The VHS has been in an awkward position for a while now. It’s been teasing coming back into style; it just needs a little push. Athens VHS Fest is aspiring to be that push. Brad Staples, artist and archiver of obscure media, put together VHS Fest to gauge local interest, and to provide a place for fellow VHS enthusiasts to trade, sell and create. Staples runs an online shop where he distributes handmade copies of cult films and anime on VHS. JOKER JOKER Gallery and Super Carnival Recordings will co-host the event, and J Anderssen, Mr. Blank and others will perform. It isn’t often that an event pops up surrounding a specific medium, let alone one whose heyday seems to have come and gone. Some would argue that VHS doesn’t have the analog patina of something like 35mm film, but it’s still a respectable analog format, and for many people a highly nostalgic one. VHS has also been the chosen medium in underground circles for years. Any self-respecting footage of a house or DIY show will be shot on VHS. Perhaps VHS Fest will mark a renaissance of analog freedom and independent filmmaking.
WHO: Athens VHS Fest
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 15, 12–9 p.m.
WHERE: JOKER JOKER Gallery
HOW MUCH: FREE!
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