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Playdate: August 21, 2010

Watch here for more details about our screening of this film.

Members (and their guests!) are invited to our presentation of
Mine
(USA / 2009 / Documentary / In English / 81 min.)

Playing in DeerField
May 8, 2010 at 7:00PM
(Snacks, etc at 6:00PM)

Hailed as “absorbing,” “a must see,” “Oscar material” and “the best movie at SXSW,” MINE is a feature-length, independent documentary about the essential bond between humans and animals, set against the backdrop of one of the worst natural disasters in modern U.S. history: Hurricane Katrina. This gripping, character-driven story follows New Orleans residents as they attempt the daunting task of trying to reunite with their pets who have been adopted by families all over the country, and chronicles the custody battles that arise when two families love the same pet. Who determines the fate of the animals—and the people—involved? A compelling meditation on race, class and the power of compassion, MINE examines how we treat animals as an extension of how we view and treat each other.

Members (and their guests) are invited to our presentation of
Troubled Water
(Norwegian with English Subtitles / 2008 / Thriller-Drama / 120 min.)

Playing in DeerField
May 1, 2010 at 7:00PM
(Desserts, Snacks, etc at 6:00PM)

Jan, recently released from prison after serving time for the murder of a child, has always maintained his innocence and is ready to put the past behind him. A gifted organist, he takes a job at an Oslo church under his middle name, Thomas. His talent and gentle manner quickly earn him the respect of his superiors, as well as the love of the pastor, Anna. Thomas even overcomes his initial panic to return the affection of Anna’s young son, Jens. But his past catches up with him when Agnes, a local teacher, comes to the church on a school visit and recognizes the organist as Jan, the young Jan who was convicted for the murder of her son.

Shows both nights start at 7:00PM in DeerField.
(Potluck Snacks & Drinks at 6:00PM)

The Five Playing April 23, 2010 – Live Action

The New Tenants
Black Comedy / USA/Denmark / 21:05′ / 2009 / Cert ‘explicit’ US/CA
Directed by Joachim Back
Produced by Sam Bisbee, Tivi Magnusson, Erika Hampson, Christian Potalivo, Johanne Stryhn Hoerby
A prying neighbor, a glassy-eyed drug dealer, and a husband brandishing both a weapon and a vendetta, make up the welcome wagon in the darkly satirical short film, The New Tenants. Set amidst the as-yet-unopened boxes and the hopes for a fresh start of two men on what might just be the worst moving day ever, their new apartment reveals its terrifying history in a film that is by turns funny, frightening, and unexpectedly romantic.

Instead of Abracadabra
Comedy / Sweden / 22′ / 2008 / Cert ‘explicit’ US/CA
Directed by Patrik Eklund
Produced by Mathias Fjellstrom
Tomas is a bit too old to still be living at home with his parents, but his failure to become a magician leaves him with no other choice. His father Bengt wants him to get a proper job. At Bengt’s 60th birthday party, Tomas give him and all his guests a quite bizarre magic show.

Kavi
Drama / USA/India / 19′ / 2009 / Cert ‘G’ US/CA
Directed and produced by Gregg Helvey
Kavi is a boy in India who wants to play cricket and go to school, but instead he is forced to work in a brick kiln as a modern-day slave. Unsatisfied with his fate, Kavi must either accept what he’s always been told, or fight for a different life even if he’s unsure of the ultimate outcome.

Miracle Fish
Drama / Australia / 17′ / 2009 / Cert ‘explicit’ US/CA
Directed by Luke Doolan
Produced by Drew Bailey
8 year old Joe has a Birthday he will never forget. After friends tease him, he sneaks off to the sick bay, wishing everyone in the world would go away. He wakes up to find his dream may have become a reality.

The Door
Drama / Ireland / 17′ / 2008 / Cert ‘PG-13’ US/CA
Directed by Juanita Wilson
Produced by Louise Curran, James Flynn
A fathers attempts to come to terms with the devastating effects of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

And These Are Playing April 24, 2010 – Animation

Logorama
Animated Comedy/Drama / France / 16:05′ / 2009 / Cert ‘explicit’ US/CA
Directed by François Alaux, Hervé de Crecy, Ludovic Houplain
Produced by Nicolas Schmerkin, Stephane Kooshmanian, Maurice Prost, Sandrine De Monte
Spectacular car chases, an intense hostage crisis, wild animals ramping through the city, and even more in Logorama!

French Roast
Animation / France / 8:15′ / 2008 / Cert ‘G’ US/CA
Directed by Fabrice O. Joubert
Produced by Louis Viau, Bibo Bergeron, Pascal Chevé
In a fancy Parisian Cafe, an uptight businessman is about to pay the check when he finds out that he has lost his wallet. To save time he decides to order more coffee.

Granny o’Grim Sleeping Beauty
Animation Comedy / Ireland / 6′ / 2008 / Cert ‘G’ US/CA
Directed by Nicky Phelan
Produced by Darragh O’Connell
Granny O’Grimm, a seemingly sweet old lady, loses the plot as she tells her version of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ to her terrified granddaughter.

The Lady and the Reaper
Animation / Spain/ 8′ / 2009 / Cert ‘G’ US/CA
Directed by Javier Recio Gracia
Produced by Antonio Banderas, Manuel Sicilia, Juan Molina, Enrique Posner, Raul Garcia, Marcelino Almanso, Antonio Meliveo
A sweet old lady lives alone on her farm, waiting for death so that she can see her beloved husband once again. One night, she is invited to enter death’s domain, but someone will ruin it for her.

A Matter of Loaf and Death
Drama / United Kingdom / 30′ / 2009 / Cert ‘U’ US/CA
Directed by Nick Park
Produced by Steve Pegram
Wallace & Gromit have started a new bread baking business, ‘Top Bun’ and converted 62 West Wallaby Street into a granary with ovens, robotic kneading arms and an old-fashioned windmill on the roof. The transformation is perfect. Although business is booming, Gromit is concerned by the news that a dozen local bakers have ‘disappeared’ this year – but Wallace isn’t worried. He’s too distracted and ‘dough-eyed’ in love with former beauty and bread enthusiast, Piella Bakewell. While they enjoy being the ‘Toast of the Town’, Gromit soon realises his master’s life is in jeopardy, and turns sleuth to solve the escalating murder mystery – in what quickly becomes ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death.’

A film by Barbara Ettinger
(USA, 2009, 86 minutes)

Showing at DeerField in Buffalo, WY
>> April 17, 2010 at 7:00 PM <<

Come at 6. Bring and share some hors d’oeuvres.
This film is open to the community.
No Admission Will Be Charged.
Donations requested.

Imagine a world without fish. A powerful new documentary on climate change and the oceans proposes just that. The film, A Sea Change is the first documentary about ocean acidification, the underbelly of climate change, a little-known but potentially devastating threat to ocean life.

A Sea Change follows the journey of retired history teacher Sven Huseby on his quest to discover what is happening to the world’s oceans. After reading Elizabeth Kolbert’s article “The Darkening Sea” in The New Yorker, Sven becomes obsessed with the rising acidity of the oceans and what this “sea change” bodes for mankind. His quest takes him to Alaska, California, Washington, and Norway as he uncovers a worldwide crisis that most people are unaware of. Speaking with oceanographers, marine biologists, climatologists, artists and policy experts, Sven discovers that global warming is only half the story of the environmental catastrophe that awaits us. Excess carbon dioxide is dissolving in our oceans, changing seawater chemistry. The increasing acidity of the water makes it difficult for tiny creatures at the bottom of the food web – such as the pteropods in the films – to form their shells. The effects could work their way up to the fish one billion people depend upon for their source of protein.

A Sea Change is also a touching portrait of Sven’s relationship with his grandchild Elias. As Sven keeps a correspondence with the little boy, he mulls over the world that he is leaving for future generations. A disturbing and essential companion piece to An Inconvenient Truth, A Sea Change brings home the indisputable fact that our lifestyle is changing the earth, despite our rhetoric or wishful thinking.

A Sea Change is the first documentary about ocean acidification, directed by Barbara Ettinger and co-produced by Sven Huseby of Niijii Films. While emphasizing new scientific information, the feature-length film is also a beautiful paen to the ocean world and an intimate story of a Norwegian-American family whose heritage is bound up with the sea.

“This film is both a love letter to the planet and an urgent plea to its citizens.”
– Justin Berton, San Francisco Chronicle

“The story that ‘A Sea Change’ tells is urgent, unsettling and desperately in need of understanding and action.”
– Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post

“Gripping.”
– Mark Yuasa, Seattle Times

A Sea Change
A documentary by Barbara Ettinger
(USA, 2009, 86 Min.)
DeerField
7:00PM Sat, April 17, 2010
(Bring-n-Share Appetizers at 6:00PM)
Everyone invited!
Donations welcome

2010 Oscar Nominated Shorts – Live Action
(Unrated, approx 90 min.)
DeerField
7:00PM Fri, April 23, 2010
(Bring-n-Share Drinks & Snacks at 6:00PM)
Everyone Invited!
Admission: $4.00 (Members: Free)
Parental Advisory, Explicit Language & Drama

2010 Oscar Nominated Shorts – Animated
(Unrated, approx 90 min.)
DeerField
7:00PM Sat, April 24, 2010
(Bring-n-Share Munchies at 6:00PM)
Everyone Invited!
Admission: $4.00 (Members: Free)
All but the last one of these should be okay for kids 10 & older

Troubled Water
(2008, Thriller-Drama, Norwegian w/ English Subtitles, 120 Min.)
DeerField
7:00PM Sat, May 1, 2010
(Bring-n-Share Desserts at 6:00)
Members (and their guests) Invited
Donations welcome

Mine
(USA, 2009, Documentary, USA, English, Unrated)
DeerField
7:00PM Sat, May 8, 2010
(Cajun Potluck at 6:00)
Members (and their guests) Invited
Donations welcome

With our change of venue we’ve had to restyle the way we experience the films we like to watch.

We had a good turnout for our Monday cinema potluck on March 29th. Everyone seemed pretty excited and had lots of good ideas for some activities this spring.

In response, we’ve booked several titles for the 4 weeks starting April 17th. Most will be for one screening, but we’ll have more details for each title as their dates approach.

So…we need to raise money to pay for these. Everyone at the Monday event seemed very willing to support this endeavor by purchasing a membership. The board decided to maintain the existing Membership Fee of $50 per calendar year. If all of us that were there on Monday buy a membership we will have just the right amount of money to cover the venue, film rental, freight and incidentals.

There are a few ways to take care of this. You can send a check to us via the USPS. Please make the check out for the $50.00 times how many memberships you’d like. Be sure to include names of everyone who is to receive a membership. Your return address will help too, or we can get you your card at the first show on April 17th.

The address to use:

Bennett Street Films
157 E. Bennett
Buffalo, WY 82834

Alternatively, you can make your payment here on our website with a credit card (via PayPal.com).

Thirdly, you can bring your payment to the first show on April 17th.

Thank you all so much for your support. We put a lot of (volunteer) work into these programs because we love movies and getting others together with similar interests. But it could not happen without your financial support.

We are really getting the ball rolling now!

I’ve updated the page where you can purchase a Membership for 2010 or make a Donation online using Paypal and/or your credit card.

We added a couple board members this year to bring us to our maximum of 5. And we’re working on some fun film related stuff over the next 6 weeks with the first on March 29th. Check back for updates!

Meanwhile, Centennial Theatre in Sheridan is conducting their spring film series.

And Crazy Heart is still playing there! I gotta find some time to see that one!