EVANSTON, IL.- The Block and MFA in Doc Media welcome the groundbreaking American filmmaker for two nights of screening and conversation.

James Benning (born 1942) is an influential American experimental filmmaker known for his meditative, landscape-driven films that explore time, space, and perception. A pioneer of structural and slow cinema, Benning has created a distinctive body of work marked by long static shots and minimal editing. Over a career spanning more than 50 years, James Benning has created over 40 films, ranging from 16mm structuralist works in the 1970s to digital landscape meditations in the 21st century. His prolific output and rigorous approach have made him a seminal figure in American avant-garde cinema. He has taught at CalArts since 1987 and continues to shape the field through both his films and mentorship.

The Hoffman Visiting Artist for Documentary Media, is a short-term filmmaker residency at Northwestern’s School of Communications funded by a generous gift from Jane Steiner Hoffman and Michael Hoffman. The program is co-presented with support from the Michael and Jane Hoffman Visiting Artist Series, the MFA in Documentary Media, the Department of Radio, Television, and Film, the School of Communication.

“I have a very simple definition of an artist. The artist is someone who pays attention and reports back.” – James Benning

11 x 14 (1977) in 35mm
with filmmaker James Benning in person
Thursday, April 24, 7:00PM, FREE

With nearly a half-century since its release, James Benning’s first feature-length film 11 x 14 (1977) stands as a major inflection point in American experimental cinema. Made while Benning was teaching at Northwestern, the film traces Midwestern landscapes through long takes and tableaux, distilling everyday life in a manner reminiscent of Edward Hopper. 11 x 14 brought themes of time, light, movement, and cinematic form into new terrain—opening pathways still explored today.

Following a rare 35mm screening of the 2017 restoration, Benning will appear in person for a discussion and audience Q&A.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (2022) with filmmaker James Benning in person
Friday, April 25, 7:00PM, FREE

James Benning’s filmmaking has been synonymous with the automotive vision of the American landscape since at least 1975, when he and Bette Gordon filmed THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1975) from the back seat of a car. Benning revisited the theme in 2022 with another UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, using one static 2-minute shot for each of the country’s 52 states (plus Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic). Combining his unerring eye for composition with fragments of song, civil discourse, and location sound, the film surveys a country ill-at-ease and burdened by history.

Following the screening, Benning will appear in person for a discussion and audience Q&A.