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Theatres

Theatre Revival

By David Pierotti
Stadium seating at Red River.  Photo by Elizabeth and Dennis Ford.

After almost a decade, Concord, NH welcomes a new independent theatre to Main Street.

Like a species brought back from the brink of extinction, the American independent movie theatre is experiencing something of a comeback.  Suburban multiplexes effectively wiped out most smaller movie houses but here and there passionate film lovers and plucky entrepreneurs are rebutting conventional economic wisdom.  A great example of this is the Red River Theatres in Concord, NH, which opened in October of 2007 to enthusiastic community support.

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Sweet Sound of Accessibility

By Nancy L. Babine

The Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Film Club at the Coolidge Corner Theatre makes movies accessible to people with hearing loss.

Imagine never having the experience of sitting with an audience in a dark theater, sharing the blood chilling fright of a thriller or the belly-busting guffaws of a comedy. Consider never tumbling blissfully into the warm fuzzies of nostalgia or swallowing back the lump in your throat from old film classics like It’s A Wonderful Life or The Miracle Worker.

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Battle for the Brattle

By Sara Faith Alterman

What is the future of the big independent screen?

If you're reading this article, you have likely been as profoundly and extensively influenced by the cinema as I have. When I began writing for NewEnglandFilm.com two years ago, I was thrilled to combine my awe and respect for feature filmmaking with my own creative aspirations; what better way to promote local and homegrown artists than to write for their premiere online resource?

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Reopening the Jewel Box

By Amy Roeder
 The Columbus Theatre's history was recently the subject of John Lavall's film "Rated X -- One Family's Business."

Independent movies and an eclectic array of live entertainment breathe new life into Providence, RI’s formerly X-rated Columbus Theatre.

With recent offerings ranging from a live concert of Mediterranean soul music to Margaret Cho’s stand-up comedy film "Notorious C.H.O.," Providence’s Columbus Theatre is shedding its recent image and reintroducing itself to the community.

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Brattle's Independent Spirit

By Sabina Dana Plasse
A photo of the Brattle Theatre.

Ivy Moylan and Ned Hinkle take on the Brattle Theatre and with it, the mission of fostering one of the region’s most important independent and alternative cinema.

According to Anthony Kaufman of The Village Voice, independent film died on May 2, 2002. This fateful day signifies Universal Studios acquisition of Good Machine, a film company whose name embodied the very essence of "indie." The genius of Good Machine’s James Schamus and Ted Hope created independent classics such as Hal Hartley’s "Simple Men" (1992), Ang Lee’s "The Wedding Banquet" (1993) and, most recently, Todd Field’s "In the Bedroom" (2002) to name a few. Although this loss may truly read more...

A Living Master: The Films of Kon Ichikawa

By Vikki Warner
Kon Ichikawa's film "Harp of Burma" will screen at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston this month as part of the series.

This month, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston celebrates one of the most respected Japanese filmmakers.

Amazingly, Kon Ichikawa, the subject of an August retrospective screening series at the Boston MFA, is no longer generally regarded as a major force in his own native Japanese film community. In fact, after a brilliant career spanning over half a century, he is thought of in Japan as a has-been, a relic. At 86 years of age, Ichikawa is still making films at a rate of one per year. To Americans, this sounds like staying power, to the Japanese, staying too long. Ichikawa is seen in Japan as being reluctant to throw in the directorial towel read more...

Industry News

By Allison Twomey and Matthew Evan Scher
Local film "Space Baby and Metal Man" will screen in April as part of Film Fest New Haven.

A report of news & events in the local industry for April 2001.

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Industry News

By Michele (LaMura) Meek
A still from the work of Boston digital artist Jennifer Hall who received the Rappaport Prize.

A report of news & events in the local industry for October 2000

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Showcasing Local Directors

By Peg Aloi
Boston Filmmaker Brad Anderson's film "Happy Accidents" will screen at the Coolidge's Director's Cut this October 18.

Filmmakers and film buffs come together for the Coolidge Corner Theater's "Director's Cut."

The Coolidge Corner Theatre, well-known for its innovative programming and interaction with local communities, is now sponsoring a series of film screenings which will feature local independent filmmakers discussing their work. The series is called "Director’s Cut" and features unique films made by artists with a New England connection. The series began Wednesday September 20, and continues on Wednesdays once per month through January 2001.

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Industry News

By Allison Twomey

A report of news & events in the local industry

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New Screening Room for Indies

By Alex Rapp
The locally-produced film "Live Free or Die" will be shown on September 20 in the Coolidge Corner Theater's new screening room.

A new screening room for video and digital media at the Coolidge Corner Theater promises to create a space for indies.

In early October the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline will unveil a new addition: A small, multi-purpose video theater built on the second floor of this Harvard Street landmark.

The new room’s modern feel will be in stark contrast to the art deco styling of the Coolidge’s main theaters. Instead of ornate chairs, there’s bench style seating for about 45 people. Instead of a film projector, there will be an LCD projection system and a digital surround sound system donated by Bose.

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Man Around Town

By Shannon O'Neill
© 2000 Wendy Mimran

Veteran of the Boston film community, David Kleiler makes it his mission to get local films "made, sold and seen.”

A struggling filmmaker, beret askew, shoots in black and white on a deserted city street, with only one goal in mind: to capture the grit and reality of everyday life. "Finances be damned!" he thinks. "This is art."

For many, that is the image that comes to mind when the topic of independent film comes up. But filmmaking is more than art; it is also business. Just ask David Kleiler, director of Local Sightings, Inc., and a 30-year veteran of the Boston film community.

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Industry News

By Julie Wolf
A still from "A Hero for Daisy.

The dish on local films & industry-related news.

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Little Treasures

By Chris Cooke
Photo of "Bingo" one of the shorts featured in the program.

A Review of "Outstandingly Entertaining Short Films"

Ever sit through a movie thinking it had just plain gone on too long? That's what can make a short film so good: it doesn't have to fill any sort of time requirement. The short films that comprise "Outstandingly Entertaining Short Films" range in length from less than a minute to almost 20 -- and not one wears out its welcome. Indeed, this fine collection of shorts offers a diverse mix of a variety of styles and themes, each film entertaining in its own special way.

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Industry News

By Abigail Harmon
Andrew Mudge's "Chicken Pox Pal" was one of five shorts picked up by the Sundance Channel.

The dish on local films & industry-related news.

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Black History Month Film Series

By Gina Harris

A film series in Vermont finds Black History Month an opportunity to share some of the stories that define the black experience.

As a film reviewer and enthusiast, I've witnessed some very powerful stories on the silver screen. There have been moments, sitting in the dark, I have been transfigured. You become part of a pulse, part of an idea, part of humanity. The lights come up. The audience filters out. A loud, manly cough may hide tears not allowed to fall. Women, red-nosed and sniffling, convene in the bathroom to talk about how wonderful it was. There is a connection.
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Industry News for New England

By Lindsey Walker
A shot from local film "Road to Park City" which opens Slamdance this month.

The dish on local films & industry-related news.

Got a scoop?  Send email to news@newenglandfilm.com.


Festivals

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A Woman for Our Time: Barbara Van Dyke of Stowe Film Society

By Gina Harris
The Helen Day Art Center where the Stowe Film Society meets.

Exploring her exceptional career from Associate Producer of "Hiroshima/Nagasaki" to founder of the Stowe Film Society.

Once a month, the faithful flock to Vermont's Stowe Village to sample the latest Epicurean stew of independent films presented at the Helen Day Art Center. A recent evening featured outtakes and declassified reels of World War II that depict the Atomic Age. "Hiroshima/Nagasaki: August 1945," released in 1970 by legendary documentary filmmaker Erik Barnouw, Paul Ronder, and Akira Iwasaki, uses footage shot by Japanese cameraman Iwasaki before the arrival of American ground troops. An animation short, read more...

Old Glory: Restoring the Colonial Theater in Keene, NH

By Eric Aron
colonial

Director Susan MacNeil talks about the Colonial Theater's return to glory and its 75-year history.

Susan MacNeil is smiling a lot these days. And with good reason, too. The interim director of the Colonial Theater is witnessing the theater return to its former glory after a long 75-year history. With the exception of fixing the Grand Marquee out front, the Keene, NH, theater is almost fully renovated. Since opening on January 29, 1924, the theater has been graced with opera performances and film engagements, as well as lectures and readings by Amelia Earhart and Thornton Wilder. Today the Colonial is a full concert read more...

Back to the Big Screen: Drive-In Theatres

By Keith Wagner
drivein-lg

You may be surprised to hear it, but the drive-in theater, that icon of the 50's, is experiencing something of a resurgence. This month, the Drive-In Theatre Fan Club holds a special meeting and double feature in Vermont. And, you're invited...

If you’re tired of paying extra-large prices to watch movies on matchbook-sized multiplex screens, a trip to your local drive-in theater might be the thing to remind you how movies are supposed to be seen: on the big screen. A really big screen.

You may be surprised to hear it, but the drive-in theater, that icon of the Fifties, is experiencing something of a resurgence. Screens that have been closed for years are reopening daily, and theaters that have limped along read more...