animation &amp; New Genres at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she was the director of the graduate program in film for 30-years.

ABOUT JENNIFER JUNIPER STRATFORDJennifer Juniper Stratford is a director and video artist from Hollywood, California. Inspired by a love of video art, outsider cinema, and experimental animation, her work feels like something you might catch on late night cable or on an obscure video cassette.Her work has been exhibited, broadcast, and screened internationally and includes MoCA, Palais De Tokyo Paris, Whitney Museum, The Hammer Museum, LACMA, The Getty, Cinemarfa, CPH:DOX, Museum of the Moving Image New York, New Beverly Cinema, BAM Cinématek and is a Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts awardee.

ABOUT LOS ANGELES FILMFORUMLos Angeles Filmforum is the city’s longest-running organization dedicated to weekly screenings of experimental film, documentaries, video art, and experimental animation. 2024 is our 49th year. <a href="http://www.lafilmforum.org/" title="http://www.lafilmforum.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.lafilmforum.org</a>

ADVISORY DISCLAIMERWith some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/" title="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Common Sense Media</a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/" title="https://www.imdb.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">IMDb</a>, and <a href="http://doesthedogdie.com/" title="http://doesthedogdie.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">DoesTheDogDie.com</a> for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email events@prs.org. CONTENT DISCLAIMERThe views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes. ACCESSIBILITYPRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to events@prs.org before showtime and we will be happy to assist you. REFUND POLICIESAll sales are final. There are no refunds for PRS events , except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test. Ticket exchanges may be granted on a case by case basis, pending circumstances.In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event. PARKINGLimited parking is available onsite at PRS in both the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east) and back lot (entry from first alley way, off Griffith Park Blvd. from intersection with Los Feliz Blvd.), as well as street parking on Griffith Park Blvd. and (after 7 PM) on Los Feliz Blvd. We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking. PRS EVENT POLICIES<ul><li>We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.</li><li>Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.</li><li>We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.</li><li>Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.</li><li>No filming, audio recording or mobile phone recording of events, screenings, concerts or other programs by audience members is allowed without permission.</li><li>There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.</li><li>We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.</li><li>PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.</li><li>Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.</li><li>Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.</li></ul>

PARABLES OF NOW: New and Classic Works by CECELIA CONDIT

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PARABLES OF NOW: New and Classic Works by CECELIA CONDIT

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