John Dunning and Cinepix commemorated at Fantasia art show

A poster from the Forbidden Visions/Visions Interdites exhibit
 
Film fanatics rejoice! In collaboration with the Fantasia Film Festival, BBAM! Gallery is hosting a collection of underground, horror, erotic and exploitation film posters from the Cinepix archives and the late John Dunning’s personal collection. Called Forbidden Visions/Visions Interdites, the exhibit celebrates the beloved Montreal cult film production house and Dunning’s legacy, serving as a loving tribute to underground cinema.

Cinepix was founded by Dunning and partner André Link and released such cult classics as My Bloody Valentine, Shivers, Rabid, L’Initiation, and Le Diable Parmi Nous among many others. The groundbreaking production and distribution house broke a lot of new ground for film, eventually evolving into the much tamer beast Lion’s Gate.

All the posters in the exhibit are for sale, and the prices range from $50 to $1500. Check out ultra-rare promo images of Russ Meyer, Chesty Morgan, Jack Nicholson, Catherine Deneuve and a slew of other horror, erotica, exploitation and foreign films.

Dunning’s son Greg will be giving a talk tonight at the vernissage, where one lucky attendee will win a poster from the exhibition. The show is also intended to be a fundraiser, with all funds generated used as a cash prize for a new Fantasia award in John Dunning’s name.

The cult filmmaker “believed that if you are not forgotten, then your life was not wasted,” says his son, and “the best way to create a legacy for John would be to sponsor a meaningful cash award at Fantasia. I think that if Fantasia had existed during the Cinepix production years, that it would have been the natural venue for Cinepix premieres. Cinepix was a Montreal institution, like Fantasia has become, so it is the right place for his legacy to reside.” ■

The vernissage for Forbidden Visions/Visions Interdites takes place tonight, Friday July 27 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the exhibit will be on display until August 26 at BBAM! Gallery (3255 St-Jacques)