Anthology Film Archives

Film Screenings / Programs / Retrospectives

TOMONARI NISHIKAWA

September 13 – September 14

September 13-14, 2025

This year brought the tragic news of the untimely death of experimental filmmaker Tomonari Nishikawa, who passed away in April at the age of 55. Nishikawa came relatively late to avant-garde cinema (after first studying Economics, and then working odd jobs in Japan, Australia, Canada, and the U.S.). But, as the countless testimonies that have emerged in the wake of his death attest, he quickly became an indispensable, invaluable, and widely admired figure in contemporary experimental cinema, thanks both to his extraordinary body of work – which ranks among the truly exceptional contributions to 21st century avant-garde cinema – and to his role as a teacher, colleague, and mentor at Binghamton University, where (following in the footsteps of earlier faculty members such as Larry Gottheim, Ken Jacobs, Ernie Gehr, and Vincent Grenier) he proved to be equally gifted at supporting and nurturing students and fellow teachers alike.

It's his body of work, though, that will live on most vividly. Shot mostly on Super-8 and 16mm, his films’ rich textures, rhythmic dynamism, and evocative imagery create a quality of quiet rapture, while his mastery of film technique – and in particular his astounding facility for in-camera editing and superimposition – is worthy of filmmakers like Gregory Markopoulos, Robert Beavers, and Stan Brakhage. Nishikawa continued to expand his practice over the years, turning to digital media as well as live projector performances, proving himself to be an artist whose search for new formal discoveries was ever ongoing.

To celebrate Nishikawa, Anthology joins forces with Tomonari’s wife, Miki Nishikawa, his friends and colleagues Sofia Theodore-Pierce and Daïchi Saïto, and Prismatic Ground, for a comprehensive survey of his film and video work.

Co-presented by Prismatic Ground.

“Tomonari’s calm, humble, and playful demeanor belied the fact that he was unquestionably one of the finest talents of his generation. Friendly and good natured, he was also precise and generous – a natural teacher and leader. While tragically cut short, his body of work has altered the history of avant-garde cinema and will be influential well into the future. So will his beautiful spirit.” –Andréa Picard, TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

“Tomonari was one of the most meticulous, open-minded, and unique filmmakers of his generation. His work was influenced by structural film, as well as the history of the Japanese avant-garde. His work was about paying close attention to small parts of everyday life – bridges, buildings, Ferris wheels and fireworks – and recovering a sense of wonder about them. Great artists are able to channel our perception and make us see the world anew, and Tomonari was the very definition of a great artist.” –Michael Sicinski

For many other written tributes to Tomonari Nishikawa, visit: https://oldnew.substack.com/p/in-memoriam-tomonari-nishikawa-1969 

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