Page 147 – Establishing Shot

IU Cinema and the National Film Registry

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Barbara Ann O'Leary

2016 additions to the National Film Registry that have screened at IU Cinema.

Earlier this week The Library of Congress announced this year’s additions to the National Film Registry, “showcasing the range and diversity of American film heritage.” Starting in 1989 each year the National Film Registry has identified 25 “works of enduring importance to American culture,” earmarking them for preservation. The registry contains a remarkable range of films, including feature narratives, documentaries, experimental shorts, home movies, trailers, and more. From Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz to Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon to the Zapruder film to the 1957 movie theatre trailer “Let’s All Go to the Lobby!” and on and on. Check out the complete list here. (more…)

Manny Knowles: “The Last Link in the Filmmaking Chain”

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Jon Vickers

Manny Knowles at work in the IU Cinema Booth

Well, the day is here—we knew it would eventually come. The day when an organization loses one of its key members, one who has been there from the beginning, shaping what would follow. What followed was the building and opening of the IU Cinema, in all of its glory. The key member is Manny Knowles, whose last day at Indiana University is today. Manny’s last day as ‘Founding Technical Director,’ though official titles have ebbed and flowed. He leaves us for an amazing opportunity outside of academia, as Director of Operations for a company that installs new motion picture/audio systems in theatres around the country. We wish him well, but …

HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED! (more…)

Holiday Favorites

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Establishing Shot

IU Cinema is wrapping up its Fall 2016 season on December 13 and 14 with two films that have become holiday favorites: Die Hard and Gremlins! It’s going to be a lot of fun, but also a little bittersweet as we say farewell to Manny Knowles, the Cinema’s outgoing technical director. Manny will be introducing both of these holiday films, so don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy some “holiday mayhem” and to let Manny know how much you’ve appreciated all he’s contributed to making the Cinema an amazing place for film, and to wish him well in his new job.

IU Cinema will be dark for a few weeks during Winter Break, but we wanted to send you off with even more Holiday Favorites to help keep the film love burning bright until the Cinema swings back into action in January. Presented below — in chronological order by release date — we share a cavalcade of holiday favorites with brief commentary offered by A Place for Film‘s blog team as well as IU Cinema staff Members and volunteer ambassadors. We hope you’ll enjoy our selections and then share your holiday favorites via social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Happy Holidays! (more…)

Crimson Film Festival 2016

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Jesse Pasternack

I am the Co-President of the Indiana Student Cinema Guild. Our biggest event of the fall semester is the Crimson Film Festival. Crimson takes place on Monday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m at Indiana University Cinema. It is the largest festival of student content at Indiana University, aside from Campus Moviefest in the spring. Crimson was created in 2013 by then president Jacob Gabbard to celebrate the vivid and diverse nature of IU’s filmmaker community. (more…)

“What’s past is prologue”: Julie Dash, Daughters of the Dust, and building a solid foundation for the future

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Aja Essex

Many names get tossed around by cinematically savvy people when you bring up great American ’90s independent cinema. You have the usual suspects: Steven Soderbergh, Richard Linklater, Quentin Tarantino, and Spike Lee. Maybe next you’d get to some deep cuts like Hal Hartley, Jamie Babbit, and Whit Stillman to round off the conversation. One name, however, that should be up front and center amongst these others is one that was seemingly forgotten by some until recently. She had a singular vision that lit the way and inspired many filmmakers after her to pursue and push creative professional boundaries that hadn’t seemed possible for so long. She brought a film into being that was far ahead of its time by looking back at what had come before and in doing so told a story about the hardship and joys of the future. That director is Julie Dash. (more…)

“What Kelly Reichardt’s Films Mean to Me” – 5 Women Filmmakers Share Their Insights

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Barbara Ann O'Leary

I’m so excited that Kelly Reichardt is taking time out of her very busy schedule to visit Indiana University Cinema this Friday. That’s tomorrow! Cinephiles who follow the American independent film scene recognize Kelly Reichardt as one of the great filmmakers working today. She’s an inspiration to all independent directors looking to bring their own unique visions forward and, perhaps most of all, for women directors working in a film industry not in the habit of fully acknowledging and embracing their creative work. I’ve been sharing about Reichardt’s visit online with the #DirectedbyWomen community and asked women directors to share a sentence or two about “what Kelly Reichardt’s films mean to you.” I was moved by the responses I received. I share a few below. (more…)