A curated collection of narrative home movies
Accidentally Cinematic explores the narrative potential of home movies. Made with the simplest DIY methods and never intended for public exhibition, these privately produced films nevertheless follow the conventions of storytelling, with staged scenes, dramatic tension, and playful genre experiments.
While home movies are commonly associated with personal memory and the documentation of everyday life, these films reveal an unexpected engagement with narrative cinema, challenging distinctions between amateur and professional filmmaking. Approaching home movies not only as archival material but as expressive works in their own right, Accidentally Cinematic offers a parallel perspective on cinema that connects personal memory with a shared cultural experience.
The program is introduced by curator Anastasia Langer, and presented in two parts: the first features home movies shot on film, while the second explores the era of video and digital recording. More about Accidentally Cinematic and how to submit your own narrative home movie at accidentallycinematic.org.
