Atmospheric Marginalia

Equal parts poetic essay film and family folklore, Atmospheric Marginalia is an enchanting probe into a pair of star-crossed lovers and misfits, the continuing bonds theory of grief, and the existence of an afterlife. Steeped in the tradition of raw, no-budget guerrilla filmmaking, it was filmed entirely by hand on an unmodified iPhone 8 in 2020 and 2021, without the use of tripods, external lenses, lighting aids, etc. The film's free-flowing cycles of imagery feature unconventional palettes of unpeopled skyscapes and waterscapes that evoke, in rich and enigmatic detail, a world that often remains hidden in plain sight. Directed, produced, filmed, narrated, and edited by Adam E. Stone. Written by Adam E. Stone and Vernon A. Stone. Web VTT file for closed captioning and subtitles available upon request.

  • Adam E. Stone
    Director
  • Adam E. Stone
    Writer
  • Vernon A. Stone
    Writer
  • Adam E. Stone
    Producer
  • Adam E. Stone
    Key Cast
    "Narrator"
  • Adam E. Stone
    Cinematographer
  • Adam E. Stone
    Editor
  • Michael Lescelius
    Voice-over Audio Engineer
  • Jon Clarkson
    Wind Chime Audio Recording and Additional Editing
  • Joti Locker
    Driver
  • Desi Stone
    Driver
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Feature, Other
  • Genres:
    Poetic essay film, essay film, no-budget, guerrilla, psychology, spiritual, mystical, continuing bonds theory of grief
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 15 minutes 7 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 2, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    600 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Brussels Independent Film Festival
    Brussels, Belgium (limited online access during festival)
    Belgium
    February 1, 2023
    Limited Online World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Ghent Viewpoint Documentary Film Festival
    Ghent, Belgium (online, limited access)
    Belgium
    April 10, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Fisheye Film Festival
    Buckinghamshire, England
    United Kingdom
    April 22, 2023
    Live Screening World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Sydney World Film Festival
    Chippendale, Australia (online, limited access)
    Australia
    May 25, 2023
    Official Selection
  • New Jersey Independent Film Festival
    West Cranford, New Jersey (online, limited access)
    United States
    May 22, 2023
    New Jersey Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Brighton Rocks International Film Festival
    Brighton, England (online, limited access)
    United Kingdom
    June 20, 2023
    Official Selection and Honorable Mention
  • Venice Film Week
    Venice, Italy (online, limited access)
    Italy
    August 12, 2023
    Italian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Obskuur Ghent Film Festival
    Ghent, Belgium (online, limited access during festival)
    Belgium
    September 25, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Wales International Film Festival
    Swansea, Wales (online, limited access)
    United Kingdom
    September 14, 2023
    Official Selection and Best Experimental Film Finalist
  • Blow-Up Arthouse Film Festival Chicago
    Chicago, Illinois
    United States
    Semi-Finalist
Director Biography - Adam E. Stone

Adam E. Stone's latest feature film is the poetic essay film "Atmospheric Marginalia" (2022). His films have been featured at dozens of prominent, well-curated festivals worldwide, and have won numerous awards. Short poem and essay films include "form" (2024), "as the night" (2023), "Tyranny of the Unafflicted" (2023), "If Any" (2021), "Awake" (2021), "Specks and Flashes" (2020), "Elegy for Unfinished Lives" (2020), "an entombing(dis)entombing" (2020), "Declarations" (2019), and "Gods Die Too" (2018). Previous short dance films include "Do Not Forget the Lost" (2019), "Summer Friend: A Ballet Film" (2016), "Resting Places: A Ballet Film" (2015), and "Janet: A Silent Ballet Film" (2014). He also is the writer, producer, and co-director of the feature-length fictional essay film "Abstractly You Loved Me" (2013), and is one of the co-producers of, and conducted many of the interviews for, the feature-length documentary "Black Hawk Down: The Untold Story" (DVD 2019). In 2012, Stone wrote and produced the spoken-word ballet "A Life Unhappening," which is about the impact of one woman's Alzheimer's disease on three generations of her family. In 2010, he wrote, directed, and produced the DVD novel "Cache Girl Saves the World: A Novel in Visions." He is also the author of three conventional print novels: "Xamon Song" (2006), "Kingston Fugue" (2007), and "The New Harmonies" (2009).

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Director Statement

One of the many questions I wanted to explore with this film was, "Who does film belong to?" Does it, like so much else in this world, belong only to those who have resources, money, and power? Or does it belong to anyone who has a story to tell? My production costs amounted to $600 for the film, all spent on the audio. I recorded the voice-over in a professional studio, because I knew that to do this story justice, my voice had to be intimately quiet and contemplative, and I knew I didn't have a location, or the equipment, to pull that off by myself. I relied on my friend Michael Lescelius at Misunderstudio in Murphysboro, Illinois, to record me doing the voice-over, as well as to do the preliminary editing of the voice-over. I then relied on my friend Jon Clarkson, in Mattoon, Illinois, to record the wind chime and bird sequences, and to do additional editing, mixing, and mastering of the entire audio file. I hope this film will, among other things, inspire other filmmakers, no matter how limited their resources, to chase their dreams and follow their visions. Everyone's story is important and deserves to be told, and everyone who wants to should be able to participate in the world of filmmaking.