Well, folks, the 82nd Academy Awards have come and gone. They started with music and dance with none other than Doogie Howser and ended with Tom Hanks‘ quick flip of the envelope. There were upsets (sorry, Avatar) and memorable moments (Martin and Baldwin’s Paranormal Activity spoof), and wow — a salute to horror films! Gotta love that.

We suspect that Avatar’s sweeping of the top two Golden Globes may have contributed to the Academy’s giving The Hurt Locker the big nod, but who’s really to say. We’re just glad that Bridges and Mo’Nique got their due and yes, that history was made with Kathryn Bigelow’s directorial steal. All good stuff. And all the stuff of Hollywood.

As always, I watch the Academy’s and sadly remark to myself that there is just too little time to watch all the fantastic film that’s painstakingly produces throughout the world. Someone somewhere is just now ending a shoot, rounding up some extras, or sitting in a makeup chair. It’s all very thrilling to think about.

The Oscars, of course, aren’t the be all end all to judging great film. But they’ve become what people watch the most. So until the Academy’s 83rd year, try to get out and enjoy all the great film 2010 has to offer!

And in the meantime, hopefully you’ll join US for some upcoming events of our own, including our special April 5 screening at Athenian Corner of the Marx Brothers classic, A Night at the Opera in celebration of the Lowell Film Festival. Last November, the Lowell Film Collaborative did in fact screen Food, Inc., which turned out to be one of this year’s Oscar-nominated films. Hopefully this is a good sign that the LFC has its finger on the pulse of great cinema!

Thanks for all your support, and see you at the movies!

It was a hectic day and late night for us, but it was such a pleasure to know that we were helping audiences learn more about an incredible show of heroism (“Pray the Devil Back to Hell“) or providing an evening of classic comedy and family-friendly fare (“Into the West” and “Waking Ned Devine.”) It was wonderful for me personally to be able to enjoy both events, though I had to switch mental and emotional gears as I moved from the inspirational women of Liberia who fought for peace in their country, to a serene, quirky Irish village where a band of lotto winners celebrates their millions.

If you joined us for any of these films, we want to THANK YOU. You’re the reason we love doing what we do, even on those nights that we’re tuckered out from carrying all that great film equipment!

Special thanks goes to the following friends and supporters:

Nancy Peacock
Pete Pedulla
Patrick Pierce & Kathleen Pierce
Peg McAndrews
Deborah Myrick
Pat Demaras
Bob Forrant
Matthew Himmel
Theresa Park
Craig Thomas

We hope to see everyone at all our upcoming film events taking place in the next few weeks and months. We’ll be updating our calendar, as new events have been added!

And be sure to save the date for the upcoming Lowell Film Festival, which should be a truly fun event for ANY movie-goer. Get all the info at www.lowellfilms.org.

Thank you all once again — see you at the movies!

Whatever your plans are on Thursday, we hope you’ll come join us, say hi, and enjoy one of the THREE great films that we’ll be screening. Our evening feature of “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” will also include a Q&A with the film’s director, Gini Reticker.

We hope to see you Thursday at The Old Court or at Middlesex Community College’s Federal Building Assembly Room for the following films:

Pray the Devil Back to Hell (Two Screenings!)
12 PM – 1:30PM and 6:30PM – 8:30PM
Middlesex Community College
Federal Building, Assembly Room
50 Kearney Square, Lowell
Free admission!
Our later screening includes a Q&A with director Gini Reticker and Janet Johnson Bryant, who appears in the film.
This poignant documentary chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country. Thousands of women – ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim – came together to pray for peace and then staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace. Armed only with white t-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they took on the warlords and nonviolently forced a resolution during the stalled peace talks. Inspiring, uplifting, and most of all motivating, it is a compelling testimony of how grassroots activism can alter the history of nations. Co-sponsored by MCC’s Cultural Connections Committee and 2PM Productions.

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Celebrate the start of Irish Cultural Week with an Irish movie double-feature!

6:30PM  |  Into the West
8:30PM  |  Waking Ned Devine
The Old Court Irish Restaurant & Pub (Upstairs)
29 Central Street, Lowell
Free admission! All ages welcome!
The Lowell Film Collaborative is delighted to announce our new partnership with Lowell’s Irish Cultural Committee! Usher in Irish Cultural Week (March 7-14) in the Mill City with this special double feature of two very different films that capture the heart of Ireland with humorous, warm-hearted storytelling. You don’t have to be Irish to enjoy this night at The Old Court — bring your friends and family and enjoy a couple of pints and great authentic Irish fare!

The Skin Quilt Project
Film Screening with Director Q&A
Saturday, March 20  @ 1:30PM
New England Quilt Museum  |  18 Shattuck Street, Lowell

The Lowell Film Collaborative is excited to announce our upcoming (and second) film partnership with the New England Quilt Museum for a screening of the Boston-based and newly completed documentary The Skin Quilt Project. Directed by educator, writer, and activist Lauren Cross, this remarkable film poignantly and openly discusses the misconceptions of gender and skin color in terms of African-American quilting and the history of textile arts. After receiving word of the documentary from local friends and film partners, we were pleased to eventually hear from Lauren herself — she was incredibly supportive of our plan to host the event and has graciously agreed to be our special guest for the occasion!

We hope you will share this event information with your networks and join us in welcoming Lauren Cross to Lowell and the NEQM on March 20. This event promises to be very special! View excerpts of The Skin Quilt Project and get complete film information at www.skinquiltproject.com.

About The Skin Quilt Project | Informative and provocative, The Skin Quilt Project explores colorism in the African-American community through the first-hand stories of African-American quilters and the artform that was passed down through generations to celebrate its culture. The quilters featured in the film speak of the influence of the African-American quilting tradition in encouraging an appreciation for African-American cultural heritage.

About the director |  Lauren Cross is a writer, activist, and interdisciplinary artist working in mixed media, photography, media arts, and installation art. Her current research interests include the issues of colorism and the “color complex” within the African-American community, and her current work addresses ideals of beauty, race, and skin complexion in media imagery. She is also the founder and editor of CVAAD Projects (www.cvaad.com), an online blog and resource for contemporary visual art of the African diaspora. She received her BA in Art, Design, and Media from Richmond, The American International University in London, England. She currently teaches at Stonehill College, Easton, MA.

We encourage everyone to make the time for this event in Lawrence, Lowell’s sister city, presented by historians Robert Forrant and Jim Beauchesne with support from MassHumanities. This will be an amazing presentation, but it should also be said that Bob Forrant is one of our favorite people and a KEY advocate for film here in Lowell. In addition to being one of the most brilliant profs at UMass Lowell, the Lowell Film Festival — now in its third year — was his brainchild. We wouldn’t have this annual event in Lowell were it not for Bob.

The knowledge these two speakers have of history is unbelievably impressive — come listen as they provide an introduction to the Great Strike of 1912 (Bread & Roses Strike) and a tour of selected locations. Following this, we’ll get a chance to view excerpts from the documentary film, John Brown’s Holy War, followed by a discussion of Brown’s choice for armed conflict. Just an FYI, the film was created by renowned documentarian Robert Kenner, maker of the Academy Award-nominated Food, Inc.

We hope to see you this Saturday in Lawrence!

More on John Brown’s Holy War from Robert Kenner Films:
He is the father of American terrorism — and an inspiration to the Civil Rights movement. More than 150 years after his execution, questions swirl around John Brown: Was he a madman or a martyr? A bloodthirsty fanatic or a great American hero? John Brown’s Holy War traces one man’s obsessive battle against human bondage. As a child, Brown witnessed brutality against a slave boy; later, he swore an oath to God to fight slavery. A failed farmer and father or 20, Brown was an unlikely warrior. But in Kansas, he led a murderous campaign that ignited all-out warfare. And his raid on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia in 1859 sparked the Civil War. Brown saw himself as God’s messenger. Others thought him no more than a killer. John Brown’s Holy War takes us inside this complex man–farmer and warrior, family man and avenging angel, to reveal the man behind the legend.

The Agricultural Film Series we’re co-sponsoring with Life Alive Cafe, WorldPEAS CSA, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, Community Teamwork, Inc., and AudioPark Productions has changed dates and times! Please make note of the following NEW dates and times:

Thursday, March 11 @ 7:30PM
“Good Food Film Shorts from the Media That Matters Film Festival“

Thursday, March 25 @ 7:30PM
“Good Food”

Both films will still be held at Life Alive Cafe right in downtown Lowell.
Please note that we will NOT be showing a film this Sunday as previously scheduled.

Click here for more information on our “Agri” Film Series! We hope to see you on Thursday, March 11!

Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country. Thousands of women – ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim – came together to pray for peace and then staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace. Armed only with white t-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they took on the warlords and nonviolently forced a resolution during the stalled peace talks. A story of sacrifice, unity, and transcendence, Pray the Devil Back to Hell honors the strength and perseverance of the women of Liberia. Inspiring, uplifting, and most of all motivating, it is a compelling testimony of how grassroots activism can alter the history of nations.

The 35th 24-Hour Boston Science Fiction Movie Marathon
Sunday, February 14 – Monday, February 15
12 Noon to 12 Noon
Somerville Theater, Davis Square

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. Though sometimes I’m amazed at the number of local cinephiles who aren’t aware that this exceptional event exists. Those that do, know the experience is a wondrous sum of its parts:

• a WHOLE 24 hours of classic, modern, and truly bad 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 truly be myself.

So this Valentine’s Day, while my hubby & LFC partner-in-crime is home catching up on film news, I’ll be sitting in the Somerville Theater surrounded by my brothers and sisters. We’ll celebrate The ‘Thon’s glorious 35th anniversary, fire our laser guns, and pay homage to monsters, aliens, astronauts, and 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?
Come share in my 23-year tradition at www.bostonsci-fi.com. And if you choose to make the pilgrimage, I hope you seek me out!