Located down the labyrinthine halls of Waltham Mills Building 18 on Moody Street are rooms filled with stacks of metal canisters, large machines that look like sci-fi movie set pieces and a plethora of historic cameras. It all belongs to Waltham’s AgX Film Collective, an artist-driven community dedicated to sharing “resources, equipment, knowledge and a physical space focused on the creation and appreciation of photochemical filmmaking,” according to the group.
On Saturday, Aug. 15, from 7 to 9 p.m., AgX is hosting “Elaborate Procedures: Films & Poems by Derek Jenkins and Eugenia Zuroski.” Film fans can attend the screening and participate in a discussion with the Canadian artists. “Their works create a thoughtful dialogue on how we inhabit, perceive and remember the world around us,” according to AgX.
AgX was founded in 2015 because “there are things that physically you can do on film as an artist that are unrelated to digital,” said member Douglas Urbank.
While some members create experimental movies or documentaries, others are academics, recent grads or those who simply have a passion for filmmaking. Digital artists also can join.
The name of the collective is intertwined with the process of analog filmmaking itself.
“Embedded within the emulsion of photochemical film, silver halides are crystals composed of silver and one of the halogens – bromine, chlorine or iodine – often given the notation AgX,” according to the group.
In addition to this Saturday’s program, AgX also offers occasional screenings, discussions and other events to the public, including during Waltham Open Studios on the first weekend in November.
Artist-driven community
“Some people are really dedicated to the analog process,” said AgX member Raymond Rea. Creating 16mm films since the 1980s, the Malden resident said he enjoys “the community around it.”
AgX, which has 40-50 members, has seen an increased interest in analog filmmaking, including from recent college graduates, many of whom no longer have access to expensive equipment owned by their former universities.
“There’s been a revival,” said Rea, who thinks people want to see what the “real thing looks like.”
Urbank theorized one reason younger adults are attracted to the art form is they’re “tired of having everything on their phones.”
It’s clear that many of today’s popular filmmakers remain fans of working in analog as well. Just a few examples of recent hits created in non-digital formats include Season 2 of the HBO show “Euphoria,” which was shot on 35mm film; the Amazon Prime series “Fallout,” which was also shot on 35mm film; and “The Odyssey” movie, which was done on 70mm IMAX.
“I love the physicality of it,” said member Lilan Yang, who joined after learning about the group from a former RISD professor.
In fact, Yang said AgX is one of the reasons she decided to remain in Boston after graduation. The group offers a supportive community that is “a good way to feel grounded,” she said.
Collective work
AgX has an impressive array of equipment members can use to work on “processing, contact printing, optical printing, animation, analog and digital editing, and recording optical soundtracks,” according to the group.
Much of the decades-old machinery, including cameras, spare parts, editing tables, hand-splicing machines and more, has been donated by schools and individuals.
Some members have excellent technical skills and volunteer to repair the equipment as well as offer workshops to share their knowledge.
“How many people in the world are going [to know how] to repair Bolex cameras,” said Urbank, referring to the company that started making them in 1925.
The camaraderie and assistance goes well beyond Waltham. AgX is part of an international network of artist-run labs and supports a diverse community of filmmakers, photographers and interdisciplinary artists — both novice and experienced.
More information
AgX Film Collective is located at 144 Moody St., Building 18, second floor, Waltham. For more information, visit their website.
View more photos in David Greenfield’s album.
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