Cassavetes' Shadows (1959)

Monday and Wednesday, July 6 and 8
Admission: Free, $5 minimum
Showtime: 11pm

Here it is: the birth of American independent cinema. Shot in the streets of New York with a multiracial cast, on 16mm film, you catch the nascent ingredients of improvised dialogue, handheld cameras, and an all-volunteer crew.

Godard and Scorsese both cite it as a source and inspiration. Charles Mingus was originally involved in writing the score, but due to missed deadlines his saxophonist finished the soundtrack, a great time capsule where Beat meet Bebop.

This is Cassavetes' first film. It would take 10 more years before he finished his next, Faces.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053270/