Curtis Harrington Short Film Collection

Curtis Harrington, widely regarded as one of the important avant-garde directors of the 1940s as well as an early influential figure in what would come to be known as "New Queer Cinema," was born in Los Angeles in 1926. He began making films as a teenager, often deeply surreal, intuitive and owing much to the writings of Edgar Allan Poe.

After graduating from UCLA with a degree in film studies, his unique career trajectory led him from the academic circles of cinematic criticism (he wrote a publication on the films of Josef von Sternberg); to the Hollywood assistant desk of writer/producer Jerry Wald; to the elite group of independent filmmakers associated with Kenneth Anger (the two remained life-long friends and colleagues); to the famed film factory of cult icon Roger Corman; then on to his own stint in the world of genre movie-making with NIGHT TIDE and GAMES; and (most unpredictable of all) to finding commercial success in television.

This collection, a joint effort between Flicker Alley and Drag City featuring restorations carried out by the Academy Film Archive, comprises a handful of films by the late filmmaker.