List of avant-garde films of the 1950s

This is a . list of avant-garde and experimental films released in the 1950s. Unless noted, all films had sound and were in black and white.

Title	Director	Cast	Country	Subgenre/Notes
1950
Rabbit's Moon	Kenneth Anger	André Soubeyron, Claude Revenant		Color[1]
Tłum (The Crowd)	Walerian Borowczyk			[2]
The Adventures of Jimmy	James Broughton	James Broughton		Music by Weldon Kees.[3]
Swain	Gregory Markopoulos, Robert C. Freeman, Jr.	Gregory Markopoulos, Mary Zelles		Based on Hawthorne, only a drastically shortened version exists; 24 minutes of 50[4]
1951
Ensemble for Somnambulists	Maya Deren			[5]
Venom and Eternity	Isidore Isou	Isidore Isou		Letterist film[6]
Divertissement Rococo	Hy Hirsh			Abstract animation[7]
1952
Approaches and Leavetakings	Weldon Kees, Jurgen Ruesch			[8]
Come Closer	Hy Hirsh			Color, abstract animation in 3-D[9]
Form Phases I	Robert Breer			Color, silent abstract animation.[10]
Hand-Mouth Coordination	Weldon Kees, Gregory Bateson			[11]
Hotel Apex	Weldon Kees			Study of the demolition of an old hotel[12]
Interim	Stan Brakhage			Brakhage's first film, scored by James Tenney[13]
1953
Eaux d'Artifice	Kenneth Anger	Carmilla Salvatorelli		Color, added to the National Film Registry in 1993[14]
The Boy and the Sea	Stan Brakhage			Silent, listed by Camper as "not available"[15]
The End	Christopher Maclaine			Early beat generation film [16]
Eneri	Hy Hirsh			Abstract animation[17]
Form Phases II	Robert Breer			Color, silent abstract animation.[18]
Form Phases III	Robert Breer			Color, silent abstract animation.[19]
Unglassed Windows Cast a Terrible Reflection	Stan Brakhage			Silent, listed by Camper as "not available"[20]
1954
Desistfilm	Stan Brakhage			[21]
The Extraordinary Child	Stan Brakhage			Listed by Camper as "not available"[22]
Form Phases IV	Robert Breer			Color, silent abstract animation.[23]
In Between	Stan Brakhage			Color, music by John Cage[24]
Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome	Kenneth Anger	Samson de Brier, Anaïs Nin		Color, edited into at least three distinct versions[25]
Un Miracle	Robert Breer, Pontus Hultén			Color, collage animation.[26]
The Way to Shadow Garden	Stan Brakhage			[27]
1955
Mosaik im Vertrauen (Mosaic in Confidence)	Peter Kubelka			Written by Ferry Radax[28]
Haitian Film Footage	Maya Deren			Begun in 1947; later posthumously edited into The Divine Horsemen[29]
Atelier de Fernand Léger	Walerian Borowczyk			Filmed at Fernand Léger's studio in Paris[30]
Jesień (Autumn)	Walerian Borowczyk			Animation[31]
Żywe fotografie (Photographies Vivantes)	Walerian Borowczyk			Animation[32]
Aviary	Joseph Cornell			Silent[33]
The Bridge	William Heick	Weldon Kees		Poetic study, based on Hart Crane[34]
Dementia, aka Daughter of Horror	John Parker	Adrienne Barrett, Bruno VeSota		Essentially silent psychological horror film, music by George Antheil[35]
Joanne, Union Square	Joseph Cornell			Silent[36]
Joanne, Xmas	Joseph Cornell			Silent[37]
Reflections	Madeline Tourtelot			Color, two distinct versions[38]
Reflections on Black	Stan Brakhage			[39]
The Very Eye of Night	Maya Deren			Dance film, choreographed by Antony Tudor[40]
The Wonder Ring	Stan Brakhage			Color, silent[41]
1956
Together	Lorenza Mazzetti, Denis Horne	Eduardo Paolozzi, Michael Andrews		Experimental semi-documentary [42]
Centuries of June	Stan Brakhage, Joseph Cornell			Color, silent[43]
Flesh of Morning	Stan Brakhage			Revised in 1986[44]
Nightcats	Stan Brakhage			Color, silent[45]
Recreation	Robert Breer	Noël Burch		Color, semi-abstract animation with narration.[46]
Zone Moment	Stan Brakhage			Color, silent[47]
1957
Adebar	Peter Kubelka			Early structural — or in Kubelka's terms, "metric" — film[48]
A to Z	Michael Snow			"Blue and white" color, silent[49] [50] [51]
Gyromorphosis	Hy Hirsh			Abstract animation[52]
Był sobie raz (Once Upon a Time)	Jan Lenica, Walerian Borowczyk			Cut-out animation[53]
Dni Oświaty (Education Days)	Jan Lenica, Walerian Borowczyk			Animation[54]
Nagrodzone uczucia (Requited Sentiments)	Jan Lenica, Walerian Borowczyk			Animation[55]
Strep-tease (Striptease)	Jan Lenica, Walerian Borowczyk			Animation[56]
Angel	Joseph Cornell			Color[57]
Boy's Games	Joseph Cornell			Silent[58]
Cappuccino	Joseph Cornell			[59]
Children	Joseph Cornell			Silent[60]
Cloche a Travers les Feuilles/Claude Debussy	Joseph Cornell			Revised version of Nymphlight[61]
Daybreak and Whiteye	Stan Brakhage			[62]
A Fable for Fountains	Joseph Cornell, Rudolph Buckhardt			Begun in 1955; revised as "A Legend for Fountains" in 1965[63]
Glimpse of the Garden	Marie Menken			Selected for addition to the National Film Registry in 2007[64]
Jamestown Baloos	Robert Breer			Color, semi-abstract combination of animation and live action.[65]
Loving	Stan Brakhage	Carolee Schneemann, James Tenney		Color, silent[66]
A Man and His Dog Out for Air	Robert Breer			Abstract animation, shown with Last Year at Marienbad in its first New York run.[67]
The Man Who Invented Gold	Christopher Maclaine			Partly filmed by Jordan Belson[68]
Nymphlight	Joseph Cornell			Color[69]
1958
Schwechater	Peter Kubelka			"Metric" beer commercial[70]
Défense d'afficher	Hy Hirsh			Abstract animation[71]
Double Jam	Hy Hirsh			Abstract animation[72]
Une histoire d'eau	Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut	Caroline Dim, Jean-Claude Brialy		Semi-improvised, proto-Nouvelle vague short[73]
Spatiodynamisme	Tinto Brass, Nicolas Schöffer			Color, silent. A visual document of Schöffer's CYSP-1, the first cybernetic sculpture. [74]
Dom (House)	Jan Lenica, Walerian Borowczyk			Animation; Winner of 1958 Belgium International Experimental Film Competition[75]
Szkoła (School)	Jan Lenica, Walerian Borowczyk			Animated photographs[76]
Sztandar młodych (Banner of Youth)	Jan Lenica, Walerian Borowczyk			Animation[77]
Anticipation of the Night	Stan Brakhage			[78]
Beat	Christopher Maclaine			[79]
A Movie	Bruce Conner			Iconic collage film.[80]
1959
Chasse des Touches	Hy Hirsh			Abstract animation[81]
Les astronautes	Walerian Borowczyk, Chris Marker			Animated[82]
Monsieur Tete	Jan Lenica			Animation[83]
Cat's Cradle	Stan Brakhage			Color, silent[84]
Eyewash	Robert Breer			Color, silent mixture of abstract animation and live action; exists in two versions.[85]
Pull My Daisy	Robert Frank, Alfred Leslie	Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso		Beat Generation film, written by Jack Kerouac[86]
Scotch Hop	Christopher Maclaine			[87]
Season of Strangers	Maya Deren			Unfinished; made as part of Haiku Film Project at Woodstock[88]
Sirius Remembered	Stan Brakhage			Color, silent[89]
Wedlock House: An Intercourse	Stan Brakhage			Silent[90]
Window Water Baby Moving	Stan Brakhage			Color, silent[91]

References

1. Lewis, David. "Rabbit's Moon". Allmovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
2. Culture.pl Borowczyk profile
3. Kees Kino program
4. Markopoulos filmography
5. Lewis, David. "Ensemble for Somnambulists". Allmovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
6. Internet Archive entry
7. Moritz, William. "Hy Hirsh Biography". iota. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
8. Kees Kino program
9. iota center, Hy Hirsh Biography
10. Harvard Film Archive: Robert Breer, Kinetic Poet of the Avant-Garde
11. Kees Kino program
12. Kees Kino program
13. Brakhage filmography
14. Electric Sheep; Interview with Kenneth Anger
15. Brakhage filmography
16. Bioskop entry
17. iota center, Hy Hirsh Biography
18. Harvard Film Archive: Robert Breer, Kinetic Poet of the Avant-Garde
19. Harvard Film Archive: Robert Breer, Kinetic Poet of the Avant-Garde
20. Brakhage filmography
21. Brakhage filmography
22. Brakhage filmography
23. Harvard Film Archive: Robert Breer, Kinetic Poet of the Avant-Garde
24. Brakhage filmography
25. Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome’s Surreal Ritual
26. Harvard Film Archive: Robert Breer, Kinetic Poet of the Avant-Garde
27. Brakhage filmography
28. Rotterdam Film Festival entry
29. In the Mirror of Maya Deren presskit
30. Culture.pl Borowczyk profile
31. Culture.pl Borowczyk profile
32. Culture.pl Borowczyk profile
33. Jeanne Liotta: Joseph Cornell
34. Kees Kino program
35. "Yes! I am Here!"
36. Jeanne Liotta: Joseph Cornell
37. Jeanne Liotta: Joseph Cornell
38. The Flaherty Seminar, "The Flaherty Preservation Initiative"
39. Brakhage filmography
40. In the Mirror of Maya Deren presskit
41. Brakhage filmography
42. BFI screenonline entry
43. Brakhage filmography
44. Brakhage filmography
45. Brakhage filmography
46. Harvard Film Archive: Robert Breer, Kinetic Poet of the Avant-Garde
47. Brakhage filmography
48. Kontraste Festival entry
49. Austrian Film Museum: 1 Snow Sound and Silence
50. Canyon Cinema entry
51. CFMDC entry
52. iota center, Hy Hirsh Biography
53. Lenica profile at culture.pl
54. Culture.pl Borowczyk profile
55. Lenica profile at culture.pl
56. Lenica profile at culture.pl
57. Jeanne Liotta: Joseph Cornell
58. Jeanne Liotta: Joseph Cornell
59. Jeanne Liotta: Joseph Cornell
60. Jeanne Liotta: Joseph Cornell
61. Jeanne Liotta: Joseph Cornell
62. Brakhage filmography
63. Jeanne Liotta: Joseph Cornell
64. The Plant Journal
65. Harvard Film Archive: Robert Breer, Kinetic Poet of the Avant-Garde
66. Brakhage filmography
67. Harvard Film Archive: Robert Breer, Kinetic Poet of the Avant-Garde
68. Fred Camper essay
69. Jeanne Liotta: Joseph Cornell
70. BeerVlog entry
71. iota center, Hy Hirsh Biography
72. iota center, Hy Hirsh Biography
73. notcoming.com entry
74. Letterboxd.com entry
75. Lenica profile at culture.pl
76. Culture.pl Borowczyk profile
77. Lenica profile at culture.pl
78. Chicago Reader article
79. Fred Camper essay
80. A.V. Club, "Bruce Conner: The Art of Montage" review
81. iota center, Hy Hirsh Biography
82. Culture.pl Borowczyk profile
83. Lenica profile at culture.pl
84. Brakhage filmography
85. Harvard Film Archive: Robert Breer, Kinetic Poet of the Avant-Garde
86. Photo Eye-Magazine, "Is Pull My Daisy Holy? by John Cohen
87. Fred Camper essay
88. In the Mirror of Maya Deren presskit
89. Brakhage filmography
90. Brakhage filmography
91. Brakhage filmography