This article, written by a painter and film producer, discusses the presence of avant-garde techniques within the film industry.  The author argues that, in addition to documentary and fictional entertainment, a third category of film should be formally added: experimental film.  The article describes the nature of the avant-garde, outlining its history from cubism to surrealism, and posits that it is not necessarily technique that defines the style, but rather disinhibition of the artist.  For the author, technique without creative energy is not justified as avant-garde, a style that is dedicated to the freedom of the artist.  The article mentions Fantasia as one of two examples of mainstream films that the author deems avant-garde.  This qualification is given to the film because of its focus on abstract movement, a visual

The fact that this article was written almost a decade after the initial release of Fantasia supports my thesis because the 9-year period in between substantiates a retrospective analysis.  The author is able to describe Disney's work as avant-garde because of the priveleged position to look back and compare it to other films of its time and to view it in the context of the artistic movement of surrealism.  However, the time elapsed between the release of the film and the publication of this article is relatively short, and thus the article could also be analyzed as a "late contemporary" of Fantasia.

Richter, Hans. "The Avant-Garde Film Seen from within." Hollywood Quarterly autumn 4 (1949): 34-41. JSTOR. University of Pennsylvania Library, Philadelphia. 27 Nov. 2008 .