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Ken Jacobs · PopcornQueue

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Ken Jacobs

Ken Jacobs

Directing

Born: May 25, 1933 · Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Died: October 5, 2025 (age 92)

A pioneer of the American film avant-garde of the 1960s and '70s, Ken Jacobs is a central figure in post-war experimental cinema. From his first films of the late 1950s to his recent experiments with digital video, his investigations and innovations have influenced countless artists.

A New Yorker by birth, Jacobs graduated from City University to find himself in the midst of the downtown art scene of the 1960s, which included artists Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol, beat writers Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac; and the experimental theater troupes of Trisha Brown and Yvonne Rainer. Although Jacobs had studied painting with Hans Hoffman, he quickly gravitated to film, finding kindred spirits in radical filmmakers such as Jonas Mekas and Hollis Frampton. An early friendship with Jack Smith yielded several collaborations, including the seminal underground films Blonde Cobra (which Jonas Mekas dubbed "the masterpiece of Baudelairean cinema") and Little Stabs at Happiness, as well as a Provincetown beach-based live show, The Human Wreckage Review.

Known for

Blonde Cobra
April 8, 1963
Little Stabs at Happiness
September 16, 1963
Capitalism: Slavery
April 28, 2007
Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son
April 11, 1969
Star Spangled to Death
May 21, 2004
Celestial Subway Lines/Salvaging Noise
November 1, 2005
The Georgetown Loop
March 5, 1996
60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero
December 22, 2011
Seeking the Monkey King
October 7, 2011
Flo Rounds a Corner
January 1, 1999
Window
December 21, 1964
Razzle Dazzle: The Lost World
April 26, 2007

Behind the camera280

2026Downtown Loft with Skylights Director
2026A Date with Shirley Director
2026BOOK OF ETERNALISMS 43 Director
2026BOOK OF ETERNALISMS 41 Director
2026BOOK OF ETERNALISMS 42 Director
2025BOOK OF ETERNALISMS 40 Director
2025Book of Eternalisms 39 Director
2025BMT Director
2024Riverbed Director
2024Tourists of the Familiar 70

Director

2023Book of Eternalisms 8 Director

2023Book of Eternalisms 7 Director

Show all 280Show fewer

2023For James Otis Director
2023Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Director
2023Up the Illusion Director
2023Writhing City Director
2023Other Urban Lives Director
2023From Introduction to Orson Welles’s Falstaff: Chimes at Midnight Director
2023Book of Eternalisms 1-6 Director
2023Spasm Director
2023Whims of Twenty Twenty-Three Director
2023Tourists of the Familiar 15 Director
2023Tourists of the Familiar 1 Director
2023Tourists of the Familiar 5 Director
2023Tourists of the Familiar 20 Director
2023Tourists of the Familiar 10 Director
2023Manhattan is an Island Director
2023Hobgoblin Ball Director
2022Real Action Figures Director
2022When Timofeev Moves Everything Moves Director
2022Sergei Eisenstein Embossed Director
2022Buster Keaton Embossed Director
2022One Dozen Roses Director
2022America Lets Her Hair Down 1905 Director
2022Eat the Rich: Aligning Perspectives and Other Challenges to Viewers Director
2021Eternal Beach Director
2021Abstract Eternalism Director
2021Double Wow Director
2021XCXHXEXRXRXIXEXSX Editor, Director
2021Cartoonish 1-10 Director
2021A Small Misunderstanding Director
2021Adventures of Cookie Truck Director
2021Hoffman Student Director
2021Aspiring To Music Director
2021In Front of Anthology Director
2020Movie That Invites Pausing Director
2020Storefront Director
2020Spiky Director
2020Transparent Apartments Director
2020Municipal Building Passage Director
2020Clouds and Trees Director
2020Bandit Director
2020Hubble II Director
2020Whirlpool Director
2020Water Balloon Director
2020Halley’s Comet Director
2020Spaceworks Director
2020Another Day in Days of Yore Director
2020Garage Wall Director
2020Period Piece Director
2020Street Commerce II Director
2020Street Commerce Director
2020Resting Merchant Director
2020Broadway Buildings II Director
2020Broadway Buildings III Director
2020Neon Sign Director
2020Flowers and Bike Director
2020Chinese New Years Director
2020Chinese New Years II Director
2020Broadway Building Director
2020Duck Director
2020Fire Escape Director
2020Brick Building with Red and Green Windows Director
2020DeKooning Passed Director
2020Doyer Street Director
2020Sleeping American Director
2020Waiting Room Window Director
2020Natural Collage Director
2020Reading Society Director
2020Lazy City Director
2020Roots of Manhattan Director
2020Friendly Building Director
2020Bison Director
2020Working Girls (short) Director
2020Bargains Director
2020City Foliage Director
2020Barber Director
2020Foliage in Moving Car Window Director
2020Facade with Face Director
2020RECIPROCAL Director
2020Ken and Flo Director
2020Red Green Director
2020Rain Clouds Director
2020PAINTED POSTER Director
2020DR. TOOTHY Director
2020Rubble Director
2019CRUSH Director
2019PAPPY SEES 3D, TOO Director
2019Failure Director
2019Sebastian and Jonas Leaving the Party Director
2019Things to Come Director
2019MOVING ROAD Director
2019Figures I - V Director
2019THE WHOLE SHEBANG Director
2019ABSTRACT Director
2019Chaos Is Order Misunderstood Director
2019Above the Rain Director
2019The Sky Socialist: The Environs Director
2019Joan Mitchell: Departures Director
2019Once Upon a Planet Director
2019Details of Pollock's White Light Director
2019Cartoon Director
2019Nervous Magic Lantern: 3D for One or Two Naked Eyes Director
2019Dimsum and Dragons Director
2018The Moments: Evening Boat Ride Director
2018Tree Stump Director
2017Swee’pea’s Favorite Eternalisms Director
2017Get Up and Go Director
2017A Spin Through Night City Director
2017Along the Elevated Director
2017Shelley Duvall is Olive Oyl Director
2017Beautiful Dreamer Director
2017Ulysses in the Subway Director
2017Windbreaker Director
2017Capitalism Defeats Life on Earth, Cab in Rain Director
2016Central Park Director
2016Snow in Headlights II Director
2016Reichstag 9/11 Director
2016BMT Canal Street Director
2016Mosco Street 2 Director
2016Mosco Street 3: Attack of The Perfect Camera (Fuji W3) Director
2016Molten Landscape Director
2016Lurking Director
2016Ken Jacobs / Victoria Keddie @ The Nervous Magic Lantern Festival Director
2016Ken Jacobs / Tom Chiu of Flux Quartet @ The Nervous Magic Lantern Festival Director
2016Ken Jacobs / Ghosts Of The Holy Ghost Spermic Brotherhood @ The Nervous Magic Lantern Festival Director
2016Ken Jacobs / Rick Reed & Tara Bhattacharya @ The Nervous Magic Lantern Festival Director
2016Ken Jacobs / Robert Poss @The Nervous Magic Lantern Festival Director
2016Ken Jacobs / diNMachine @ The Nervous Magic Lantern Festival Director
2016Ken Jacobs / JG Thirlwell @ The Nervous Magic Lantern Festival Director
2016I'm Telling You Director
2016Hydroelectric Dam Director
2015Empty Seats Director
2015Batchellor’s Dog and Beach Director
2015Afternoon Tide Director
2015Zazie Learns About Money Director
2015Aimless Sightseeing, Seoul Director
2015Chrysalis Director
2015Cyclops Observes the Celestial Bodies Writer, Director
2015The Lackadaisical Speed of Light Director
2015Granular Director
2015Floral Director
2014Wire Fence Director
2014Canopy Director
2014Pygmalion Cubed Director
2014Celestial Bodies Director
2014The Guests Director
2014Popeye Sees 3-D Director
2013A Primer in Sky Socialism Director
2013Joys of Waiting for the Broadway Bus #2 Technical Supervisor, Director
2013Joys of Waiting for the Broadway Bus #1 Director
2013Joys of Waiting for the Broadway Bus #4 Director
2013Joys of Waiting for the Broadway Bus #3 Director
2012Blankets for Indians Director
2012Street Vendor Director
201220 Little Films Director
201160 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero Director
2011OCCUPY WALL STREET, THE 99% JOIN IN Director
2011Seeking the Monkey King Director
2011The Pushcarts Leave Eternity Street Writer, Director
2011America at War, The Home Front: Film Opening Director
2011Revolving Door Director
2011Turbulent Waters Director
2011The Roses Director
2011The Green Wave Director
2011Another Occupation Director, Writer
2011DAY AND NIGHT Director
2011Cyclopean 3D: Life with a Beautiful Woman Director
2010A Loft Editor, Director
2010Sensoriums at Sea: Dr. Toothy's New Entranceway Director
2010The Near-Collision Director
2010Sensoriums at Sea: Toothy Two Director
2010Fair And White: Parts I, II, III and Extra Director
2009Jonas Mekas in Kodachrome Days Director
2009Walkway Director
2009Excerpt From THE SKY SOCIALIST Stratified Director
2009Brook Director
2009Bob Fleischner Dying Director
2009Brain Operations Director
2009"Slow is Beauty"-Rodin Director
2009Berkeley To San Francisco Director
2009What Happened on 23rd Street in 1901 Director
2009Hot Dogs At The Met Director
2009Ronald Gonzales, Sculptor Director
2009Gravity Is Tops Director
2009The Day Was a Scorcher Director, Writer
2009The Signing Director
2008Return to the Scene of the Crime Director
2008Elbow Dance Director
2008The Discovery Director
2008Amorous Interludes: His Favorite Wife Improved (or The Virtue Of Bad Reception) Director
2008Alone at Last Director
2008The Scenic Route Director
2008Love Story Director
2008Anaglyph Tom (Tom with Puffy Cheeks) Director
2007Gift of Fire: Nineteen (Obscure) Frames That Changed The World Director
2007Nymph Director
2007Hanky Panky January 1902 Director
2007We Are Charming Director
2007Titles Director
2007Mosco Street Rapture Director
2007Popeye Sees 3-D, TOO Director
2007Capitalism: Slavery Director
2007Razzle Dazzle: The Lost World Director
2007Nervous Lantern at Kill Your Timid Notion Festival Director
2007New York Ghetto Fishmarket 1903 Director, Producer
2007Capitalism: Child Labor Director
2006Monks of Cinema Camera Operator
2006Pushcarts of Eternity Street Director
2006The Surging Sea of Humanity Director
2006Two Wrenching Departures Director
2005Celestial Subway Lines/Salvaging Noise Director, Editor, Producer
2005Insistent Clamor Director
2005Le Prince: Leeds Bridge 1888 Director
2005Ontic Antics Starring Laurel and Hardy: Bye Molly Director
2005Let There Be Whistle Blowers Director
2005Krypton Is Doomed Director
2005Spiral Nebula Director, Writer
2004Mountaineer Spinning Director
2004Star Spangled to Death Director, Cinematography, Writer, Editor
2003Keeping an Eye on Stan Director
2003The Whirled Director
2002Circling Zero: Part One, We See Absence Director
2002A Tom Tom Chaser Director
2002The Sky Socialist: Flight Director
1999New York Street Trolleys 1900 Director
1999Flo Rounds a Corner Director
1996Disorient Express Director
1996The Georgetown Loop Director
1995Looting For Rodney Director
1995Make Light On Film Director
1994Bitemporal Vision: The Sea Director
1991Opening the Nineteenth Century: 1896 Director, Writer
1991Keaton's Cops Writer, Director
1990Chronometer Director
1986The Alps and The Jews Director
1985Perfect Film Director
1977The Doctor's Dream Director
1977Book of Splendors, Part Two, Book of Levers: Action at a Distance Director
1976Spaghetti Aza Director
1975Urban Peasants Director
1975Jerry Takes A Back Seat, Then Passes Out Of The Picture Director
1973Changing Azazel Director
1970Binghamton, My India Director
1969Nissan Ariana Window Director
1969Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son Director
1969Globe Director
1968Soft Rain Director
1967For Life, Against the War Director
1967Airshaft Director
1966The Sky Socialist Director
1965Lisa and Joey in Connecticut Director
1965Naomi Is A Dream of Loveliness Director
19641st Window Director
1964Window Cinematography, Director, Producer, Editor
1964We Stole Away Director
1964The Winter Footage Director
1964Winter Sky Director
1964Artie and Marty Rosenblatt’s Baby Pictures Director
1963Little Stabs at Happiness Director
1963TV Plug Director
1963Blonde Cobra Director
1962Baud'larian Capers Director
1961The Death of P'town Director
1956Saturday Afternoon Blood Sacrifice Director
1956Little Cobra Dance Director
1955Orchard Street Director
TBASky Dive Director
TBADepth for One Eye or Two Director
TBASpotted Fever Director

Acting39

2026About Space and Depth
2025Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse as Self
2023Ken Jacobs - from Orchard Street to the Museum of Modern Art as Self
2023Art-House America: Austin Film Society as Self
2023Up the Illusion
2022Please Leave a Message: Anthology Film Archives Voicemails Through the Ages
2022Fragments of Paradise as Self
2016Reminiscences of Jonas Mekas
2013What Is Cinema? as Self
2013The Eternal Courtship
2012Emma's Dilemma as Himself
2011Sleepless Nights Stories as Self

Show all 39Show fewer

2011Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film as Himself
2011Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin as Himself
2011Cyclopean 3D: Life with a Beautiful Woman
2010Santos Dumont: Pré-Cineasta? as Himself
2010Lavender as Self
2008Momma's Man as Dad
2007365 Day Project as Self
2007Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis as Self
2004Star Spangled to Death as Oscar Friendly / Ringmaster / Janitor
2003Nervous Ken

2002Shorts From the Underground as Self

2001Flo and Ken Jacobs

2000As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty as Self

1999Laboratorium Anthology

1997Birth of a Nation as Self

1994Jonas in the Desert as Self

1991Quartet Number One

1986He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life as Self (archive footage)

1985Home Movies 1971-81

1976Lost, Lost, Lost as Self

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

1968Huge Pupils as Himself

1968Diaries, Notes, and Sketches as Self

1963Blonde Cobra

1963Scotch Tape