Friday, April 9
3rd Annual Lowell Film Festival – Day 2!
“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”
“Frankenstein”
Midnight film: “Shadows & Fog”

Bette Davis’ feisty performance overtook the screen at Thursday ‘s Film Festival opening night showing of “Jezebel!” We were thrilled to see an excited crowd at Lowell’s National Park Visitor Center — we made wonderful new friends and welcomed our dedicated Lowell film followers. Thanks to everyone who came out on a chilly, windy evening!

We hope to see you in Lowell for DAY TWO of the Lowell Film Festival!
See the complete schedule at www.lowellfilms.org

Don’t forget to enjoy 1930′s-inspired cocktail and food specials at local eateries!

_________________________________

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) | 7PM (doors @ 6:30)
Lowell National Park Visitor Center
246 Market Street, Lowell
Tonight, “Every Man” James Stewart plays the idealistic humanist Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, our second film of the Fest. The parallels of Mr. Smith’s D.C. and our own administration in 2010 are frightening, especially given today’s political turn with the retirement of Congressman Bart Stupak. We think you’ll be pretty astonished. Introducing the film will be UMass Lowell Professor John Wooding who will help put Frank Capra’s award-winning film in context.

Frankenstein (1931) |  10PM
119 Gallery
119 Chelmsford Street, Lowell
Life. Death. Haunting RE-BIRTH. Don’t miss the James Whale horror classic that brought chills to 1930′s audiences! Boris Karloff’s stunning performance as The Monster made cinematic history – we’ll bring it to you at Lowell’s 119 Gallery, longtime partners, friends, and supporters of the local film scene and the Lowell Film Collaborative. Pieced together from the dead and brought to life by Dr. Henry Frankenstein, The Monster was Frankenstein’s ground-breaking creation and a German village’s worst nightmare. Mary Shelley began her eerie novel at the young age of 18 – what I wouldn’t give to sit and have tea with that young lady. Karloff’s brilliant make-up was done by Jack Pierce, who started a cinematic horror revolution with The Monster’s grotesque, lumbering appearance.

Midnight Screening at Dharma Buns!
Shadows & Fog (1991) |  12 midnight
Not enough film? Join us at Lowell’s Dharma Buns Sandwich Company (26A Market Street) for their midnight screening of Woody Allen’s clever homage to late 20′s / early 30′s German Expressionism. The film is indeed all shadows and fog, and captures the filmmaking of such artists as Fritz Lang and F.W. Murnau. Come, sit, and enjoy delicious late-night munchies at one of our favorite eateries as you enjoy one of Allen’s masterpieces.

]]> http://lowellfilmcollaborative.org/2010/04/09/day-2-at-the-lowell-film-fest-brings-mr-smith-to-the-visitor-center/feed/ 0 lowellfilm Don't miss "Mr. Smith!" http://lowellfilmcollaborative.org/2010/04/06/celebrate-opening-night-of-the-lowell-film-festival-thursday-april-8/ http://lowellfilmcollaborative.org/2010/04/06/celebrate-opening-night-of-the-lowell-film-festival-thursday-april-8/#comments Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:10:49 +0000 lowellfilm http://lowellfilmcollaborative.org/?p=2672 ]]>

Opening Night of the Lowell Film Festival
Thursday, April 8  | 5:30 – 6:45 PM
Athenian Corner Restaurant
207 Market Street, Lowell
Special Guests: Senator Steven Panagiotakos
and Anita Walker (Mass Cultural Council)

Suggested donation: $10 to support the Lowell Film Festival
Come dressed in your 1930′s BEST!

Music! Food! Cocktails! And a night of thanks and recognition — all of this awaits you at Thursday’s Lowell Film Festival Opening Night Soiree at Lowell’s own Athenian Corner restaurant. Come help us kick off this year’s fabulous theme of Hollywood and the Great Depression by coming dressed in your most fancy (or most Depression-era inspired) 1930′s garb. It was truly a cinematic time of big-budget musicals, sweeping epics, and political commentary. Our country hungered for escape as the nation plummeted into financial crisis. It’s no wonder that films like Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times” (being screened Saturday), “Gone with the Wind,” and “The Wizard of Oz” all made impacts at the box office or in filmmaking history. Additionally, Walt Disney premiered his very FIRST feature-length animated film in 1937 with “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (also screening Saturday) — its success led to Disney Studios’ decision to move full forward with producing full-length animated films for the masses. “Grand Hotel,” Hollywood’s first “ensemble cast” film, came to the screen in the 1932 starring Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, and Wallace Berry. If you haven’t seen “Grand Hotel,” put it in your queue ASAP. The ongoing action and character portraits are absolutely compelling.

All of these are just some of the reasons we’re paying homage to this incredible era in movies. The parallels to our current economy and that of the 30′s are distinguished not just by financial numbers, but by movie-going: the 1930′s saw a spike in film attendance just as the past two years have seen large spikes in box office sales. People escape to the theaters when times get tough, and Hollywood quickly answers the call!

We hope you’ll come out and join us on Thursday for our Film Fest kick-off at Athenian Corner — afterwards, we’ll head across the street to the National Park Visitor Center for the Festival’s Opening Night Film, “Jezebel” starring the irresistible Bette Davis in one of her most seductive roles. But before you leave Athenian Corner, don’t forget to sample their special Lowell Film Festival cocktail, Zorba’s Dance (inspired by the fabulous final scene in “Zorba the Greek!”)

Read the Lowell Sun's "Steppin' Out" cover story on the 3rd Annual Lowell Film Festival!

The Lowell Film Festival is exactly ONE WEEK away! As one of the organizers of the Fest, I (Suzz) am VERY grateful for Nancye Tuttle’s cover story in today’s Lowell Sun “Steppin’ Out” section. Nancye — many thanks for your ongoing support of our film mission in Lowell!

“Steppin’ Out” is the Sun’s weekly entertainment insert.  While it feels like the mag is getting thinner, it’s still our go-to place for cultural, arts, and food news around the Merrimack Valley. Read up on next week’s Film Fest HERE, or, pick up your copy today!

Get ready for great classic film next weekend! As for me, I’ll be hittin’ the vintage, Salvation Army, and Goodwill clothing centers for my 1930′s Festival garb. I’ve got a costume idea up my sleeve. Hope to see all of YOU there, dressed in vintage style!

First of all, a big Film Collaborative THANK YOU to everyone who came out to our screening of Good Food at Life Alive last night — what a turnout! Thanks goes to all our parters, including the Life Alive staff!

The LFC is taking a quick little trip to the Big Apple to catch come cool stuff at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) — we’ll be back in action by Monday, March 29. While in NYC, look for LowellFilmGrl to capture all she can via some Tweets! (By the way, we’re taking this guy with us.)

In addition to eating and enjoying the sites, sounds, and smells of the biggest darn city in America, we’ll be checking out MOMA’s Tim Burton exhibit as well as the New Directors/New Films of 2010, which looks JUST amazing.

While we’re gone, keep April 2, 3, and 5 firmly on your calendars for Lowell’s Marx Brothers Revue (click the icon on your right!) in celebration of the upcoming 3rd Annual Lowell Film Festival, just a couple of weeks away. Get excited, folks! Great 1930′s film will be the rage in the Mill City!

See you in a couple of days — enjoy your weekend!

{ See “A Night at the Opera” on Monday, April 5! }

– A MARX BROTHERS REVUE –
Enjoy three nights of classic Marx Brothers films in celebration of the
3rd Annual Lowell Film Festival!

Friday, April 2 @ 7PM
Horse Feathers (1932, 1hr 8 min)
Dharma Buns Sandwich Company, 26A Market Street

Saturday, April 3 @ 7PM
Duck Soup (1933, 1hr 8 min)
Dharma Buns Sandwich Company, 26A Market Street

Monday, April 5 @ 7PM
A Night at the Opera (1935, 1hr 36 min)
Screened in partnership with the Lowell Film Collaborative
Athenian Corner Restaurant, 207 Market Street

The 3rd Annual Lowell Film Festival is finalizing plans for a great weekend of timeless film! This year the Fest will honor Hollywood’s Golden Age of Cinema by featuring classic cinema of the 1930s that captured the nation’s attention during the Great Depression. In addition to the eight films that are screening from April 8 – 10 as part of the official Fest lineup, “Related Film Events” will take place at a couple of downtown eateries for folks who want MORE film. We’re delighted about this!

Kudos goes out to Athenian Corner Restaurant and Dharma Buns who will be hosting a fabulous series of three Marx Brothers films in celebration of the Lowell Film Festival. It doesn’t get much better than the Marx Brothers — they may have lived rather turbulent private lives, but their onscreen personas live on in the hearts of millions.

Don’t miss these great films PLUS all the other events taking place in April during the 2010 Lowell Film Festival!

Visit www.lowellfilms.org to see the full Festival lineup, including all “Related Film Events.”

3rd Annual Lowell Film Festival
“Movie Magic of the 1930s”
Thursday, April 8 – Saturday, April 10, 2010
{ Downtown Lowell }
It was a decade of glitz, glamour, and financial turbulence. Join us as we showcase a selection of films that defined America’s Golden Age of Hollywood!

::  Headline Event  ::

 Celebrate the Opening Night of the Fest!
Lowell Film Festival Opening Night 1930s Soiree
Thursday, April 8 @ 6:30PM
Food | Music | Drinks | Merrymaking 
Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Hall of Flags
Don your fedoras and feathered boas! Flaunt your 1930s best!

Volunteers and community sponsors are welcomed!
For complete information, please contact Suzz Cromwell at 978-674-1483 or scromwell@lowellma.gov.

EXTRA! EXTRA! … READ ALL ABOUT IT!

3rd Annual Lowell Film Festival
“Movie Magic of the 1930s”
Thursday, April 1 – Sunday, April 4, 2010

It’s official! The 2010 Lowell Film Festival Planning Committee has unanimously decided to focus next year’s film festival on Movie Magic of the 1930s – a theme that guarantees a veritable plethora of fabulous film selections, ranging from depression-era fare to hot Hollywood movie musicals to WPA and anti-establishment indie cinema.

The Lowell Film Collaborative wants YOUR feedback on film ideas: got a favorite 1930s classic, or recommend a modern movie that tackles 1930s themes or sheds new light on American or international 30s history? Heady documentaries, glittering movie musicals, black & white classics, political dramas — all will be considered good for viewing next April, so send along your suggestions!

Post your comments or e-mail us at lowellfilmcollaborative@live.com and share your film screening or program ideas. Watch for updates to the 2010 Lowell Film Festival website reflecting this news — hot off the presses!