There are few things more nerve wracking and awe-inspiring for a filmmaker than seeing their work in a theater with a crowd for the first time. More often than not you sit there with a knot in your chest, worrying about whether that scene was well lit or that actor’s flub was noticeable. But when someone in the crowd laughs or is moved by your work, there is no better feeling in the world. (more…)
On Saturday at 3:00 p.m., the IU Cinema will screen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (dir. Mel Stuart, 1971) in its final CINEkids screening for the academic year. For several years now, the CINEkids International Children’s Film Series has featured a variety of kid-friendly films, from classic silents to modern favorites to new releases. The CINEkids tagline? “You’re never too young to develop a taste for foreign film.”
The history of children’s matinees is a bit more raucous than what you’ll find at our CINEkids screenings, though. In what were often called “kiddie matinees” by exhibitors, from about the 1930s through the 1960s kids flocked to their neighborhood theaters on Saturday for a block of movie programming that catered especially to them. (more…)
Guest post by Jessica Davis Tagg, IU Cinema Events and Operations Manager.
One of the most incredible parts of my job is that I have the opportunity to work with the IU Cinema Volunteer Ambassadors day-in and day-out.
We count on members of the IU Cinema Usher Corps for so many things that may not be apparent to most patrons. While some days all we need is for folks to greet patrons with a smile, answer questions, and tear tickets, much of the work involved in being a volunteer is the depth of knowledge and passion for IU Cinema required for the job. We rely on our volunteers (more…)
There’s a quote that has resonated with me after reading it a few years ago. While I can no longer find the source or the exact wording, the gist has always stuck with me. It’s about how we perceive cinematic depictions of powerful women versus how we perceive the same for men. It goes something like ‘When the story is about a man receiving or discovering power, it’s a superhero story, but if it’s a woman it’s a horror story.’ It’s a simple concept. In cinema (and storytelling at large ) men get power fantasies and to be the saviors of their stories, especially if the stories are about them coming of age. Movies like Teen Wolf, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and Big have these boys becoming men and show them that their adolescence brings endowments of strength and fortitude that they didn’t have when they were less than men. However, if the story focuses on a girl transitioning to womanhood, writers and directors choose to depict it as a saga of blood soaked horrors. Classic horror films (more…)
This past semester, the IU Cinema has shown a number of films depicting strong females. On Thursday, February 23, it screened A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014), the first feature film by Ana Lily Amirpour. In preparation for this screening I co-wrote a blog post celebrating Amirpour’s work and her visit to the Cinema. Then on Tuesday, March 28 the IU Cinema screened 1979’s Alien, for which I also wrote a blog post — this time praising the film’s main character, Ellen Ripley. A little less than two weeks ago, Joanna Sokolowski and Kate Trumbull-LaValle’s Ovarian Psycos (2016) played at the Cinema. These are only three examples from this semester’s fantastic line-up of films portraying incredibly strong female leads. However, looking back over these past three months or so, I’ve been thinking about some of the films I love that have also given me some great characters to root for. Here are four more films with some of my favorite female characters: (more…)
Jane and Jay Jorgensen:
“From the moment we agreed to endow the Jorgensen Guest Filmmaker Series, we have never looked back. We are so proud of all the accomplishments the staff has achieved and so thrilled the student response has been so rewarding. We feel this project has been a win/win for EVERYONE!”
On IU Day 2017, IU Cinema is celebrating its six remarkable years of creating unique cinematic experiences!
We’re so appreciative of all our generous and supportive donors, who help us continue to build upon the rich artistic legacy of Indiana University. In the photos and testimonies below, several of our donors offer their favorite IU Cinema memories and share why supporting IU Cinema is important to them. (more…)