Cabin Fever

Overcoming the Void of a Plague and stream Experimental Films and Video Art

Example of an accessible film in the “Cabin Fever” list: The Future Is A Constant Wake, by Ariel René Jackson & Michael J. Love, 2019, 6:12min.

Kate Lain is a Los Angeles–area based, multidisciplinary artist working in film, video, clay, and other media. In her varied works, Kate plays with material, texture, traces, and movement and is interested in ways humans understand and interact with nature. Kate Lain’s experimental film and video work verges on documentary and spans a wide range—from essay film to stop motion collage to impressionist portraiture.

In March 2020 Kate Lain started a simple Google spreadsheet called “Cabin Fever” in the hopes of gathering links to experimental films she could send to her students once classes were moved online due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Initially created in order to give her students (taking a video art class) some online material and inspiration, the project quickly took another turn. As if the artist had foreseen our needs for inputs and visual support that keep us awake and aware, but also our needs to share and feel connected.

She thought it might be a fun collaborative resource for other folks out there in the same boat, so she turned it into a collaborative google sheet, shared it with folks in the experimental film community, and it took off.

Indeed, the international experimental film community, as well as internet-based artists started to make public and add their own films and videos on the collaborative Google Sheet. Less than one month later, hundreds of experimental films are now available and all you need is an internet connection.

Kate Lain’s idea of a list organized in film categories based on moods, is a humanist step. It is possible to dive into universes that fit our daily emotions, to have the feeling of going to a festival and to stay grounded thanks to stories representing our world.

Check out the list and watch the videos

Note: Due to an overwhelming response, Lain has made her playlist view-only. Folks interested in adding their work to the list should complete this google form.