This is one of the earliest surviving films by Belson. He initially drew directly onto long scrolls in his home studio in San Francisco. Using these long paper rolls, he could paint fluidly along the length of the scroll, then shoot frame by frame to create the film. "Mandala" is his first film to employ mandala imagery and an early expression of his interest in Eastern philosophy. This film has been restored by the Center for Visual Music (CVM) from Belson’s original 16mm negative. New 16mm prints have been screened at select museums, and a digital version has also been released. Animation historian William Moritz described "Mandala" as follows: "Peaceful, meditative images radiating from the center, paired with Balinese gamelan music, uncannily echo those shimmering, trembling textures." —Cindy Keefer, Curator/Archivist