Movies at Union Chapel - Tuesday Nights

The Film Society and Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival present movies on six consecutive Tuesday nights beginning July 10 at the historic Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs (55 Narragansett Avenue and Circuit Avenue).

Films start at 8:00 PM
Doors open for admissions 45 minutes prior to show time.

$10.00/$7.00 for members - MV Film Society memberships available at the door to get discounted price.

Come early, visit downtown OB for dinner and shopping, and then enjoy a stimulating and entertaining movie at the historic Union Chapel on our very large screen.

For more info. call 508-696-9369




Our 2012 summer film schedule


July 10, 2012 (Tuesday) at 8 PM, doors open at 7:15 PM for admissions.

MONSIEUR LAZHAR

"Fellag, a comedian and himself an exile from Algeria, makes Lazhar both a sensitive and an amusing figure. And the kids are just terrific, especially Emilien Neron as a boy who carries the guilt of the whole school on his shoulders."
-- J Bob Mondello, NPR

2012 Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Picture

In Montreal, an elementary school teacher dies abruptly. Having learned of the incident in the newspaper, Bachir Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag), a 55-year-old Algerian immigrant, goes to the school to offer his services as a substitute teacher. Quickly hired to replace the deceased, he finds himself in an establishment in crisis, while going through his own personal tragedy. The cultural gap between Bachir and his class is made immediately apparent when he gives them a dictation exercise that is beyond their reach. Little by little,
Bachir learns to better know this group of shaken but endearing kids, among whom are Alice and Simon, two charismatic pupils particularly affected by their teacher's death. While the class goes through the healing process, nobody in the school is aware of Bachir's painful past; nor do they suspect that he is at risk of being deported at any moment.

Canada * 2012 * 94 minutes * Drama * Rated PG-13 * French with English subtitles

July 17, 2012 (Tuesday) at 8 PM, doors open at 7:15 PM for admissions.

BIRDERS:THE CENTRAL PARK EFFECT
with Special Guest Filmmaker Jeffrey Kimball and local birding experts Soo Whiting and Lanny McDowell

"A nature-lover's doc whose appeal is somewhat broader than it sounds"
-- Hollywood Reporter


Nearly 38 million people visit Central Park every year. How many bring binoculars? Jeffrey Kimball’s documentary introduces New York City’s birders, with a backdrop of spectacular wildlife footage from this unlikely locale. On a good day, more than 100 different species of birds can be found in the vast green space of Central Park. According to the amateur ornithologists Kimball interviews—from author and birder Jonathan Franzen to a devoted high school girl to a septuagenarian who leads tours almost daily during springtime—urban parks are a major attraction for migrating birds. Move away from the din of cars and people and into the park, where birdsong is audible, and you’ll find an equally diverse array of people who love the sound and sight of birds. High-definition photography precisely captures birds of all shapes, sizes, and colors. This lyrical documentary captures the changing seasons and a dazzling, oft-unnoticed microcosm.

USA * 2012 * 60 minutes * Documentary/Nature * Not-rated (Excellent for the entire family)

July 24, 2012 (Tuesday) at 8 PM, doors open at 7:15 PM for admissions.

WE HAVE A POPE

"We Have a Pope" has great heart.
-- Roger Ebert , Chicago Sun-Times

Nanni Moretti joins forces with the great French actor Michel Piccoli to tell the story of Melville, a cardinal who suddenly finds himself elected as the next Pope. Never the front runner and completely caught off guard, he panics as he's presented to the faithful in St. Peter's Square. To prevent a world wide crisis, the Vatican's spokesman calls in an unlikely psychiatrist who is neither religious or all that committed, played by Moretti, to find out what is wrong with the new Pope. As the world nervously waits outside, inside the therapist tries to find a solution. But Cardinal Melville is adamant: he does not want the job, or at least needs time to think it over. What follows is a marvelous insight into the concept of a human being existing behind the title of God's representative on Earth.

Italy * 2012 * 104 minutes * Drama, Comedy * Not-rated * Italian with English subtitle

July 31, 2012 (Tuesday) at 8 PM, doors open at 7:15 PM for admissions.

PLIMPTON!
with special guests: Filmmakers Tom Bean and Luke Poling

“George Plimpton was about as good of a friend as a man can have in this world. He lived his life like a work of fine art.”
- Hunter S. Thompson

Plimpton! tells the story of writer, editor, amateur sportsman and friend to many, George Plimpton. Using Plimpton’s own narration – along with thoughts and stories from friends, family and contemporaries – the film is a joyful celebration of a life lived fully, richly, strangely, and, at times, a life that is hard to believe was actually lived by just one man.

Plimpton hung out with U.S. Presidents, played quarterback for the Detroit Lions, got Willie Mays to pop out in Yankee Stadium, photographed Playboy models, played goalie for the Boston Bruins, struck the triangle for the New York Philharmonic and acted alongside John Wayne, Warren Beatty and Matt Damon.

He also co-founded The Paris Review, which became one of the most influential literary magazines in history, launching the careers of generations of writers, from Philip Roth and Terry Southern to William Styron and Jay McInerney.

Filmmakers Tom Bean and Luke Poling have researched and catalogued Plimpton’s life and his work. They have interviewed people from every aspect of Plimpton’s life in order to tell the story of this one-of-a-kind person.

Both The Paris Review and Plimpton’s family have generously collaborated to support the production of the film and they have provided a bounty of previously unseen material, which will surprise even the most die-hard Plimpton fans.

USA * 2012 * 88 minutes * Documentary * Not-rated

August 7, 2012 (Tuesday) at 8 PM, doors open at 7:15 PM for admissions.

QUEEN OF VERSAILLES

“MASTERFUL. A wickedly funny allegory about the American dream, greed, and privilege, the film is packed with quotable one-liners and is entertaining and engrossing throughout.” – Liliana Greenfield-Sanders, The Huffington Post

OPENING NIGHT FILM AT 2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Directed by lauded filmmaker and photographer Lauren Greenfield, who won the U.S. Directing Award for Documentary Film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for this film, The Queen of Versailles is a character-driven documentary about a billionaire family and their financial challenges in the wake of the economic crisis. 2012 Sundance Film Festival Opening Night Film!

With the epic dimensions of a Shakespearean tragedy, The Queen of Versailles follows billionaires Jackie and David’s rags-to-riches story to uncover the innate virtues and flaws of the American dream. We open on the triumphant construction of the biggest house in America, a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot mansion inspired by Versailles. Since a booming time-share business built on the real-estate bubble is financing it, the economic crisis brings progress to a halt and seals the fate of its owners. We witness the impact of this turn of fortune over the next two years in a riveting film fraught with delusion, denial, and self-effacing humor.

USA * 2012 * 100 minutes * Documentary * Rated PG

August 14, 2011 (Tuesday) at 8 PM, doors open at 7:15 PM for admissions.

AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY

“life is never guaranteed to be safe”
-- Ai Weiwei himself


U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance at Sundance Film Festival

Ai Weiwei is known for many things—great architecture, subversive in-your-face art, and political activism. He has also called for greater transparency on the part of the Chinese state. Director Alison Klayman chronicles the complexities of Ai’s life for three years, beginning with his rise to public prominence via blog and Twitter after he questioned the deaths of more than 5,000 students in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The record continues through his widely publicized arrest in Beijing in April of 2011. As Ai prepares various works of art for major international exhibitions, his activism heats up, and his run-ins with China’s authorities become more and more frequent.

In this unprecedented look at Ai and those close to him, Klayman’s camera captures his forthrightness and unequivocal stance. She gives a larger picture of the artist as an individual, a symbol of China’s oppression, and a powerful voice against a country that still denies its citizens many basic freedoms.

U.S.A./China * 2012 * 91 min * Documentary * English and Mandarin with English subtitles



Stage & Theater Film Series
at the Katharine Cornell Theatre

is presented in collaboration with the MV Museum - more details visit www.mvmuseum.org.





Tickets are $8.00 for Adults, $5.00 for children under 12, or $5.00 for MV Film Society members



Stagestruck - Confessions from Summer Stock - Special Guest Director Liz Argo

August 22, 2012 (Thursday) at 7:30 PM, doors open at 7:00 PM for admissions ($8.00/$5.00)

In collaboration with the MV Film Society, "Stagestruck" takes a nostalgic look back at American summer stock theater through the story of the first Òtheatre-in-the -roundÓ Ñ the Orleans Arena Theatre on Cape Cod, established in 1950. The one-hour public television documentary employs dramatic re-enactments, historical photos, and interviews with past company members to capture the challenges, joys, and fiery high jinks associated with the residential summer stock experience. Rare interviews with author Kurt Vonnegut, an Orleans Arena Theatre alumnus, interject humor and insight as he reflects on his time at the distinguished American art colony and on its courageous founders, Betsy and Gordon Argo.


Screenings at the historic Katharine Cornell Theatre, 54 Spring Street, Vineyard Haven. Doors open 30 minutes prior to screening time for admissions.

A short introduction precedes each screening. For more information visit www.mvfilmsociety.com or call 508-696-9369.




Summer "Drive-In" Movies
at the Featherstone Center for the Arts

A new island tradition continues this summer with outdoor film screening at the Featherstone Center for the Arts. "Drive-in" and set up your blanket and/or lawn chairs, bring a picnic and enjoy movies under the stars.

Join us Wednesday nights.
Movies begin at dusk (approx. 8:30 pm), and gate opens for admission at 7:30 PM

Tickets are $6.00 for Adults, $4.00 for children under 12, or $15.00 for a family of four (no hiding in the trunk).

The Featherstone Center for the Arts is located on Barnes Road, approx. 1/4 mile from the blinker light, entrance on your right. Ample parking available on site.

We are taking a sabbatical from this series, which ran from 2004-2007 - look for other outdoor locations/films on our summer calendar.


Movie Museum
at the Grange Hall

The Movie Museum was the name given to a summer film series offered at the Grange Hall (Old Agricultural Hall) in the 1970s in West Tisbury. Classic movies were screened in the Grange's second floor theatre. Patrons endured hard wooden benches and the warm environs for the love of watching movies together as a community. The Hall was restored by the MV Preservation Trust in 1997-98. In 1999 a group of volunteers came together to resurrect the tradition of movies at the Grange. A new chapter in the life of the Movie Museum began with Thursday night screenings of classic movies from the 1930's - 60's.

Join us every Thursday night

Movies begin at 8 pm after a short introduction, and doors open for admission at 7:30 PM. Admission prices are $6.00 for Adults, $4.00 for seniors and those under the age of 18. (many bring cushions or even their own chairs.) Society membership discounts apply. Popcorn and lemonade can be purchased before the movie.

We are taking a sabbatical from this series which ran from 1999-2006, look for other film locations instead on our summer calendar.



After Movie Gatherings

The Martha's Vineyard Film Society hosts social gatherings either before or after films. Past special screenings have included special guests Jules Feiffer, Patricia Neal, William Styron, Paul Benedict, Tony Shahloub and Brooke Adams to name a few.
Become a member and receive advance notice of special screenings and events.




More than 50 film fans gathered on the Vineyard Haven Harbour to celebrate and raise funds for the society's capital campaign to acquire new projection and audio equipment. With that goal achieved, we are now in need of a new Beta SP Player. We would appreciate any help you might consider giving to the society to meet its goal. Your donation is fully tax exempted.
Contact Richard Paradise at rich@mvfilmsociety.com for more information.