AUGUST TO JUNE screens Monday, May 21 @ 6PM 
at Cape Ann Community Cinema in Gloucester, MA

Special Guests: Directors Amy & Tom Valens 
PLUS a school lunch-style dinner served! 

After 30 years of watching the public open classroom where his wife taught, and admiring at a distance the model for learning that evolved, Tom Valens couldn’t miss the opportunity to film her last class from beginning to end.  And so he was there the day school started and many days thereafter: one man with a camera and a tripod, trying to stay out of the way as kids skipped from one activity to another, listening on headphones for events in other parts of the building, and sometimes rushing, tripod in hand, only to arrive at the action just as it ended.

Slowly but surely kids came into focus.  Tom captured their relations with each other, with their teacher, with learning.  The film is not meant to suggest there is one right way to teach.  Instead, it shows how one unconventional classroom puts schoolwork inside a larger picture, bringing into focus a broader vision of what education should and can be.

So begins the breathtaking description of August to June, the compelling documentary by Amy & Tom Valens, that is winning the hearts of educators, parents, mentors, film enthusiasts and communities. We were thrilled to discover this film through the Cape Ann Community Cinema, which is hosting a very special screening this Monday, May 21 at 6PM with a guest appearance by both Amy & Tom Valens. Film screenings are a real treat when filmmakers or guests are present to share the love of their craft and enlighten us to their movie-making processes — this event is surely not to be missed!

If poignant cinema is your passion, we encourage you to make it to Gloucester this Monday and share in the communal film-watching experience. The Cape Ann Community Cinema is one of our most favorite movie haunts on the East Coast and their unique film programming is absolutely stellar! 

The 37th 24-Hour Boston Science Fiction Movie Marathon
Sunday, February 19 – Monday, February 20
12 Noon to 12 Noon
Somerville Theatre, Davis Square
Somerville, MA 

It was 1987 when Suzz Cromwell (Twitter’s LowellFilmGrl) experienced her first 24-hour Boston Science Fiction Movie Marathon. I was 18, new to Boston, and still getting used to New England winters when my good friends and co-workers at the Boston Museum of Science introduced me to my first ‘Thon. If you have no clue what I’m talking about, not to worry — you’re not alone. Those that do, know the experience is a wondrous sum of its parts:

• A WHOLE 24 hours of classic, modern, and so-bad-it’s-good science fiction
• One room, hundreds of attendees
• Marvin the Martian and tin foil hats
• Special guests, burritos, Rice Chex and Wheat Chex

I was Suzzanne Ochoa when I worked at Boston University and was interviewed by The Boston Phoenix on just what it was about the Sci-Fi Marathon that turned me on. My responses remain true today, and every year my passion and respect for The ‘Thon grows. It’s the one thing that makes the end of football season a bit more bearable and one of those special times where I can release my inner geek and just be myself.

So this Sunday, Brett & Suzz Cromwell of the Lowell Film Collaborative will both be sitting in the Somerville Theatre surrounded by the finest cinema crowd in the Boston area! We’ll celebrate The ‘Thon’s glorious 37th anniversary, fire our laser guns, and pay homage to monsters, aliens, astronauts, superheroes and mad scientists. It may border on cultish (so I’m told!), but we’re happy to ignore what the outside world thinks.

So … is your curiosity piqued?

If so, come share in my 25-year tradition and snag your ticket to Boston’s own Science Fiction film celebration! Tickets are available online or in person at the Somerville Theatre or click here to order online direct from BostonSci-Fi.com. And if you choose to make the pilgrimage, be sure to seek us out!

Antony Lane's Twitter page is bursting with support and indie film passion!

British indie filmmaker Antony Lane uses Twitter. A LOT. According to his Twitter profile, Lane has been on Twitter 24/7 since 2009 doing fan fundraising for his zombie/horror film Invasion of the Not Quite Dead. With over 86,000 followers, Lane’s efforts seem to have proven successful as updates have just been released that the film crew is scouting for locations to begin shooting.

To people like us who relish the indie film scene, Lane’s goal is a precious one: to produce the first COMPLETELY Twitter fan-funded horror film. His pleas for donations ignite the reader with mixed caps to stress importance, are intensely frequent, and always read with passionate urgency –“if theres any SUPPORTERS OF FILMMAKERS chasing their dreams ONLINE right now, please check out my FILM PROJECT” and “PLS KEEP those DONATIONS/UPGRADES coming in to my film ‘INVASION OF THE NOT QUITE DEAD’, we are 100% twitter fan funded.” We adore this zest, and continue to be wowed by the seemingly endless supply of energy and enthusiasm that Lane displays to the public. But when you’re trying to reach a monetary goal for your life’s dream, that’s pretty much what it takes.

With all that being said, we’d love nothing more than for you to go out to Antony Lane’s Twitter page and project website and experience his determination first hand. And please feel free to support his campaign, especially if the horror genre is your bag. But no matter the end product (and we’re certain it’s gonna be mighty entertaining), Lane has brought the importance of independent film and the ongoing power of social media to the forefront. He’s also allowing all of us to play a part in his dream, and that’s a very special thing indeed.

Learn all you need to know about Antony Lane and his fan-funded film project Invasion of the Not Quite Dead via his campaign video below or by visiting Indywood.co.uk. And if you’re on Twitter, be sure to follow Lane or check in on his progress at @IndywoodFILMS.

UK journalist Neil White enjoys a crunchy movie snack.

We’re huge fans of the wonderful Neil White, though we’ve never met and never spoken. Well, by phone at least. The wonder of Twitter brought us together as it has so many millions of film buffs the world over. Neil is a special guy — in 2011, his goal was to watch EVERY FILM released in the UK that year. And not just watch them, but throw in his two cents on the flicks as well via his movie review blog. Now renamed everyfilmin2012 to reflect the new year, Neil’s site is up and running with the first 20+ films already there and reviewed. Below is Neil’s introduction to the 2012 project, taken straight off his blog:

“So, here it is, boys and girls, the 2012 challenge to see every film released in the UK. Last year, I wasn’t really prepared for the quest so pretty much winged it for the first month. This resulted in me being to far behind when I got a game plan together. I intend this year to be different. Fortunately, I am now known to quite a lot of movie folk and they are helpful in sending me more and more screeners (preview DVDs). Without these, everyfilm would fail. Anyway, last year I wasn’t quite clear on my parameters, so here’s my rules and regs this time:

- Any film which is released in the UK and appears at any cinema for more than three days must be seen.
- I will continue to review one-off screenings, if I see them but one-offs will not count on the must-see list.
- I will also attempt to get DVD recordings of movies which have appeared without sub-titles so I can give reviews later in the year. They will, however, not appear on the not-seen list.

All clear? Well, maybe not, but I can assure you of a blog with more reviews of new releases than any other in the UK. However, do not fret if you want to read a release of a 2011 film…they are still available on everyfilmin2011.com
So away we go…enjoy the ride.”

We know you’re probably quite curious about who in their right mind would attempt such a thing. Luckily, the UK press have given Neil a lot of coverage, thus we’re all able to learn more about the man behind the challenge — for starters, he’s from Chilwell in Nottingham and is a journalist with the Derby Telegraph. Be sure to read the stories we’re sharing below to get more info on Neil, and if you’re up on Twitter, you can keep up with him there @everyfilmin2012. And for all you fellow Lowellians who might be reading this, Neil’s favorite film of 2011 was The Fighter. BooYah!

Steady on, film friend, and much luck to you from this side of the pond!

Learn more about Neil’s challenge and a bit about Neil himself:
“Film buff attempts to watch every UK release in 2011” — (BBC Nottingham, Feb. 25, 2011)
“Film critic vows to watch every 2012 UK cinema release” — (BBC News, England, Dec. 23, 2011)
“The midlife crisis that turned into a 600-film odyssey” — (The UK Independent, Dec. 28, 2011)

The final chapter of the award-winning trilogy of documentaries on accused killers Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley will air this Thursday at 9PM on HBO. Known as the West Memphis 3, Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were freed last summer after spending 18 years in prison. Their story was passionately told in two films, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders and Robin Hood Hills (1996) and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000) — this week’s airing of Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory — directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, creators of the first two films – marks the cinematic end to the story and the closing of this haunting case.

ABOUT THE FILM
HBO Documentary Films’ Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, the conclusion of the award-winning trilogy that spawned a world-wide movement to free three convicted men – Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley – known as The West Memphis 3, tells the complete story of one of the most notorious child murder cases in U.S. history. Provocative and timely, the film chronicles stunning new developments, culminating in the startling and unexpected conclusion just a few months ago, when Echols, who was on death row, and Baldwin and Misskelley, who were serving life sentences without the possibility of parole, were finally freed from prison after more than 18 years. “Almost 20 years and three films ago, HBO’s Sheila Nevins sent us on this journey to document the terrible murders of three innocent boys and the subsequent circus that followed the arrests and convictions of Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley,” says filmmaker Joe Berlinger. “To see our work culminate in the righting of this tragic miscarriage of justice is more than a filmmaker could ask for.”  – (Read the complete synopsis on HBO Films’ official website.)

Damien Echols of the West Memphis 3.

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory premiered to the public at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival in its original form, but was then lengthened by 12 minutes to include the stunning verdict of innocent after the men were freed. According to the film’s official site, the West Memphis 3 were given a round of applause and a standing ovation at the New York  Film Festival where the longer version was screened to an audience of 1200 supportive fans. This was their first public appearance together since their departure from the Arkansas courthouse.

For complete details on Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory and Thursday’s presentation, CLICK HERE to visit the official site on HBO Films.

Indie cult film/off-beat comedy duo Jay & Silent Bob (Jason “Jay” Mewes and actor-director Kevin Smith) are partnering with Fathom Events to present Kevin Smith: Live From Behind Featuring Jay and Silent Bob Get Old — this is a one-night only, 3-hour event on Thursday, February 2 with Smith and Mewes hosting their popular podcast (or SModcast as they call it), followed by a live-stream Q&A session with fans. It’s an interactive audience experience due to hit 300 cinemas simultaneously that allows fans to be part of the show by submitting questions to Smith and Mewes via social media.

Don’t know who Jay & Silent Bob are? This brief routine will help define the act:

Yeah, it’s not for everyone, but trust us, they have a legion of loyal followers. We had a terrific time seeing Kevin Smith in person at the Boston premiere of his newest film, Red State, dare I say one of our favorite flicks of 2011 due mostly to Michael Parks’ riveting performance. Smith did his best to field questions, but seemed to get caught up in his own diatribe — but no matter, he was a fabulous entertainer and all of us were into it. He has a way of sweeping you up into his cluttered, passionate head. Be warned, chances are, Jay and Silent Bob will have no filter!

Full details on Kevin Smith: Live From Behind Featuring Jay and Silent Bob Get Old can be found at Fathomevents.com. Tickets are $16 for the event and can be purchased at Lowell’s Showcase Cinema — order fast, as only 250 seats are available!

Director John Sayles makes a guest appearance at the Cape Ann Community Cinema, December 28 at 7:30PM. Tickets on sale now!

We take great joy in promoting our good friend Rob Newton up in Gloucester at the Cape Ann Community Cinema. Not only is Rob one of the hardest working people to ever own a movie theater, but his passion and love for what film can do for a community is second to none. If you haven’t visited the Cape Ann Cinema, we URGE you to make plans in the coming year, or, if at all possible, next Wednesday, December 28. On that evening, you’ll be treated to a VERY special director event with legendary indie filmmaker John Sayles who’ll be promoting and screening his newest work, Amigo. Also in attendance will be his partner Maggie Renzi and local film producer Sarah Green, who will moderate the post-film Q&A with Sayles and Renzi.

Seriously, friends — you will NOT want to miss this event. You’ll be a stone’s throw from Sayles no matter where you sit in this great little theater! And the price? It’s an unbelievable $12.50 per ticket, and even less if you’re a member of the Cinema.

Below is a trailer for Amigo as well as the official press release about the event. Be sure to snag your tickets ASAP — we hope to see you there in just over a week!

• • • • •

OSCAR NOMINEE VISITING CAPE ANN DEC. 28
John Sayles presents his new film “Amigo” and meets the fans

[December 19, 2011 * Gloucester, MA] – The Cape Ann Community Cinema at 21 Main Street in Gloucester will host two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker John Sayles and his partner, Maggie Renzi, on Wednesday, December 28th at 7:30pm. Sayles and Renzi will personally present their new film, Amigo, and stay for a Q&A after the film, hosted by local film producer Sarah Green.

This is the 17th feature film from Sayles, and it stars legendary Filipino actor Joel Torre as Rafael, a village mayor caught in the murderous crossfire of the 1899 Philippine-American War. When U.S. troops occupy his village, Rafael comes under pressure from a tough-as-nails officer (Chris Cooper) to help the Americans in their hunt for Filipino guerilla fighters. But Rafael’s brother (Ronnie Lazaro) is the head of the local guerillas, and considers anyone who cooperates with the Americans to be a traitor. Rafael quickly finds himself forced to make the impossible, potentially deadly decisions faced by ordinary civilians in an occupied country. A powerful drama of friendship, betrayal, romance and heartbreaking violence, Amigo is a page torn from the untold history of the Philippines, and a mirror of today’s unresolvable conflicts.

Sayles’s past films include Return Of The Secaucus 7 (1979), The Brother From Another Planet (1984), Matewan (1987), Eight Men Out (1988), Passion Fish (1992), The Secret Of Roan Inish (1994), Lone Star (1996), Limbo (1999), Sunshine State (2002) and Honeydripper (2007).

Tickets for this special event are $12.50, $10.00 for Cinema members, available at the Cinema or online at www.CapeAnnCinema.com.

Thursday the 22nd through Sunday the 25th at 5:00pm (plus a 2:30pm show on Sat. Dec. 24), the Cinema concludes its annual holiday tradition of “The Nutcracker,” this year featuring the Bolshoi Ballet’s presentation. Tickets are $15.00 adults, $12.50 for Cinema Members and $10.00 for children up to age 12. Tickets are available at the Cinema box office and on the Cinema’s website at www.CapeAnnCinema.com.

Ethereal projection onto an Occupy Cinema banner at an Occupy Wall Street demonstration, taken by Timothy Krause, Nov. 17, 2011

“Occupy Cinema: An open collective harnessing the moving image to aid the worldwide occupation movement.”

Inspired by the Occupy movement, Occupy Cinema is getting in on the game by taking the beauty and power of moving pictures to the streets by projecting on any surface they can find, from buildings, to abandoned property, to statues. Most recently on December 6, they found themselves in the heart of New York City’s Wall Street with a projection and performance program at Wall Street’s historic icon, the Charging Bull. They even released a viral teaser video promoting the event, which got picked up by blogs a’ plenty, including Indiewire and Huffington Post:

Occupy Cinema at Charging Bull // more to come from Occupy Cinema on Vimeo.

But Occupy Cinema’s movement doesn’t stop at public, guerilla-style performance and protest — on January 7 & 8, they’re partnering with NYC’s Anthology Film Archives to screen films related to the International Occupy Movement, including Peter Whitehead’s The Fall. Folks who attend these events will also see the full footage taken from the Charging Bull event and Travis Wilkerson’s An Injury to One. Visit Occupy Cinema’s blog page for full details on past and future events.

We’ll never know how long the Occupy movement will last, or its impact. But the fact that it has inspired filmmakers, performers, and projection artists to get more cinema to the masses is an incredible thing in itself. We’ll definitely be keeping up with Occupy Cinema, most especially their NYC happenings, for as long as the movement will allow. Occupy Cinema, indeed!

LFC's Brett Cromwell & the magical Bill Plympton.

There’s absolutely NO shortage of great indie film projects out there, especially among the hundreds of IndieGoGo and Kickstarter ideas in queue. One of these impressive film artists seeking our collective financial support is Alexia Anastasio, whose current documentary Adventures in Plymptoons! showcases the brilliant work of Academy Award nominee, animator, and filmmaker Bill Plympton. We had the extreme pleasure of meeting both Anastasio and Plympton in person this weekend at a screening their film at Gloucester’s Cape Ann Community Cinema. This dynamic duo won us over with their exuberance and charm and of course it was a thrill for Suzz to finally meet Plympton — an artist she’s followed and adored since his late 80s debut — in person. She did her best not to gush.

Alexia Anastasio -- the reds have it!

We invite you to check out Anastasio’s current documentary project Ginger Girls: The Secret Lives of Redheads, which now has fiscal sponsorship via Fractured Atlas and is accepting donations under the name “I Believe Productions.” A self-proclaimed freckle-faced “ginger” herself, Anastasio will interview and photograph 500 girls from around the world, all of whom are blessed with natural red hair, in the hopes of capturing their personal stories (their “trials and tribulations of love, youth and successes,” according to Anastasio) and learning what separates these feisty, beautiful lasses from the rest of the gals. Anastasio’s Kickstarter bio snapshot reads as follows: Alexia is an artist, actress and filmmaker. She was featured in HBO’s Bored to Death, VH1 “If you like…” commerical and Vetiver “Everyday” music video. Her work on the feature documentaries include, Editor of “Vampira: The Movie,” Associate Producer of “The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels,” Producer of “7 Deadly Sins: Inside the Ecomm Cult,” Co-producer of “Beyond the Noise: My Transcendental Meditation Journey,” and Director of “Adventures in Plymptoons!,” a documentary on Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton among others.

Learn more about our newfound indie film friend Alexia Anastasio at AlexiaAnastasio.com and explore her Kickstarter project Ginger Girls HERE. We hope you’ll share this post with the beloved Gingers in your life! [And if you're reading this, Alexia, it was an absolute PLEASURE to meet you on Saturday -- we'll be in touch!] 

Jessica Chastain & Michael Shannon in "Take Shelter," now playing at the Cape Ann Community Cinema.

The Lowell Film Collaborative sends VERY Happy Thanksgiving wishes to each and every one of you! We are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended a Lowell film screening or who conveyed their support through kind words, generous donations, or by helping to publicize our Mill City movie mission. We hope you enjoy spending this day with good people, great food, AND terrific film!

As for us, we’ll be enjoying our first all vegan Thanksgiving dinner with our favorite homemade sides, dessert, and a fabulous ‘turkey’ courtesy of Cafe Indigo in Concord, NH. We also have some great film plans we have as well, including the Cape Ann Film Festival taking place throughout the weekend in Gloucester, MA, at the Cape Ann Community Cinema and The Cape Ann (“The Annie”). Our good friend and film supporter Rob Newton — owner & operator of the CACC — has curated quite an incredible fest as well as some terrific post-fest screenings, including a LIVE guest appearance by director John Sayles at the local premiere of his latest film Amigo. Check out the full Cape Ann Film Fest schedule HERE and do consider making the trek if you’re in the Boston area. We just barely snagged our tickets for tomorrow night’s (Friday’s) showing of Take Shelter with a post-film Q&A with producer Sarah Green. Though that event is currently sold out, you’ll be able to catch Take Shelter on Sunday and later in the week (sans Q&A).

Finally, you’ve probably read our past post on the MARVELOUS French produced film The Artist starring Jean Dujardin and Berinice Bejo — for us, the anticipation of the U.S. release of this film has been intense. The wait is over, though, as The Artist premieres THIS FRIDAY, November 25. Joy! We had the privilege of seeing this remarkable 2011 Cannes festival favorite at Cinema Utopia during our recent holiday in France. This trendy, cafe-sporting cinema in the heart of Bordeaux absolutely charmed us, as did seeing The Artist with a French crowd. GO SEE THIS FILM — you’ll be positively delighted and immersed in cinematic nostalgia.

In addition to these great flicks, we’ll no doubt break out the Netflix Instant and peruse some other titles before the weekend is over. We hope your holiday festivities includes some of your own favorite titles — ENJOY, and a very Happy Thanksgiving!