named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Experiment as Method, Care as Practice
Collaborative screening program with Visual AIDS and MIX NYC featuring four decades of HIV/AIDS-related experimental film and video
Her Gaze
Screening series dedicated to visionary women artists who perform for their own cameras, curated by Erica Schreiner and Matt McKinzie
INTERCAT: The International Festival of Cat Films
Revival of Pola Chapelle's cat film festival showcasing feline-themed experimental films in collaboration with Spectacle Theater
Non Films Presents
Curated screening series featuring retrospectives and thematic programs of experimental films from the Coop's archive, often with guest curators
Out of the Closet and Into the Co-op
Pride Month program highlighting early queer cinema from the Coop's collection, curated by Matt McKinzie and Conor Williams
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Film Festival and Screening Programming 2 activities
- Hosts public film screening programsOrganizes and presents public film screenings using 16mm prints and digital restorations from its own collection and partner archives, including thematic series, retrospectives, and festival programs at its venue and in collaboration with external institutions. Screenings feature experimental filmmakers such as Stan Brakhage, Lawrence Jordan, and Chick Strand, and are held at locations including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Spectacle Theater, and Le Petit Versailles Community Garden.
- Organizes experimental film festivalsProduces and revives annual or recurring film festivals, including the INTERCAT International Festival of Cat Films and programs addressing social and political themes. These festivals feature curated selections of experimental works from the 1950s to the 2020s, including films by Pola Chapelle, Stan Brakhage, and contemporary artists, and are presented in collaboration with partner venues such as Spect游戏副本ule Theater.
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Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
- Distributes and preserves experimental film and media artworksMaintains a collection of nearly 6,000 experimental films, videos, and media artworks by approximately 2,000 artists, and supports global access through distribution to venues such as Anthology Film Archives, Museum of the Moving Image, and international partners. The organization restores and digitizes historically significant works by filmmakers including Maya Deren, Edward Owens, and Warren Sonbert, and collaborates on preservation projects with institutions like Cinebox and the Stan VanDerBeek Estate.
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Emerging Filmmaker Support Programs 1 activity
- Provides capacity-building support for experimental filmmakersHosts workshops and seminars for artists and filmmakers on topics including festival participation, grant opportunities, and screening strategies. The organization also supports new production through grants, technical assistance, and collaborative programming with peer institutions to strengthen the experimental film community.
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Artist and Curatorial Publications 1 activity
- Publishes critical and historical materials on experimental filmProduces and disseminates newsletters, periodicals, and books that advocate for, historicize, and critically examine experimental film and moving image art, contributing to the scholarly and public understanding of the field.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$238K
Contributions & grants$132K55%
Program service revenue$107K45%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$204K
Program expenses5%
Admin / overhead91%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$109K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$51K
Cash$50K
Investments$0
Liabilities$-10K
Net assets$62K
Liquid reserves3.0 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +28.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
board members · 14
- Ara Osterweil — Director
- Cody Simons — Director
- David Schwartz — President
- Eduardo Darino — Director
- Eli Zavala — Director
- Emily Singer — Vice President
- Gregg Biermann — Secretary
- Julia Curl — Director
- K J Rothweiler — Director
- Matthew McKinzie — Executive Dir.
- Oliver Katcher — Director
- Phillip Edward Spradley — Director
- Rebekah Sherman-Myntti — Director
- Zacarias Gonzalez — Director
relationships · 61
Who they work with
- Allied Productions Partner — Co-curated a program of avant-garde films presented at Le Petit Versailles Community Garden.
- Allied Productions Partner — Co-curated the "Come to My (Avant-)Garden" film program at Le Petit Versailles Community Garden.
- Allied Productions Partner — Collaborates with The Film-Makers’ Cooperative on curating film programs.
- Anthology Film Archives Partner — Partners on programming and lends films to Anthology Film Archives.
- Anthology Film Archives Partner — Regularly receives film prints from the Coop for the _Essential Cinema_ series and other programming.
- B-Roll Press Partner — Collaborated on the publication of a zine for the Liz Roberts retrospective screening.
- Barrymore Film Center Partner — David Schwartz is the Director of Film Programming at the Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee.
- Bread and Puppet Partner — Planned collaboration on outdoor screenings around New York City.
- Brooklyn Academy of Music Partner — Co-presented a screening program of early queer films in June 2026.
- Brooklyn Academy of Music Partner — Hosted a program of early queer cinema from The Film-Makers’ Cooperative’s collection.
- Brooklyn Academy of Music Partner — Hosted a screening program of early queer films from the Coop's collection in partnership with The New American Cinema Group Inc.
- Canyon Cinema Partner — Collaborates with Canyon Cinema to source films for the INTERCAT 2026 festival.
- Charles S. Cohen Funder — Benefactor whose generous support provides storage space and operational capacity; screening room named in his honor.
- Cinebox Partner — Collaborated on the 2K digitization of the film "All Women Are Equal".
- Cinema Arts Centre Partner — David Schwartz programs for the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington.
- DocFilms Partner — David Schwartz has programmed for DocFilms in Chicago.
- Edinburgh University Press Partner — Publisher of forthcoming anthology edited by Tom Day and Glyn Davis on Pop Cinema.
- Emelin Theatre Partner — David Schwartz hosts the Emelin Theatre Film Club in Mamaroneck.
- Emily Harvey Foundation Partner — MM Serra is embarking on an artist residency with the Emily Harvey Foundation in Venice.
- Film Forum Partner — David Schwartz programs for Film Forum.
- Film at Lincoln Center Partner — Partners on programming and lends films to Film at Lincoln Center.
- Film-Makers’ Cooperative Network — Operates in conjunction with The Film-Makers’ Cooperative as a joint entity for program initiatives.
- Gartenberg Media Enterprises Partner — Collaborated on the _Love and Joy, Warren Sonbert_ program.
- Institute for Public Architecture Partner — Planned collaboration on outdoor screenings around New York City.
- Jacob Burns Film Center Partner — David Schwartz has programmed for the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY.
- Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Partner — David Schwartz has programmed for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.
- London Short Film Festival Partner — Collaborated on the 2K digitization of the film "All Women Are Equal".
- MIX NYC Partner — Co-presented a collaborative program on HIV/AIDS experimental film and video with The Film-Makers’ Cooperative and Visual AIDS.
- Metrograph Partner — Collaborated on the _Love and Joy, Warren Sonbert_ program.
- Metrograph Partner — David Schwartz has programmed for Metrograph.
+ 31 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Artist-Centered Community and Discovery Modelmethodology: artist-centered community supportBy fostering a community-driven, artist-centered environment, the organization prioritizes the discovery and support of uncategorizable, underrepresented, and experimental film work, enhancing engagement through inclusive programming and collection care that values creative risk over commercial viability.
- Artist-Run Cooperative Distribution Modelmethodology: artist-run-distributionBy operating as a member-run cooperative, the organization enables collective distribution and exhibition of experimental films, empowering filmmakers excluded from mainstream channels and preserving artistic autonomy in the face of commercial and political pressures. This model fosters sustainability and resistance by placing control directly in the hands of artists.
- Countercultural Stewardship through Preservation and Accessmethodology: countercultural-incubationBy preserving and providing public access to rare, physically archived 16mm films—especially works from marginalized or censored voices—the organization sustains a countercultural platform that challenges dominant media narratives and affirms artistic freedom through historical continuity and material preservation.
- Curatorial Activism for Social and Political Engagementmethodology: curatorial activismBy curating film programs around urgent social and political themes—such as class, immigration, queer identity, and capitalist exploitation—the organization uses avant-garde cinema as a tool for critique and consciousness-raising, transforming archival collections into active instruments of cultural dialogue and resistance.
- Thematic and Aesthetic Curation to Expand Perceptual Experiencemethodology: thematic_curationBy organizing film programs around unifying themes—such as natural elements, perceptual experience, or symbolic explorations like cat-themed cinema—the organization deepens audience engagement with experimental film by creating meaningful, often prophetic or ritualistic frameworks that elevate marginal aesthetics into cultural commentary.