Painter Chuck Close is the subject of Marion Cajori's Portrait-in-Progress, a feature documentary the filmmaker is targeting for release to coincide with next February's Close retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art. Close is best known for his signature brand of mosaic pointillism with which he recreates photos, most often of art world luminaries, as oversize paintings. Cajori employs a similar style with Portrait-in-Progress. The "progress" in the title refers both to the artist's altered working methods following a medical catastrophe ten years ago and to the film's depiction of the three-month process required to finish a new piece. Close was 48 when his spinal artery collapsed and left him near quadraplegic. Although he regained strength in his arms and shoulders, he cannot use his hands; he now paints with the aid of orthotic arm braces designed to hold brushes he can change with his teeth.

Cajori is best known for her '92 feature doc on abstract painter Joan Mitchell. Segments showing Close at work are being shot on Super-16mm film, and Cajori is deploying both an intervelometer (a time-lapse device) attached to one camera to record the transformation of a painting-in-process as well as a lipstick camera Close will wear on his forehead to provide a microscopic view of the painting's field. Interviews with over 30 artists and Close friends like Lucas Samaras, Kiki Smith, Alex Katz and Philip Glass--who will be composing the film's score--will be shot on Digital Beta. Cajori's $350,000 budget includes a blowup to 35mm. All rights are available and Cajori expects to have a finished film to screen by mid-September.

Crew: Producer/Director, Marion Cajori; Executive Producers, MUSE Film and Television, The Art Kaleidoscope Foundation, Inc.; Production Manager, Kip Jaz Savoie; Director of Photography, Mead Hunt, Ken Kobland, David Leitner; Sound, Bob Blauvelt, Judy Karp, Bill Wander, Merce Williams; Composer, Philip Glass. Contact: Marion Cajori, The Art Kaleidoscope Foundation, 139 Spring Street, #3S, New York, NY 10012. Tel: (212) 274-0162, Fax: (212) 274-0490.

Animals - Michael Di Jiacomo
Highball - Noah Baumbach
Life During Wartime - Evan Dunsky
Long Time Since - Jay Anania
Montana - Jennifer Leitzes
Portrait-in-Progress - Marion Cajori
Some Prefer Cake - Heidi Arnesen
Sparkler - Darren Stein
A Stranger in the Kingdom - Jay Craven
Sue - Amos Kollek