Transmutation, 1947, 16mm, b/w (lost)

Improvisation #1, 1948, 16mm, b/w (lost). Still from 1952 AFA publication Films on Art

Mambo, 1951, 16mm, color, sound. Originally published and distributed by Kinesis Films.

Caravan, 1952, 16mm, color, sound. Originally published and distributed by Kinesis Films, 1952. PFA record.

Bop Scotch, 1952, 16mm, color, sound. Head credit: Made with Patricia Marx. Originally published and distributed by Kinesis Films, 1952. PFA record.

Mandala, 1953, 16mm, color, sound. Restored by CVM. Available on CVM's Visual Music 1947-86 DVD , trailer on CVM's vimeo or youtube channel.

Raga, 1958, 16mm. Removed from distribution by Belson.

Seance, 1959, 16mm, color, sound. Sound: Pierre Schaeffer. Digital files at CVM, excerpt on CVM's vimeo or youtube channel.

Allures, 1961, 16mm, color, sound. Sound: Jordan Belson and Henry Jacobs. Restored by CVM. On CVM's Jordan Belson: Five Essential Films DVD, excerpt on vimeo or youtube. Jordan made 3 versions of Allures, the second version is the one that has been in distribution since the 1960s. Pyramid Films distribution catalog, 1973, which distributed and sold Allures; also distributed by Creative Film Society in the 1970s.

Re-entry, 1964, 16mm, color, sound. (Ford Foundation Fellowship). Soundtrack: Jordan Belson. Distributed and sold in the 1970s by several companies including United World Films (a division of Universal), and Pyramid Films.

Phenomena, 1965, 16mm, color, sound. Distributed and sold in the 1970s by several companies including United World Films (a division of Universal) and Pyramid Films.

Samadhi, 1967, 16mm, color, sound. (Guggenheim Fellowship). Digital file at CVM. On CVM's Jordan Belson: FIve Essential Films DVD. Originally distributed and sold by several companies including United World Fims (a division of Universal)..

Momentum, 1968, 16mm, color, sound (AFI Grant). Restored by CVM, with support from NFPF. Distributed and sold in the 1970s by several companies including United World Films (a division of Universal), and Pyramid Films.

Cosmos, 1968, 16mm, color, sound. Prevously distributed and sold by Pyramid Films. Pulled from distribution by Belson; he did not want it shown. 

World, 1970, 16mm, color, sound, 6 mins. Sound by Andre Vandenbroeck. Restored film at CVM (thanks to NFPF support), excerpt on our vimeo channel. Distributed and sold by Pyramid Films in the 1970s, distribution catalog, 1973.

Meditation, 1971, 16mm, color, sound. Restored by CVM. Available on CVM's Visual Music 1947-86 DVD , excerpt on CVM's Belson vimeo or youtube channel. Distributed and sold by Pyramid films, distribution catalog, 1973..

Chakra, 1972, 16mm, color, sound. Sound: Jordan Belson. Restored by CVM with NFPF support. Available on CVM's Visual Music DVD Previously distributed and sold by Pyramid Films distribution catalog, 1973.

Light, 1973, 16mm, color, sound. Soundtrack: Jordan Belson. Previously distributed by Pyramid Films, 1970s. Restored film at CVM, with NFPF support. Previously distributed and sold by Pyramid Films, 1970s. On CVM's Jordan Belson: Five Essential Films DVD.

Cycles, 1974, 16mm, color, sound, 10 min. (collaboration with Stephen Beck, AFI Grant). Sound: Stephen Beck. Previously distributed by Pyramid Films.    Pyramid Film Notes (pdf)

Music of the Spheres, 1977 and 2002 versions, 16mm, color, sound (abridged version, 2002), Sound: Iasos. Pyramid Film notes (vintage), it was previously distributed and sold by Pyramid. Restored by CVM with NFPF support. Excerpt on CVM's vimeo channel

Infinity, 1979. Excerpt on CVM's vimeo channel.

Fountain of Dreams, 1984 and 2007, 16mm, color, sound. Music: Franz Liszt. On CVM's Jordan Belson: FIve Essential Films DVD. Excerpt on CVM's Vimeo channel.

Northern Lights, 1985, color, sound. Sound: John Luther Adams. Previously distributed and sold on VHS video.

Thoughtforms, 1987

Mysterious Journey, 1997, color, sound, 30 mins (completed on video). Music: Arya Bruce BeeVar, Dawn of Awakening; Somei Satoh, The Heavenly Spheres are Illuminated by Light; Mychael Danna, Sky 9; and Raphael, Resurrection.

Bardo, 2001, color, sound (completed on video). Music: Maggi Payne.

Epilogue (completed on video), 2005, color, sound. NASA Art Program Grant, Commissioned by The Hirshhorn Museum for the 2005 Visual Music exhibition, and produced by Center for Visual Music. Music: Sergei Rachmaninoff. On CVM's Jordan Belson: FIve Essential Films DVD.

Special Effects

Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969) - work purchased for the film, not commissioned
Demon Seed (1977) - work purchased for the film, not commissioned
The Right Stuff (1983) - commissioned work

Cinematography

The End, Dir: Christopher Maclaine (1953)
Obmaru, Dir: Patricia Marx (1953)
Things to Come, Dir: Patricia Marx (c. 1953). Jordan assisted with the animation; he was never given, nor claimed, a director credit for this film.

Other Work

Commercial for San Francisco Chronicle, 1950s. Digital file at CVM, online at our vimeo or youtube channels. Work made for hire, © San Francisco Chronicle.

Demo commercials made by Logos Films (with Henry Jacobs and Jane Belson) for M&Ms and other products, digital files at CVM.

Vortex 5 presentation reels,1959. Black and white fragments, silent. Restored by CVM with NFPF support.

Haut Voltage (High Voltage), 1959, made with fragments of film from James Whitney, premiered at the Vortex Presents screening in October, 1959. Restored material at CVM, which was restored with NFPF support..

Unfinished and/or unreleased films

LSD (c. 1962), 16mm, color, sound. Sound by Jordan Belson. Restored by CVM with NFPF support. Unreleased.
Quartet, c. 1982, color, silent. Digital file at CVM.
Allah
Blues/Seapeace
Eleusis/Crotos
Apollo

 

(c) 2005-2026 Center for Visual Music. Compiled by C. Keefer/CVM (with Jordan Belson until 2011). Last updated, 2026.
Distribution history notes are in progress, derived in large part from the libraries of CVM and PFA.

PLEASE Credit Center for Visual Music if you link to or quote directly from the page, thank you.

You may quote or use short excerpts, with proper credit, but no permission is granted for publication or distribution of this entire Bibliography. Contact CVMaccess (at) gmail.com

Top image from Samadhi. All stills from films are copyright CVM, please seek permission before reproducing.

 

 

Cover image from Hirshhorn Museum Calendar, Summer 2005. Allures images (c) Center for Visual Music