Jonas Mekas

ActorDirectorWriterCinematographerCrew Dec 24 (died age 96) Semeniškiai, Lithuania 1961–2025 (64 year career)

6.5 avg rating

Biography

Jonas Mekas (12-24-1922 - 1-23-2019) was born in the farming village of Semeniškiai, Lithuania. In 1944, he and his brother Adolfas were taken by the Nazis to a forced labor camp in Elmshorn, Germany. After the War he studied philosophy at the University of Mainz. At the end of 1949 the UN Refugee Organization brought both brothers to New York City, where they settled down in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Two months after his arrival in New York he borrowed money to buy his first Bolex camera and beg…

Known For

Film

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

Narrator (voice)

Film

The Velvet Underground

Self

Film

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania

Self

Film

Diaries, Notes, and Sketches

Self

Film

Song of Avignon

Self

Film

Imagine

Self

Film

Lost, Lost, Lost

Self

Film

In the Mirror of Maya Deren

Himself

Filmography

Acting (157)

Movies (156)

A Mixtape for Stom

2025

Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV

2023

as Self (archive footage)

6.9

Fragments of Paradise

2022

as Self (archive footage)

6.5

Film: The Living Record of Our Memory

2022

as Self

7.8

Notes for a Déjà vu

2022

Jonas Mekas Anthology

2022

as Jonas Mekas

Vertigo

2022

Please Leave a Message: Anthology Film Archives Voicemails Through the Ages

2022

The Invisible Father

2021

as Self (archive footage)

The Velvet Underground

2021

as Self

6.8

Back from New York

2021

as Himself

Tiny Tim: King for a Day

2020

as Himself

6.1

Tapes

2020

Self Discovery for Social Survival

2019

as Narrator (voice)

5.4

Makeshift (for Mekas)

2019

6.0

Keep singing: a tribute to Jonas Mekas

2019

3 Friends Singing (...in the Desert)

2019

Jonas Towards Broadway

2019

Cinema and Sanctuary

2019

as Self

Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film

2019

as Self

7.2

Last Interview Film of Jonas Mekas/version 1

2019

as Self

Elegy for J.M.

2019

Sebastian and Jonas Leaving the Party

2019

Beyond the Bolex

2018

as Self

7.0

George: The Story of George Maciunas and Fluxus

2018

as Self

7.0

Nitsch

2018

Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground

2018

I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance

as Self

On the Holy Spirit

I Had Nowhere to Go

as Himself

Reminiscences of Jonas Mekas

2016

as Self

Últimas correspondencias

2016

as Self

EXPRMNTL

2016

as himself

A Day in the Life of Andy Warhol

2015

as Self

5.0

Behind the Artist: Andy Warhol, an American Prophet

2015

All About Bolex

2015

Filmstudio, mon amour

as Sé stesso

A Report from Venice

River of Fundament

as Wake Guest

My Birthday

My Conversations on Film

as Himself

What Is Cinema?

as Self

Jonas in the Jungle

as Self

Maya Deren, Take Zero

2012

as Himself

5.0

Reminiscences from Germany

2012

as Himself

Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man

as Jonas Mekas

Guest

as Self

Re: Maciunas and Fluxus

2011

3.11 A Sense of Home Films

2011

as Himself (voice) (segment "Mt. Ventoux")

6.5

Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film

2011

as Himself

6.8

Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin

2011

as Himself

7.0

My Mars Bar Movie

2011

as himself

Lavender

2010

as Self

Visionaries

2010

as Himself

6.0

New York Conversations

2010

Portrait Serie - Jonas Mekas

2010

as himself

Jonas Mekas in Kodachrome Days

2009

as Himself

6.5

It Came from Kuchar

2009

as Self (archive footage)

7.0

The Signing

2009

The Perfect Team: The Making of 'On the Bowery'

2009

as Self

Notes on an American Film Director at Work

2008

as Self

5.6

Doc

2008

as Himself

Andy Warhol's Factory People... Inside the Sixties Silver Factory

2008

2.9

Question a Day

2008

Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis

2007

as Self

6.6

Tuesday Jan. 9, 2007

2007

as Self

365 Day Project

2007

as Self

10.0

Sunday December 30, 2007

2007

as Self

Meet The Kuchar Brothers

2006

Salvador Dalí at Work

2006

as Self

5.0

Nam June Paik: Lessons from the Video Master

2006

as Self

Anger Me

2006

as Himself

8.8

The Song of Central Park

2006

as Himself (voice)

Notes on Marie Menken

2006

as Self

5.4

Who Gets to Call It Art?

2006

as Self

6.7

Excavating Taylor Mead

2005

as Self

The Definition of Insanity

2005

10.0

Vies et morts d'Andy Warhol

2005

A Letter from Greenpoint

2004

as Mekas

Not in Our Name

2003

as himself

Axiom of Choice

2003

as Self

Jonas Keeps Shooting Around

2002

as Himself

5.0

Notes in Lifestyle Margins

2002

In the Mirror of Maya Deren

2002

as Himself

7.4

A Letter to Penny Arcade

2001

6.0

Requiem for a Manual Typewriter

2000

as Himself

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

2000

as Narrator (voice)

7.6

Letter to John from Jonas

1999

Laboratorium Anthology

1999

as Himself

Song of Avignon

1998

as Self

7.4

Jonas Mekas in Paris 10/97

1998

My Country is Cinema

1998

as Self

Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit

1997

as Self

5.2

A Poet from the Lower East Side

1997

as Self

Michael Snow Up Close

1996

as Himself

6.0

Jonas Mekas, Friday 13th October

1996

as Himself

Cinema Is Not 100 Years Old

1996

as Himself

Nico Icon

as Self

Jonas in the Desert

as Self

Jonas Mekas in Budapest

1993

as Himself

Zefiro Torna or Scenes from the Life of George Maciunas (Fluxus)

1992

5.8

Award

1992

as Himself

Interview and Reading: Jonas Mekas

1991

as Himself

Quartet Number One

1991

7.5

Just Visiting This Planet

1991

Step Across the Border

1990

as Butterfly Wing

7.9

Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol

1990

as Self

7.3

Belladonna

1989

Warhol's Cinema 1963-1968: Mirror for the Sixties

1989

as Self

He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life

1986

as Self (archive footage)

8.2

Invocation: Maya Deren

1986

as Himself

5.0

Fire in the East: A Portrait of Robert Frank

1986

as Self

Home Movies 1971-81

1985

Persistence of Vision

1984

as Self

Strong Medicine

1981

5.6

The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man

No. 18: Mahagonny

as Self

J. Mekas

as Self

Self-Portrait

1980

as Himself

Paradise Not Yet Lost

1979

as Himself

ORG

1979

as Self (archive footage)

4.9

Notes for Jerome

1978

as Self

Cinématon

as N°1590

Four Shadows

Lost, Lost, Lost

as Self

Postcard from America

1975

5.0

‘Rameau’s Nephew’ by Diderot (Thanx to Dennis Young) by Wilma Schoen

1974

7.9

Notes on the Buffalo Conference: “Autobiography in American Independent Cinema”

1973

Imagine

1972

as Self

7.0

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania

as Self

Going Home

as Himself

Ricky Leacock Visit, April 15, 1971

1971

as Self

Journey to Lithuania

1971

as Himself

7.0

Occhio privato sul nuovo mondo

1970

Filmmakers

1969

as Himself

Diaries, Notes, and Sketches

as Self

A Matter of Baobab

Jonas

as Himself

Underground New York

1968

as Self

The Song of Avila

1967

as Narrator

6.4

Poem Posters

1967

as Self

The Love Merchant

1966

as Lounge Patron

4.4

Galaxie

1966

as Self

Screen Test [ST211]: Jonas Mekas

1966

as himself

Shooting Guns

1966

Andy Warhol Screen Tests

as Self

Dirt

Empire

as Self (uncredited)

Jonas in the Brig

as Himself

Award Presentation to Andy Warhol

1965

as Self

7.0

Diane the Zebra Woman

The Sin of Jesus

The Misfits - 30 Years of Fluxus

as Self

The Lamb

as Self

Viva Jonas!

as Himself

Cinématon n°1590 : Jonas Mekas

Television (1)

Kulturplatz

2004

as Self

6.0

Crew (215)

Movies (215)

Tapes

2020

Director

Self Discovery for Social Survival

Writer

Requiem

Director

From the Notebooks of a Cinema Maniac

2017

Director

From the diaries of a cinema maniac

2017

Director

I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance

2017

Director

8.0

On the Holy Spirit

2016

Director

Yoko Ono Lennon's Courage Awards 2016: Laurie Anderson, Mohammad el Gharani, Eileen Boxer, RoseLee Goldberg, LoftOpera

2016

Director

9.2

Últimas correspondencias

2016

Director

All About Bolex

2015

Camera Operator

All About Bolex

2015

Director

Scenes from the Life of Raimund Abraham

2015

Director

A Report from Venice

2015

Director

My Bolexes

2015

Cinematography

My Bolexes

2015

Director

Halloween 1990

2014

Director

Destruction of the Berlin Wall

2014

Director

My Birthday

2014

Director

6.0

The Sixties Quartet

2013

Director

I Leave Chelsea Hotel

2013

Director

20 Little Films

2012

Director

Reminiscences from Germany

2012

Director

Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man

2012

Director

6.5

Happy Easter Ride

2012

Director

Sleepless Nights Stories

2011

Director

5.3

Re: Maciunas and Fluxus

2011

Director

3.11 A Sense of Home Films

2011

Director

6.5

Keep Singing

2011

Director

Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin

2011

Director

7.0

First Class Flight

2011

Director

Mt. Ventoux

2011

Director

My Mars Bar Movie

2011

Director

My Paris Movie

2011

Director

Lavender

2010

Director

Lavender

2010

Director of Photography

42 One Dream Rush

Director

WTC Haikus

Director

WTC Haikus

Director of Photography

WTC Haikus

Editor

WTC Haikus

Producer

Orchard Street

Director

Lithuania and the Collapse of the USSR

2009

Director

9.0

Notes on an American Film Director at Work

2008

Director

5.6

Notes on an American Film Director at Work

2008

Director of Photography

5.6

Friday May 4, 2007: John Zorn – Cobra Part Two

2007

Director

Monday April 16, 2007

2007

Director

Thursday Jan. 4, 2007: Pedro (São Paulo) or The Right Way To Make Capirinha

2007

Director

Tuesday Jan. 9, 2007

2007

Director

365 Day Project

2007

Director

10.0

Monday Jan. 1, 2007

2007

Director

Friday March 16, 2007

2007

Director

Sunday December 30, 2007

2007

Director

To John With Love

2006

Director

Velvet Underground's First Public Appearance

2006

Director

Poets at the Living Theater

2006

Director

Salvador Dalí at Work

2006

Cinematography

5.0

Salvador Dalí at Work

2006

Director

5.0

Salvador Dalí at Work

2006

Writer

5.0

John & Yoko Bed-In

2006

Director

Andy at Work

2006

Director

To Barbara Rubin with Love

2006

Director

6.3

Moires with Prof. Oster and Salvador Dalí

2006

Director

A Visit to Timothy Leary

2006

Director

The Song of Central Park

2006

Director

John & Yoko Bed-In

2006

Director

A Visit to Stan Brakhage

2006

Director

5.0

Monks of Cinema

2006

Director

Dedication to Matsuo Basho

2006

Director

Warhol and Maciunas

2006

Director

Carl Dreyer

2006

Director

Cinémathèque Française

2006

Director

Robert Frank Films

2006

Director

Bibi Hansen

2006

Director

The Destruction Quartet

2006

Director

A Visit to Stan Brakhage

2006

Director

Brakhage Crosses Central Park

2006

Cinematography

4.0

Brakhage Crosses Central Park

2006

Director

4.0

Brakhage Crosses Central Park

2006

Editor

4.0

Brakhage Crosses Central Park

2006

Writer

4.0

Notes on Utopia

2005

Director

Scenes from the Life of Hermann Nitsch

2005

Director

Scenes from the Life of Hermann Nitsch

2005

Editor

A Letter from Greenpoint

2004

Creator

A Letter from Greenpoint

2004

Director

A Letter from Greenpoint

2004

Writer

A Visit To Hans Richter

2003

Director

A Visit To Hans Richter

2003

Editor

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

2003

Director

6.5

Three Friends

2002

Director

Mysteries

2002

Director

Ein Märchen aus alten Zeiten

2001

Director

A Letter to Penny Arcade

2001

Director

6.0

Diary Entry: Father and Daughter

2001

Director

Requiem for a Manual Typewriter

2000

Director

Autobiography of a Man Who Carried his Memory in his Eyes

2000

Director

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

2000

Cinematography

7.6

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

2000

Director

7.6

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

2000

Editor

7.6

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

2000

Writer

7.6

Silence, Please

2000

Cinematography

Silence, Please

2000

Director

Mozart & Elvis

2000

Director

A Few Notes on Andy's Factory

1999

Director

Letter to John from Jonas

1999

Director

This Side of Paradise: Fragments of An Unfinished Biography

1999

Director

5.2

This Side of Paradise: Fragments of An Unfinished Biography

1999

Editor

5.2

This Side of Paradise: Fragments of An Unfinished Biography

1999

Producer

5.2

This Side of Paradise: Fragments of An Unfinished Biography

1999

Writer

5.2

Laboratorium Anthology

1999

Director

Song of Avignon

Director

Song of Avignon

Writer

Patti Smith at Anthology Film Archives Febr. 19, 1998

1998

Director

Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit

1997

Cinematography

5.2

Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit

1997

Director

5.2

Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit

1997

Editor

5.2

Nam June Paik's Piano Piece

1997

Director

Happy Birthday to John

Director

Birth of a Nation

Cinematography

Birth of a Nation

Director

Birth of a Nation

Editor

Birth of a Nation

Writer

Letters from Nowhere

Director

Letters from Nowhere

1997

Editor

Letters from Nowhere

1997

Writer

Cinema Is Not 100 Years Old

1996

Director

Celebrate Cinema 101

1996

Director

Song of The Salamander

1996

Director

Memories of Frankenstein

1995

Director

On My Way to Fujiyama I met..

1995

Director

On My Way to Fujiyama I met..

1995

Director of Photography

Imperfect Three-Image Films

1995

Director

5.5

Peter Kubelka at the Library of Congress

1993

Director

Zefiro Torna or Scenes from the Life of George Maciunas (Fluxus)

1992

Director

5.8

The Education of Sebastian or Egypt Regained

1992

Director

Quartet Number One

1991

Director

7.5

Carl G. Jung by Jerome Hill or Lapis Philosophorum

1991

Director

Carl G. Jung by Jerome Hill or Lapis Philosophorum

1991

Editor

A Walk

1990

Camera Operator

A Walk

1990

Director

Mob of Angels: Baptism

1990

Director

Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships & Intersections

1990

Cinematography

6.5

Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships & Intersections

1990

Director

6.5

Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships & Intersections

1990

Editor

6.5

He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life

1986

Cinematography

8.2

He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life

1986

Director

8.2

He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life

1986

Editor

8.2

He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life

1986

Writer

8.2

Erick Hawkins: Excerpts from "Here and Now with Watchers"

1983

Director

Cup/Saucer/Two Dancers/Radio

1983

Director

Street Songs

1983

Director

The Song of Stockholm

Director

Travel Songs

Director

Self-Portrait

Director

Robert Haller's Wedding

1980

Director

Paradise Not Yet Lost

1979

Director

Notes for Jerome

1978

Cinematography

Notes for Jerome

1978

Director

In Between

Director

Lost, Lost, Lost

Cinematography

Lost, Lost, Lost

Director

Lost, Lost, Lost

Editor

Lost, Lost, Lost

Writer

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania

1972

Cinematography

7.0

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania

1972

Director

7.0

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania

1972

Editor

7.0

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania

1972

Writer

7.0

Elvis Live at Madison Square Garden

1972

Camera Operator

10.0

Elvis Live at Madison Square Garden

1972

Director

10.0

Elvis Live at Madison Square Garden

Writer

The Song of Moscow

Director

Time & Fortune Vietnam Newsreel

1969

Cinematography

5.3

Time & Fortune Vietnam Newsreel

1969

Director

5.3

Diaries, Notes, and Sketches

1968

Cinematography

7.4

Diaries, Notes, and Sketches

1968

Director

7.4

Diaries, Notes, and Sketches

1968

Editor

7.4

Diaries, Notes, and Sketches

Writer

The Song of Assisi

Director

The Song of Italy

Director

The Song of Avila

Director

Notes on the Circus

Cinematography

Notes on the Circus

Director

Notes on the Circus

Editor

Hare Krishna

Director

For Life, Against the War

1967

Director

6.0

The Italian Notebook

1967

Director

Report from Millbrook

1966

Director

5.8

European Diaries

1966

Sound Designer

Cassis

1966

Director

6.1

Cassis

1966

Director of Photography

6.1

Cassis

1966

Editor

6.1

The Velvet Underground: Psychiatrist's Convention, NYC, 1966

1966

Camera Operator

3.0

Film Magazine of the Arts

1965

Cinematography

Film Magazine of the Arts

1965

Director

Film Magazine of the Arts

1965

Editor

Empire

1965

Cinematography

4.2

Award Presentation to Andy Warhol

1965

Director

7.0

Award Presentation to Andy Warhol

1965

Director of Photography

7.0

Award Presentation to Andy Warhol

Editor

The Brig

Cinematography

The Brig

Director

The Brig

Director of Photography

Hallelujah the Hills

Assistant Director

Senseless

Writer

Guns of the Trees

Cinematography

Guns of the Trees

Director

Guns of the Trees

Editor

Guns of the Trees

Writer

Bed-In: John Lennon & Yoko Ono

Director

When

Director

Marcel Hanoun wedding

Director

The Monks of Cinema

Director

A Visit to Timothy Leary

Director

Fluxus on the Hudson

Director

Elia Kazan

Director

I Am Searching for Nothing

Director