Bummer. No more Independents Week at Harvard Film Archive.

After weeks of compulsively checking Harvard Film Archive's web site for their July calendar, my worst fear was confirmed: their calendar shows "No Screenings" from Tuesday, July 1 to Friday, July 4.

In 2007 Harvard Film Archive held its "second annual survey of independent work that 'flew under the radar'" from June 30 to July 10. During that week titled "Independents Week: New American Independent Cinema 2007", Harvard Film Archive dedicated its programming to showing films like Frownland, Quiet City, Hohokam, Finally Lillian and Dan, Team Picture and Apart From That. In 2006 the program simply titled "New American Independent Cinema" ran from June 1 to June 25 and featured films like Funny Ha Ha, Old Joy, Jem Cohen's Chain, and Frank Ross's Quietly On By (a personal favorite of mine).

Unless they have something in the works for the coming months, it looks like this annual series is no more. Is the decision not to continue into a third year merely because Ted Barron is no longer programmer at the Harvard Film Archive? Or is it symptomatic of a larger mumblecore backlash?

Often featuring the filmmakers in attendance, the series was perhaps the best single New American Cinema event, better than most festivals that by necessity need to draw a larger audience, thus requiring them to program a wider variety of films. I guess this year I'm actually going to find something to do outside this Independence Day week.

-Eric