BIO
Bill Morrison (Director)
"Morrison's world is one of the most breathtaking and haltingly disturbing cinematic realms of our time".
- Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com, October 20, 2014
Bill Morrison has premiered films at the New York, Rotterdam, Sundance, and Venice film festivals, and mulitmedia work at major performance venues around the globe such as BAM, the Barbican, Carnegie, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. His films typically source rare archival footage in which long-forgotten, and sometimes deteriorated, imagery is reframed as part of a collective mythology. DECASIA (2002) was the first film of the 21st century to be selected to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. DAWSON CITY: FROZEN TIME (2017) was named to multiple critics' lists of the best films of the decade (2010s). His work has been recognized with the Alpert Award, Creative Capital, the Foundation for Contemporary Art, a Guggenheim fellowship, and a mid-career retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art.
Decasia (2002), with music by Michael Gordon, was the first film of the 21st century to be selected to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.
Spark of Being (2010) a collaboration with trumpeter/composer Dave Douglas, won the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Independent Film of 2011.
The Miners’ Hymns (2011). a collaboration with the composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, was described as one of “the best and most beautiful films of the year” by the Huffington Post.
The Great Flood (2013), a collaboration with composer / guitarist Bill Frisell, won the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award of 2014 for historical scholarship.
Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016), with music by Alex Somers, won numerous awards including a Critics’ Choice Award for the most innovative documentary, was named the best documentary of the year by the Boston Society of Film Critics, was included on over 100 critics’ lists of the best films of 2017, and numerous lists of the best films of the decade.
Along with those mentioned above, Morrison has collaborated with the some of the most celebrated musicians and composers of our time, including John Adams, William Basinski, Maya Beiser, Gavin Bryars, Dave Douglas, Philip Glass, Vijay Iyer, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Kronos Quartet, David Lang, Steve Reich and Julia Wolfe, among many others.
Bill Morrison has premiered films at the New York, Rotterdam, Sundance, and Venice film festivals, and mulitmedia work at major performance venues around the globe such as BAM, the Barbican, Carnegie, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. His films typically source rare archival footage in which long-forgotten, and sometimes deteriorated, imagery is reframed as part of a collective mythology. DECASIA (2002) was the first film of the 21st century to be selected to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. DAWSON CITY: FROZEN TIME (2017) was named to multiple critics' lists of the best films of the decade (2010s). His work has been recognized with the Alpert Award, Creative Capital, the Foundation for Contemporary Art, a Guggenheim fellowship, and a mid-career retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art.
Decasia (2002), with music by Michael Gordon, was the first film of the 21st century to be selected to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.
Spark of Being (2010) a collaboration with trumpeter/composer Dave Douglas, won the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Independent Film of 2011.
The Miners’ Hymns (2011). a collaboration with the composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, was described as one of “the best and most beautiful films of the year” by the Huffington Post.
The Great Flood (2013), a collaboration with composer / guitarist Bill Frisell, won the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award of 2014 for historical scholarship.
Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016), with music by Alex Somers, won numerous awards including a Critics’ Choice Award for the most innovative documentary, was named the best documentary of the year by the Boston Society of Film Critics, was included on over 100 critics’ lists of the best films of 2017, and numerous lists of the best films of the decade.
Along with those mentioned above, Morrison has collaborated with the some of the most celebrated musicians and composers of our time, including John Adams, William Basinski, Maya Beiser, Gavin Bryars, Dave Douglas, Philip Glass, Vijay Iyer, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Kronos Quartet, David Lang, Steve Reich and Julia Wolfe, among many others.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
Her Violet Kiss
(2021, 5 min, color, HD)
let me come in
(2021, 11 min, color, HD)
The Village Detective: a song cycle
(2021, 81 min, B/W & color, 4K)
Wild Girl
(2021, 6 min, color, 4K)
Buried News
(2021, 12 min, B/W, 2K)
Curly's Thanksgiving
(2020, 12 min, color, DV)
Sunken Films
(2020. 11 min, B/W & color, HD)
Curly Takes a Bath by the Sea
(2020, 5 min, color, DV)
Cinematograph
(2018, 3 min, B/W, 4K)
Electricity
(2018, 30 min, B/W & color, 2K)
The Unchanging Sea
(2018, 30 min, B/W & color, 2K)
The Letter
(2018, 13 min, B/W & color, 2K)
Weaving
(2018, 6 min, B/W, HD)
Dawson City: Postscript
(2017, 10 min, B/W & color, 2K)
Dawson City: Frozen Time
(2016, 120 min, B/W & color, 2K)
Niver vs Walls
(2016, 17 min, B/W & color, HD)
Little Orphant Annie
(2016, 7 min, color, 2K)
The Dockworker’s Dream
(2016, 17 min, B/W, HD)
Gene Takes A Drink
(2015, 6 min, color, SD)
Back to the Soil
(2014, 18 min, B/W, HD)
Beyond Zero: 1914-1918
(2014, 40 min, B/W & color, HD)
Her Violet Kiss
(2021, 5 min, color, HD)
let me come in
(2021, 11 min, color, HD)
The Village Detective: a song cycle
(2021, 81 min, B/W & color, 4K)
Wild Girl
(2021, 6 min, color, 4K)
Buried News
(2021, 12 min, B/W, 2K)
Curly's Thanksgiving
(2020, 12 min, color, DV)
Sunken Films
(2020. 11 min, B/W & color, HD)
Curly Takes a Bath by the Sea
(2020, 5 min, color, DV)
Cinematograph
(2018, 3 min, B/W, 4K)
Electricity
(2018, 30 min, B/W & color, 2K)
The Unchanging Sea
(2018, 30 min, B/W & color, 2K)
The Letter
(2018, 13 min, B/W & color, 2K)
Weaving
(2018, 6 min, B/W, HD)
Dawson City: Postscript
(2017, 10 min, B/W & color, 2K)
Dawson City: Frozen Time
(2016, 120 min, B/W & color, 2K)
Niver vs Walls
(2016, 17 min, B/W & color, HD)
Little Orphant Annie
(2016, 7 min, color, 2K)
The Dockworker’s Dream
(2016, 17 min, B/W, HD)
Gene Takes A Drink
(2015, 6 min, color, SD)
Back to the Soil
(2014, 18 min, B/W, HD)
Beyond Zero: 1914-1918
(2014, 40 min, B/W & color, HD)
All Vows
(2013, 10 min, B/W & color, HD)
(2013, 10 min, B/W & color, HD)
The Great Flood
(2013, 78 min, B/W, HD)
Re:Awakenings
(2013, 18 min, B/W & color, HD)
Just Ancient Loops
(2012, 26 min, B/W & color, HD)
(2013, 78 min, B/W, HD)
Re:Awakenings
(2013, 18 min, B/W & color, HD)
Just Ancient Loops
(2012, 26 min, B/W & color, HD)
Tributes - Pulse
(2011, 65 min, B/W & color, HD)
The Miners' Hymns
(2011, 52 min, B/W & color, HD)
Spark of Being
(2010, 68 min, B/W & color, DVD)
Release
(2010, 13 min, B/W, HD)
Every Stop On The F Train
(2008, 5 min, color, DVD)
Dystopia
(2008, 30 min, B/W & color, DVD)
Fuel
(2007, 25 min, color, DVD)
Who By Water
(2007, 18 min, B/W. DVD)
Porch
(2006, 9 min, color, DVD)
The Highwater Trilogy
(2006, 31 min, B/W, 35mm)
Outerborough
(2005, 8 min, B/W, 35mm)
Gotham
(2004, 25 min, B/W & color, DVD)
Light Is Calling
(2004, 8 min, color, 35mm)
The Mesmerist
(2003, 16 min, color, 35mm)
East River
(2003, 5 min, color, DVD)
Decasia
(2002, 67 min, B/W, 35mm)
Trinity
(2000, 12 min, B/W, 35mm)
Ghost Trip
(2000, 23 min, B/W, 35mm)
City Walk
(1999, 6 min, B/W, 16mm)
The Film of Her
(1996, 12 min, B/W, 35mm)
Nemo
(1995, 6 min, B/W, 16mm)
The Death Train
(1993, 17 min, B/W, 16mm)
Footprints
(1992, 6 min, B/W & color,16mm)
(2011, 65 min, B/W & color, HD)
The Miners' Hymns
(2011, 52 min, B/W & color, HD)
Spark of Being
(2010, 68 min, B/W & color, DVD)
Release
(2010, 13 min, B/W, HD)
Every Stop On The F Train
(2008, 5 min, color, DVD)
Dystopia
(2008, 30 min, B/W & color, DVD)
Fuel
(2007, 25 min, color, DVD)
Who By Water
(2007, 18 min, B/W. DVD)
Porch
(2006, 9 min, color, DVD)
The Highwater Trilogy
(2006, 31 min, B/W, 35mm)
Outerborough
(2005, 8 min, B/W, 35mm)
Gotham
(2004, 25 min, B/W & color, DVD)
Light Is Calling
(2004, 8 min, color, 35mm)
The Mesmerist
(2003, 16 min, color, 35mm)
East River
(2003, 5 min, color, DVD)
Decasia
(2002, 67 min, B/W, 35mm)
Trinity
(2000, 12 min, B/W, 35mm)
Ghost Trip
(2000, 23 min, B/W, 35mm)
City Walk
(1999, 6 min, B/W, 16mm)
The Film of Her
(1996, 12 min, B/W, 35mm)
Nemo
(1995, 6 min, B/W, 16mm)
The Death Train
(1993, 17 min, B/W, 16mm)
Footprints
(1992, 6 min, B/W & color,16mm)
