PDF version: David Fenster CV
EDUCATION
2004 MFA, School of Film and Video, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA
1999 BA, Interdisciplinary Studies (Film/Video), University of Florida, Gainesville FL
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY/SCREENING HISTORY/EXHIBITIONS
writer/director/cinematographer/editor unless otherwise noted
2012
PINCUS (narrative) 79:00 HD video
Feature length film about a man named Pincus who takes care of his Parkinson’s afflicted father and struggles to see mystery and beauty in a seemingly banal life. Work in progress.
2011
THE LAST BUFFALO HUNT cinematographer (documentary) 75:00 16mm/digital video
Feature length documentary about the last wild buffalo hunt in North America.
Rotterdam Film Festival (Rotterdam, Netherlands)
Cinéma du Réel (Paris, France)
Viennale (Vienna, Austria)
NOT NEGATIVE (experimental) HD video 14:00
Commissioned by MOS Architects to document their installation at the 2010 architecture biennale. DVD included in LOG magazine issue 22.
2010
FUNGIFEST 2010 organizer/curator
Series of events centered on the theme of wild mushrooms.
Machine Project (Los Angeles, CA)
The Hammer Museum (Los Angeles, CA)
DR. BOB CUMMINGS (documentary) 8:00 HD video
Documentary portrait of mycologist Bob Cummings.
Machine Project (Los Angeles, CA)
The Hammer Museum (Los Angeles, CA)
FLY AMANITA (experimental) 4:20 HD video
The thoughts of an Amanita muscaria mushroom.
Machine Project (Los Angeles, CA)
The Hammer Museum (Los Angeles, CA)
Environmental International Film Festival (Paris, France)
CineEco (Seia, Portugal)
MONICA & DAVID cinematographer (documentary) 80:00 HD video
Feature length documentary about a husband and wife with Down Syndrome. Nominated for an Emmy.
HBO in the US and abroad.
Tribeca Film Festival (Winner Best Documentary)
IDFA (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Hotdocs (Toronto, Canada)
Silverdocs (Silver Spring, MD)
2008
THE CALL (documentary) 10:00 HD video
A cowboy making sourdough biscuits, a mysterious object in a wall, and a story of clairvoyance.
Sundance Film Festival (Park City, UT)
San Francisco Cinematheque (San Francisco, CA) AFI Film Festival (Los Angeles, CA)
Northwest Film Forum (Seattle, WA)
THE YALE SOFTWARE PROJECT (documentary) 20:00 HD video
Commissioned by the Yale School of Architecture, funded by Autodesk.
2007
THE LIVELONG DAY (documentary) 22:00 HD video
Short documentary about a model railroad club comprised of retired railroad employees.
Los Angeles Film Festival (Los Angeles, CA)
PDX Film Festival (Portland, OR)
Rooftop Films (New York, NY)
THOUGHT MATTERS (documentary) 20:00 digital video
Commissioned by the UCLA School of Architecture and Design
2006
LADY TROJANS cinematographer (documentary/narrative) digital video
Feature length documentary about a women’s basketball team.
Outfest (Los Angeles, CA)
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
NewFest (New York, NY)
Vinokino Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (Helsinki, Finland)
GIANT ROBOTS (documentary) 10:00 digital video
Commissioned by the Design Studio of Greg Lynn at the University of Applied Art in Vienna.
Silver Lake Film Festival (Los Angeles, CA)
WOOD (documentary) 22:00 digital video
Documentary that follows timber from the forest through the sawmill and presents a portrait of the working men found along the way.
Los Angeles Film Festival (Los Angeles, CA)
PDX Film Festival (Portland, OR)
Miami Film Festival (Miami, FL)
Canadian Film Center’s Worldwide Short Film Festival (Toronto, Canada)
Hawaii International Film Festival (Honolulu, HI)
True/False Film Festival (Columbia, MO)
Trimedia Film Festival (Fort Collins, CO)
2005
ALTERNATE ENDING (experimental) 34:00 digital video
Collaboration with architect Michael Meredith, professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Silver Lake Film Festival (Los Angeles, CA)
Cinevegas Film Festival (Las Vegas, NV)
Distributed by You Work For Them and Microcinema International
2004
TRONA (narrative) 63:00 digital video
Story of a man who abandons his life and reinvents himself as the owner of a junkyard. Distributed in the US by Cinetic and in Europe by ZDF television
Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY)
Viennale (Vienna, Austria)
Buenos Aires International Film Festival (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Los Angeles International Film Festival (Los Angeles, CA) Cinevegas (Las Vegas, NV)
Flanders International Film Festival (Ghent, Belgium)
Libertas Film Festival (Dubrovnik, Croatia)
Miami International Film Festival (Miami, Florida)
Alaska International Film Festival (Anchorage, AK)
IRON WORM, (documentary) 2:30 digital video
Screened around the world in conjunction with the release of the band Interpol’s album Antics
THE ORPHANS cinematographer (narrative) 30:00 digital video
Story of two men traveling from Lithuania to Berlin looking for the grave of their deceased friend.
Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY)
Los Angeles Film Festival
2003
POST APOCALYPSE NOW (experimental animation) 4:00 digital video
Resfest Digital Film Festival (traveling festival)
Microcinema International 9th Season Premier (traveling festival)
Producers Show, California Institute of the Arts (Los Angeles, CA)
Distributed by Microcinema International
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2010
Adjunct Professor, University of California San Diego
Courses: Screenwriting, Advanced Editing
Adjunct Professor, California Institute of the Arts
Courses: FLIXUS (Interdisciplinary film production program)
2009
Adjunct Professor, California Institute of the Arts
Courses: High Definition, Video Production for Animators
Adjunct Professor, University of California San Diego
Courses: Fiction and Allegory
2008
Adjunct Professor, University of California San Diego
Courses: Authenticity in Documentary, Strategies of Self
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
2011
Artist-in-residence, Chinati Foundation (Marfa, Texas)
2006
Best Documentary Short, Los Angeles Film Festival (for Wood)
SELECTED REVIEWS AND ARTICLES
2010
Ward, Alie.“FungiFest Breaks the Festival Mold” Los Angeles Times, January 14
Blackmore, Willy “Playing With Food: FungiFest at Machine Project” LA Weekly, January 19
2006
Koehler, Robert. “All Tomorrowland’s Parties: CalArts in Motion Pictures” Cinema Scope, Issue 27
2005
Koehler, Robert. “Trona” Variety, June 22
Foundas, Scott. “Los Angeles Film Festival” LA Weekly, June 22
Longworth, Karina. “Cinematical Seven: The best films of 2005 that you haven’t seen,” www.cinematical.com, November 20
2004
Leitich, Hans Christian. “Two World Premieres: Where the Wind Manages to Replace the Dialogue,” www.fipresci.org, November 1
Klinger, Gabe. “Filmmaking at the Kerb” www.fipresci.org, November 1