Independent film and video, especially art films, dance, and documentary. Robert studied history of art and filmmaking with Standish Lawder at Yale University, began making short art films, moved to New York City, and worked for D.A. Pennebaker during the production of Ziggy Stardust. He was artist-in-residence at City College, and taught filmmaking, film history, and screenwriting at New York Instituteof Technology, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, and Fordham University. In 1984, Withers authored a textbook, INTRODUCTION TO FILM.In 1991 he received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College.For several years Withers served as Executive Director of the New York Expo of Short Film & Video, a 40-year-old international festival of independent shorts.Withers has won awards for his short films at festivals in the United States, France, and Germany, and received an Independent Filmmaker Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Collaborators have included Meredith Monk, Joseph Jarman, and Monty Cantsin.