RPM Festival has been a cornerstone of Boston’s experimental arts scene, providing a platform for groundbreaking filmmakers and media artists. The festival’s commitment to sustainable practices in filmmaking—through small gauge and low-impact production methods—continues to inspire and challenge artists and audiences.

Schedule

 *Please note: Programming is family friendly from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. After 3 p.m., some film screenings may contain content that is not suitable for children.

RPM presents an analog synth video program by artist Joost Rekveld (b. 1970), who creates sensory experiences through a dialogue with machines. Rekveld's work explores the sensory consequences of his unique systems, often inspired by forgotten histories in science and technology. This program invites audiences to engage with Rekveld’s mesmerizing visual and auditory landscapes, which reflect his ongoing investigation into the relationships between humans, technology, and perception.

RPM opens the Spring program with a tribute to Jon Behrens (1964-2022), a beloved self-taught artist and pioneer of small-gauge and amateur filmmaking. This program showcases Behrens' impressive four-decade legacy, featuring a diverse collection of his films, ranging from simple and poetic to visually challenging and psychedelic. Behrens’ films, both intimate and expansive, embody his deep commitment to personal, tactile filmmaking and offer a meditative exploration of the moving image.

With an aim to battle the “danger of a single story,” we strive for ALTARS, The Live Experience to contribute nuanced, compelling, and deeply personal perspectives as we reimagine the future, while acknowledging and honoring the past.

We are thrilled to feature exceptional Boston-based artists, including Krump champion and Season 6 winner of "So You Think You Can Dance” Russell Gutta Fergusson, Boston Ballet dancer and US Presidential Scholar in the Arts My’Kal Stromile, Boston’s first Youth Poet Laureate Alondra Bobadilla, GRAMMY-Nominated multi-instrumentalist Phillip Young, and Brazilian dance ensemble SambaViva. We will also screen Mariona Lloreta's short film ALTARS, followed by a Q&A with the evening's performers and short film cast.

Program will be followed by a reception with food by Palestinian Chef Abdulla Awad of Yafa Cafe, Mexican-owned Travelmug Cafe, and non-alcoholic drinks by Curious Elixirs. Ashton Lites will wrap the event with an energizing DJ set.

Films at the Gate, an event organized and run by ACDC youth, revives the tradition of the Chinatown movie house. The festival enlivens Chinatown, bringing together people of all backgrounds and ages, while also introducing kung fu films to a new generation and restoring a tradition of shared, public experience of Chinese-language films in Chinatown. 

Films at the Gate is a FREE event, open to all! Since 2006, Films at the Gate has been a grassroots event attracting over 700 attendees annually to Chinatown’s under utilized spaces.

📍Where: The Chinatown Gate in Boston along the John F. Fitzgerald Surface Road

📅 When: Friday, August 23 - Sunday, August 25, from 5:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

LEARN MORE

Join the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture for an evening of Slam Theatre centered on themes of American culture and values and Afrocentricity.

Free with RSVP at vbsseniorcenter@boston.gov or 617-635-6120