The death of artist, writer, and filmmaker Sidney Peterson on April 24 at age 94 marked, in the words of Amos Vogel, “the end of an era.” In little more than three years Peterson helped usher in the vibrant movement of San Francisco avant-garde filmmaking which continues to this day, while also establishing the teaching of personal filmmaking within a fine-art context for the first time anywhere. The four darkly surreal and witty films Peterson co-produced with his “Workshop 20” students at the California School of Fine Arts between 1947 and 1949– The Cage, The Petrified Dog, Mr. Frenhofer and the Minotaur, and The Lead Shoes– will be shown during this, his 95th Birthday week, in honor of his memory. (S. Anker)