Notes on the Buffalo Conference: “Autobiography in American Independent Cinema”(1973)

Notes on the Buffalo Conference documents a gathering of experimental filmmakers at the State University of New York at Buffalo in March 1973. Shot and edited by R. H., the film captures conversations and presentations from key figures in American independent cinema, including Stan Brakhage, Jonas Mekas, Hollis Frampton, Ken Jacobs, and others who shaped avant-garde film practice. Commissioned as part of a 1970s documentary project exploring filmmakers and their work, the film serves as a historical record of the era's creative ferment. Cameraman Dan Ochiva shot roughly half the footage, with R. H. handling the remainder and final edit. The material was later incorporated into the larger archival work People, Places, the 1970s, preserving an essential moment in experimental cinema history.