Lisa Hammer

  I am a musician/ filmmaker and have been involved in underground films for over a decade. I shoot exclusively in super-8 for budgetary reasons, as I put most of my money into my band and don't have much to spend on film. But, luckily, I love super-8. I studied film at Emerson College and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts. My films have been screened all over the world in many festivals including Masters of Super-8, Cinema Nova,Euro-Underground, Chicago Underground, No Agenda-at Anthology Film Archives, Armchair Festival and I recently got accepted to the New York Underground Film Festival. I know there are more but I can't remember them all...I also got some funding from The Media Loft, Drift Distribution and Experimental Television Center.
  I live in a tiny studio in Soho, NY with my husband Eric. He is in the band with me and writes and records some of my film soundtracks.

Filmography:

1985-88:
Love Me In June Or Die, Decombres, Adieux Dames (on compilation), Die Slowly Lost Love, Lizard Lady, Miscarriages of the Rich and Famous, Birthday Boy, numerous music videos...
1989:
Not Farewell, Sweet Flesh--16mm rock-opera, won many awards at various festivals...
1990-91:
Pussbucket-from the Broadway Musical-- feature-length super-8 gore musical. Available at Tower Video across the USA, shown at several festivals, distributed by Fast Forward and Film Threat, started riot at NY screening...
1992-94:
Beauty and the Beast (b&w 7min- on compilation), The Emasculator, The Singing Fish, In The Eyes Of God music videos...
1995: Jorinda and Joringel (B&W 30 min. fairytale- on compilation)
1996:
Empire ofAche, Blessed Elysium Follies, Naughty PSA, Turn of the Century TV shows- created many silent film shorts and vaudeville skits for show. Festivals: One-woman show at D.C.T.V. A Night of Marchenfilme, Masters of Super-8 (US and Europe) No Agenda-Anthology Film Archives
1997:
CompletedA Night of Marchenfilme compilation, concentrated on TV show creating many more short films and skits, music videos,Empire of Ache Festivals: Chicago Underground, Euro Underground,Armchair
1998:
Dance of Death, Crawley, developing several shorts and 2 music videos. Empire of Ache in New York Underground Film Festival, and some fancy underground festival in LA and an art gallery in D.C., and a bunch of cable shows....and my band's video that I helped edit and got onto MTV-Online.

State of indie/underground filmmaking

I live under a rock- I have absolutely no idea.

New projects.

Through my Blessed Elysium: Motion Picture Company. I recently compiled some of my silent movies from 1987-1996 onto a collection called A Night Of Marchenfilme which basically means "A Night Of Fairytale Films" and if you buy bags of peanuts andinvite friends and dress up, you can pretend you're at an old-time picture show. you can find this collection by sending $2 for a great new catalogue to: Sacrum Torch- PO Box 278 - Prince St. Station - NY, NY 10012 - USA.
I'm also working on a few new scripts and some music videos. My band just released a new CD and I'm still directing and editing Dame Darcy's cable TV show, Turn of the Century.

Open Question!

An important question- where to find grants and private investments for underground films???????

acrumtrch@aol.com