Entering into its third year, Crossroads is the San Francisco Cinematheque‘s celebration of the best modern avant-garde and experimental film. Curated by Cinematheque Artistic Director Steve Polta, it will run on May 18-20 at the Victoria Theatre at 2961 16th Street (at Mission).

Some of the special programs this year include a tribute and retrospective to Cinematheque co-founder Chick Strand featuring three of her experimental works, Kristallnacht (1979), Soft Fiction (1979) and Angel Blue Sweet Wings (1966); plus, a screening of the complete works (so far) of young filmmaker Laida Lerxtundi, whose work explores “how filmic moments can be imbued with emotional resonance;” as well as a program of live expanded cinema performances by Kerry Laitala, Greg Pope and Gerritt Wittmer & Paul Knowles.

The rest of the fest consists of screening blocks of short experimental films, including Ken Jacob‘s latest, Seeking the Monkey King, plus new work by Jesse McLean, Paul Clipson, Peggy Ahwesh, Deborah Stratman, Christina McPhee, Ben Russell, Sylvia Schedelbauer and a ton more.

The full film lineup is below. For more info, please visit the website for the San Francisco Cinematheque.

May 18

7:00 p.m.: “There is a presence lingering…”
Remote, dir. Jesse McLean
Love Rose, dir. Bobby Abate
Leonora, dir. Eliane Lima
With-Me-Not-Me, dir. Olivia Ciummo
Song for the Collectors, dir. Tommy Becker
Craig’s Cutting Room Floor, dir. Linda Scobie
One Way to Find Out, dir. Scott Stark
The Pool, dir. Christine Lucy Latimer (Watch online)
Araneae, dir. Paul Clipson
The Ape of Nature, dir. Peggy Ahwesh

9:30 p.m.: “Awe Shocks: Illusion Reigns”
rites of alchemy and movement, dir. Moyah Pravda Newsreel
Village, silenced, dir. Deborah Stratman
Penumbra Blind, dir. Christina McPhee
Snakes and Ladders, dir. Katherine McInnis
Awe Shocks, dir. Anja Dornieden and Juan David González Monroy
Seeking the Monkey King, dir. Ken Jacobs

May 19

2:00 p.m.: “Woman with Flowers: Celebrating Chick Strand”
Kristallnacht (1979)
Soft Fiction (1979)
Angel Blue Sweet Wings (1966)

4:30 p.m.: “Contemplation is a monstrous task…”
Don’t Look Directly Into the Sun, dir. Kathleen Rugh
These Blazeing Starrs!, dir. Deborah Stratman
Dark Enough, dir. Jeanne Liotta
End Transmission, dir. Yin-Ju Chen and James T. Hong
Landfill 16, dir. Jennifer Reeves
Curious Light, dir. Charlotte Pryce
Valleys of Fear, dir. Erin Espelie

8:30 p.m.: “APPARENT MOTION: Celebrating the Art of Projection”
Myth of Persistence, dir. Gerritt Wittmer and Paul Knowles
The Color Red Bleeds Blue, dir. Kerry Laitala
Cipher Screen, dir. Greg Pope

May 20

3:00 p.m.: “…for there our captors demanded songs of joy”
Man Is Always On the Stairs Between the Pleats of Matter and the Fields of the Soul, dir. by Jing Niu
L’eau, l’air et les songes (Water, air and dreams), dir. Cécile Ravel and Jean-Marc Manteau
Their Bird, dir. Rei Hayama
Crusts, dir. Alexander Stewart
Last Time, dir. Julia Shirar
Light Licks: By the Waters of Babylon: This Could Be the Last Time, dir. Saul Levine
A Child Goes Burying Dead Insects, dir. Rei Hayama

5:30 p.m.: “California Dreaming: Films by Laida Lertxundi”
Footnotes to a House of Love (2007)
My Tears Are Dry (2009) (Read the underground film review)
Llora Cuando Te Pase/Cry When It Happens (2011)
A Lax Riddle Unit
Farce Sensationelle! (2009)

7:30 p.m.: “Voices for New Atlantis”
9214, dir. Takahiro Suzuki
The Voice of God, dir. Bernd Lützeler
Sounding Glass, dir. Sylvia Schedelbauer
FF, dir. Deborah Stratman
River Rites, dir. Ben Russell
Slow Action, dir. Ben Rivers