The nominations are in... and we have a winner!

By Devin Wachs, Public Relations Coordinator

It's official. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the contenders for the most coveted prize in Hollywood, Oscar gold. The King's Speech snagged the most Oscar nominations--a whopping twelve--and Black Swan has a chance to take home five prizes. But who will take home a statue? Who will give an acceptance speech? Who will become a part of Hollywood history?

Last week, we encouraged you to write your own Oscar acceptance speech for a chance to win two tickets to our Oscar Party! on February 27, which will feature a big screen simulcast of the Academy Awards, gourmet food, delicious drinks, a cash bar, and a silent auction. We received a number of wonderful (and very creative) entries, but it was Colin Firth and the cookies that put us over the top. Congratulations, Janice Marini, you've won!

Here's her winning entry:

Colin Firth reads the card. "And the Academy Award for Best Screenplay Adaptation goes to... JANICE MARINI for Salmon and Name Tags: My Life in Special Events, based on her novel of the same name..." I slink to the stage in red Prada. Somehow my hair stays perfect, and my mascara isn't running even though tears are slowly running down my face. Colin hands me the statuette and kisses me like it's the end of Bridget Jones's Diary. When I catch my breath, I look out toward the audience and camera and jokingly send a message to Ardmore: "Eat your heart out, Rosemary." Then I thank the studio, my agents, my publisher, my publicist, and the incredible cast, especially Keira Knightley, for bringing the main character to life. I thank my incredible director Ken Loach for his stunning work--since a slapsticky American comedy was a bit of a departure for him... I thank my former boss by name (which I won't do here!) for the endless supply of material and daily humiliations that beame the backbone of Salmon and Name Tags. I thank Archway Dutch Cocoa cookies for fueling the effort to write the screenplay. I acknowledge my family by name, all my friends in Philadelphia, and end by thanking my wonderful husband Joe. I couldn't have done it without his endless reserves of good humor, encouragement and love.

You can read all of the entries here (scroll down to the comments). And remember to buy your tickets before it's too late!

Win Tickets to BMFI's Oscar Party!

By Devin Wachs, Public Relations Coordinator

It's that time of year. Time for red carpet, champagne, and glitzy dresses. Time for the movie stars to truly shine. Time for BMFI's Oscar Party!

Join us on February 27 for BMFI's third annual Oscar Party! Celebrate Hollywood's hottest night in style. Enjoy a gourmet buffet dinner, drinks, a cash bar, and a silent auction, and watch the Oscars simulcast live on our big screen. Tickets are available at the Box Office and online here.

Want to be a winner yourself? Imagine that you're in the Kodak Theater and your name is called. Did you hear right? Yes, you won! You can hardly believe it, you've been dreaming of this day since you were a kid.

Tell us what you would say or do in your acceptance speech. Post it in the comments here. A jury of your peers will choose a winner to receive two tickets to our Oscar Party! Entries must be posted by Monday, January 24 at noon. We'll announce the winners next week.

Please note: When posting your comment, you will be asked to select a log-in from a list. If you do not have a Google account, etc., please select either 1) "Name/URL", which requires that you have a valid website address of your own, or 2) "Anonymous". If you select the latter, please be sure to sign your name in the post. Thanks!

Exclusive Interview with MY DOG TULIP Filmmakers Paul and Sandra Fierlinger

By Meredith Slifkin

The holidays may be over, but there’s no reason to get the winter blues when there are such great events at BMFI! On Wednesday, January 19 at 7:30pm, there will be a special screening of My Dog Tulip followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers, Paul and Sandra Fierlinger. The Fierlingers will also teach a FREE Master Class at 2:00pm about animation in the digital world.

My Dog Tulip is the story of a man, his dog, and the extraordinary nature of canine-human friendship. This animated adaptation of the memoir by J.R. Ackerley has already earned widespread praise for filmmakers Paul and Sandra, who reside on the Main Line.

Paul and Sandra Fierlinger will teach a free Master Class at 2:00pm and
answer questions after the 7:30pm screening of My Dog Tulip on January 19.

Paul began working in Czechoslovakia in the 1950s, where he became the state’s first independent producer of animated films. In 1968 he escaped the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, seeking solace in Holland and eventually the United States, where he continued to create animated films for television and the big screen. Paul was awarded the PEW Fellowship in the Arts in 1997 for his body of work.

Sandra is a native of Wayne, Pennsylvania, and graduated with highest honors from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She has collaborated with her husband, Paul, on many projects, including short and feature films for Sesame Street and PBS.

I caught up with Paul and Sandra via email. Keep reading for their take on My Dog Tulip, animation, and their exciting new project!

My Dog Tulip features the voices of Christopher Plummer, Isabella Rossellini, and the late Lynn Redgrave.

Q: What drew you both to My Dog Tulip? Has it been a “pet” project of yours for awhile, or did you come across the Ackerley material recently?

Paul: The book has been with us since it first came out in the New York Review of Books Classics series. Soon after reading it I began to make notes which I stuck between the pages with a possible theatrical film in mind. After a few weeks we got busy with other projects and the whole idea just vanished from our thoughts and conversations. When the two producers who became the actual film’s producers first called us—this happened years later—I had no recollection of ever thinking of Tulip as a movie and was immensely surprised when I discovered my notes between the yellowing pages. Mind you, the producers called us to make Tom Sawyer, not Tulip, but as we talked about all sorts of other ideas, the four of us on that conference call agreed that My Dog Tulip was a good one.

Q: The animation in My Dog Tulip has such a distinct look to it. Would you tell us about the method of hand-drawn computer animation used? Will this technique play a prominent role in the future of the animation art form?

Paul: The computer software we used is called TVPaint (made in Metz, France) and it has been our primary production tool since its inception, twenty years ago. We have been their beta-testers for about fifteen of those years now. It has gone through a slow recognition process mainly because the world wide market for such an application is incredibly miniscule, and these five Frenchies, who are still together after twenty years, had both zero marketing skills and money. TVP is now a household name in any 2-D animator’s family, and all the prominent animation schools around the world; this happened by word of mouth only. The software has grown in those twenty years, too, of course, and has finally reached the well-deserved status of the best there is for handmade (or computer assisted; take your pick) independent productions of art films. Hand-drawn films are coming back in a big way.

The Fierlingers created My Dog Tulip using hand-drawn computer animation. 

Q: Was your style of animation at all influenced by the Czech cartoonists and animation artists from the golden age of Kratky Film?

Paul: That yes, and by the way I grew up in the United States during WWII, and by the dreaded boarding school in which I had to spend my first four years in Czechoslovakia, by my father’s insistence that I drop the idea of becoming an animator, by the fact that no one had ever thought possible that one person alone could draw films, by my first and second divorces, the dogs I had owned, the despair I had fallen into that I will be forever locked within the barbed wire borders of that horrible place ruled by a tyrannical Soviet system, by my escape back to the West, by every advertising agency I had ever done work for, by my third and final marriage on a boat off Ordinary Point on the Chesapeake Bay, and by my 41 years of life on or close to the Main Line.

Q: Sandra, when did you become interested in animation? How do your skills as a painter influence your work with computer animation?

Sandra: Animation was never in my vocabulary as an artist growing up on the Main Line. Then Paul hired me as a colorist, married me, and what else am I supposed to do? The garden is so small.

Q: Are you working on any new projects?

Paul: The film we are working on now is being done in a way no one else has ever done before us, unless you count Charles Dickens, but he was not an animator. Sandra and I have embarked upon the serialization of an animated graphic novel to be released in installments on an e-magazine website, yet to be determined. This work in progress will be screened as the core of our Master Class earlier in the afternoon. We will also be discussing the explosion of hand drawn animated illustrations and tiny art films made by tiny cameras all over the pages of internet e-readers, a new publishing phenomenon which already is beginning to happen.

Exclusive image from Paul and Sandra's new project, Slocum at Sea with Himself.
Excerpts will be featured in the free Master Class taught by the Fierlingers.


Thanks, Paul and Sandra! 

If you have questions of your own for the Fierlingers, join us at BMFI's Master Class or the My Dog Tulip screening.

The Master Class is free and open to everyone, but there are only a few spaces left! To register, email VTemple@BrynMawrFilm.org or call 610-527-4008 x109.

You can purchase tickets to the My Dog Tulip screening and Q&A by clicking here or visiting the Box Office.

And the Award Goes to... BMFI's Oscar Party 2011!

By Meredith Slifkin

“There’s no other way to describe it, it’s the moment of a lifetime.” Kathryn Bigelow uttered these heartfelt words at the 2010 Academy Awards after winning Best Director for The Hurt Locker, but she could easily have been referring to last year’s Oscar Party at BMFI!

The anticipation is mounting as Hollywood prepares to celebrate its best and brightest, and you can experience Oscar magic larger than life at BMFI’s third annual Oscar Party. The 83rd Academy Awards will be simulcast live from Hollywood on BMFI’s big screen on Sunday, February 27 at 7:00pm.

"Hello Gorgeous"

There’s no better way to experience Hollywood’s party of the year than right here where we’ll have all the glitz and glamour of the real thing, but with a better view. At the Kodak Theatre you’d be stuck in the nosebleeds, but you’ll be able to see every glorious pore on George Clooney’s face on the big screen at BMFI. You may not walk home with a gold statue, but there will be good food, good company, plentiful spirits, and a silent auction! Back for its third year by popular demand, this year’s Oscar Party will offer a gourmet buffet dinner prepared by JPM Catering, and a myriad of social-lubricating cocktails at the cash bar.

"You like me, you really like me!"

There will also be a silent auction featuring gift certificates to some of the Main Line’s best restaurants and businesses including Mediterranean Grill, LeBus, and Margaret Kuo’s. All proceeds will benefit Bryn Mawr Film Institute so really it’s a win-win—you'll get to enjoy dinner at a delicious restaurant, while helping to ensure that your favorite non-profit movie theatre can keep on keeping on.

Don’t forget to come in your red-carpet best—evening gowns, dapper suits—or costumes inspired by the films. I expect to see at least one Black Swan-inspired outfit, and maybe a few Western hats to channel True Grit, or Harvard sweatshirts from The Social Network. (But please, don’t go so far as to pull a James Franco in 127 Hours…) However you show up, this party will be an amazing event full of fun, food, and film, all leading up to that exciting final moment—Best Picture!

"I'm the king of the world!"

Tickets for the Oscar Party are $55 for BMFI members and $65 general admission, and are available now for purchase online or at the box office.

Exclusive Interview with Paul Wright, Ph.D., Instructor for “Trafficking in the Absurd: The Coen Brothers’ Films”

By Meredith Slifkin

Where will you be Wednesdays this January? Sign up for the new BMFI course, “Trafficking in the Absurd: The Coen Brothers’ Films,” which meets on Wednesdays (Jan 5.-Jan 26) from 6:30pm-9:30-pm in the Multimedia Room. This exciting course will examine the “comic absurdity” and “flawed humanity” prevalent in the works of the notoriously quirky (and brilliant) Coen brothers. There will be a special focus on Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, and A Serious Man.

The instructor for “Trafficking in the Absurd” is Paul Wright, Ph.D., who was good enough to give me an exclusive interview about the course, and about his personal interest in the Coen Brothers. Wright is an Assistant Professor of English and the Co-Director of the Honors Program at Cabrini College. Previous courses he has taught at BMFI include Scorcese’s Cinema of Loneliness, Kurosawa: East Meets West, and Icon in the Director’s Chair: Clint Eastwood. Posted below is our enlightening interview:

Q: Why the Coen Brothers? What attracts you to their body of work, both personally and academically?

A: The Coen Brothers first got under my skin with their unique sensibility sometime around 1986, when I saw their first feature, Blood Simple, on television late one Saturday night. Aside from being unable to sleep for the suspense of that film, I was struck by their knack for exposing the self-delusion of their characters--the characters' inability to see the world except through their own prism of misbegotten assumptions. This is a theme the Coens have returned to many times over the years. Academically, what has continued to enchant me is their unabashed love of film genre. They have tackled nearly every cinematic genre imaginable--suspense, slapstick, the gangster film, art-house, film noir, spy-thriller, western, spiritual morality tale, and more. They approach each film genre with a genuine passion for the material and the form, but always with an eye toward ironic re-imaginings of those forms.

Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski (1998). "Trafficking in the Absurd: The Coen Brothers' Films" begins Wednesday, January 5 and continues on Wednesdays through January 26.

Q: “Trafficking in the Absurd” is a striking name for the course, can you explain your choice of this title?

A: I think it was a viewing of The Big Lebowski that inspired me here. When the Dude (Jeff Bridges) is told another character is a nihilist, he responds, "Ah, that must be exhausting." I think this perfectly captures the Coen Brothers' playful (and to my mind, very healthy) sense of the absurd in so many of their films. For them, life's absurdities are not merely existential or coldly philosophical in nature--they embody the self-involved comedy that each of us makes of our daily lives, so often without intending it. It's not just the Coens who "traffic in the absurd"; we all do.

Q: What can students hope to get out of this course?

A: To build more on the previous response, I'm hoping that people come away from the course understanding that blunt honesty need not equal contempt. Aside from the course's focus on the great artistry of the Coens as writer-directors, I stress that for all the Coens' revelry in human beings' penchant for self-importance and self-deception, the Coens' brutal candor and irony never amount to outright contempt for the human condition. I have read some dismissive assessments of the Coens that argue they are misanthropes. This seems as off the mark to me as criticisms of the great Japanese director Ozu, who was said to have treated actors only as props and "colors" for his palette. I think these criticisms of the Coens miss their fundamental appreciation for the downright charms of flawed human beings trying to break out of the orbits of our own delusions. There is something profoundly engaging and affecting about Coen characters; even a villain in Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men has a perverse charm. While most of us (thankfully) are less like Anton and more like the bumbling characters of Burn After Reading, what's essential here is the quirky charisma of Coen characters. It might be unsettling just how much of ourselves we recognize in these characters, but that recognition is also a great pleasure in its own right. There is a reason so many gifted actors gravitate toward the Coen Brothers, and I think it's bound up with the celebration of flawed humanity in their writing.

“It’s not just the Coens who ‘traffic in the absurd’; we all do.”

Q: Your academic interests also include the European Renaissance, does this influence your work in film studies at all? I imagine Machiavelli is actually pretty relevant to the films of the Coen brothers…

A: Yes, when I wear my other academic hat, I teach the European literary traditions of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. I did my doctorate in comparative literature under the direction of an historian; I suppose "cultural historian" is the best way to describe my scholarship. This isn't as far-fetched a connection to cinema as one might think. If there is a defining feature of Renaissance culture, it is its increasingly anxious sense of the theatricality and performative aspects of our world. Long before becoming a best-selling Shakespeare biographer, Stephen Greenblatt famously wrote about Renaissance courtiers and writers engaged in "self-fashioning"--i.e., the drive to mold and in essence create the "self" as a fiction indispensable to our social lives. If you think about the Coen Brothers' ironic sense of their characters trying to fashion their own lives and meaning in the world, you realize that many of the themes we ascribe to modern theater and cinema (or even "post-modern" society at large) have deep roots in the historical past. I actually find a powerful resonance between my two areas of study. As for Machiavelli, one can certainly find in The Prince a kind of handbook for would-be "players" and manipulators. What I love about your question is that, like the Coens, Machiavelli also has a real knack for exposing those princes who fail precisely because they assume the world looks at things as they do. This is the cardinal sin of the Coen Brothers' moral universe.

Michael Stulhbarg in the Coens' 2009 Oscar-Nominated,  A Serious Man

Q: Do you have a favorite film by the Coens? Or any on the syllabus that you’re especially excited to be teaching?

A: It's so tough to pick a favorite obviously, so I can only throw out the powerful associations of certain of their films that get me every time. As I said above, Blood Simple had the most formative impact when I saw it in high school. Miller's Crossing also comes to mind as it bridges the venerable gangster genre with the primal loneliness that comes with living among others; I often think of this film as the existentialist's Godfather. O Brother Where Art Thou, that loose and wonderful adaptation of Homer, speaks to the literature professor in me. Fargo channels my inner mid-Westerner, and as an adoptive father, I can't watch Raising Arizona without laughter and tears. If I had to pick two films that are favorites in my current stage of life (whatever that is exactly), I'd have to go with The Big Lebowski and A Serious Man. Lebowski has the virtue of being endlessly re-watchable and charming; A Serious Man is its more somber and philosophical cousin, I suppose. Both are films I find myself sharing and quoting obsessively with a like-minded soul in my life. At any rate, I guess you could say I love the Coens all round.

Special thanks to Paul Wright for graciously agreeing to this interview. Sign up now for “Trafficking in the Absurd: The Coen Brothers’ Films.” The cost is $100 for BMFI members and $125 for non-members. Click here to register online, or call 610-527-4008 x107.

BLACK SWAN Meet-and-Greet with Dancers from the Pennsylvania Ballet!

By Meredith Slifkin, BMFI Intern

What could be more exciting than seeing the new thriller, Black Swan? Going to a pre-screening meet-and-greet at BMFI with real dancers from the film! Black Swan is the psychosexual thriller from Darren Aronofsky, director of 2008’s critical darling, The Wrestler, which starred Mickey Rourke as an aging pro-wrestler with personal woes. In Black Swan, Aronofsky uses his signature gritty style to explore another intense medium of performance, ballet, and an even more troubled protagonist, a ballerina played by Natalie Portman. Indeed, Portman’s character is as much antagonist as protagonist in this psychologically complex film, which explores the dark side of her character that emerges as the result of a rivalry with a fellow dancer and the demands of starring as Swan Queen in the canonical Swan Lake. Black Swan features thrills, chills, and some really phenomenal acting from Natalie Portman, who has already been nominated for a Golden Globe and an Independent Spirit Award for her performance.

Natalie Portman commands the screen in Black Swan, opening at Bryn Mawr Film Institute on Friday, December 17.

In addition to being an intense character study, Black Swan also provides a window into the elusive world of professional ballet. The film immerses the viewer into this world as fully as the dancers themselves; it would be an understatement to say that ballet is their raison d’etre.

Meet real dancers from the Pennsylvania ballet at the Meet-and-Greet before the 8pm screening of Black Swan on Monday, December 20.

At BMFI you have the opportunity to understand this world even better, at the meet-and-greet with dancers from the Pennsylvania Ballet who appeared in the film on Monday, December 20. Gather in the atrium to mingle with the dancers and enjoy some “holiday spirits” from the cash bar. This is your chance to ask all about the life of a professional dancer and what it was like to work on the film. The meet-and-greet begins at 7:00pm and is a free event, but regular ticketing prices do apply for the screening that follows at 8:00pm.

Can’t get enough of the ballerinas? Well, they will be staying for a special Q&A after the screening, so you’ll have a chance to ask them some more questions! Like, “Who’s dreamier in real life, Vincent Cassel or Darren Aronofsky?” Ok, probably no one will ask that question, so come prepared with some good ones of your own!

The Yule Blog

By Meredith Slifkin, BMFI Intern

Whether you believe that ‘tis the season to be merry, or you see the spread of yuletide joy and just want to shout “bah humbug!”, there is something at BMFI to help get you in the holiday spirit! Yes, all members of the family (even the Scrooges) will want to spend a cozy day at the theatre and enjoy one of the great events in BMFI’s Holiday Happenings series. The screenings include everything from classic holiday films like It’s a Wonderful Life to a simulcast of the Bolshoi Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. For a complete list of shows, dates, and times, check out the Holiday Happenings page, or keep reading for a few highlights.

For the music lover there’s The Nutcracker from the Bolshoi Theatre. Does anything embody the holiday season more than this classic ballet? And broadcast from the historic Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow at that—I can just picture a blanket of snow coating the Kremlin in a perfect scene of winter splendor. The only word for it is transplendent (Annie Hall fans?).


Snowflakes will leap across BMFI's screen at the live simulcast of the Bolshoi Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. 

You too can be “the richest man in town” if you get in the holiday spirit by coming to the screening of It’s a Wonderful Life, the classic starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Whether you watch it every year or you’re taking the kids to see it for the first time, you’ll love to see George lasso the moon and hear that bell ring atop the Christmas tree. Don’t miss this special matinee screening on Saturday, December 18.


Jimmy Stewart realizes that he has "a wonderful life" in the Frank Capra holiday classic, featured on December 18.

What could be better than going to see the beloved Rogers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music? Going to BMFI’s The Sound of Music Sing-along, back for a third year in a row! Rejoice and be merry in song and in costume at this special event. There’s always free popcorn for those who come in costume, and this year there will even be a cash bar where you can partake in some “holiday spirits”.

More than one kind of “spirits” will abound at the screening of Drexel Professor Ian Abrams’s version of A Christmas Carol! Abrams has edited together many different versions of the film to create one seamless retelling of the classic tale that features Scrooges as varied as Mr. Magoo, Alastair Sims, and Bill Murray. Philadelphia Inquirer film critic Steven Rea will introduce and discuss this delightful take on a holiday classic.


Michael Caine, shown with the muppets in A Muppet Christmas Carol, is one of the many Scrooges featured in Ian Abrams's compilation.

Here’s a complete list of BMFI's Holiday Happenings:

• The Nativity Story • Saturday, December 11, 11:00am
• Spano Conducts Sibelius • Monday, December 13, 12:30pm
• A Christmas Carol: A Unique Take on a Holiday Classic • Wednesday, December 15, 7:30pm
• It's a Wonderful Life • Saturday, December 18, 11:00am
• Live Simulcast: The Nutcracker • Sunday, December 19, 11:00am
• Black Swan reception • Monday, December 20, 7:00pm
• The Sound of Music Sing-along • Wednesday, December 22, 7:00pm

Wishing a very happy and healthy holiday season to you all!

BMFI Preview: Winter Programming Highlights

By Meredith Slifkin, BMFI Intern

Bryn Mawr Film Institute patons rejoice! The new film and program schedule for December 2010-March 2011 will soon be available. Yes, happy days are here again, now that you can glimpse into the future and foresee four glorious months of films and events at BMFI. For the full list of screenings and classes, grab a copy of the new issue of Projections when it comes out December 9 or visit http://www.brynmawrfilm.org/, which has details for all of the upcoming events. For now, I will just whet your appetites with a preview of a few of our exciting new programs.

Oscar season is almost upon us, so that means a flurry of year-end films already gaining buzz. Among the new releases are the much anticipated Black Swan, the thriller from Darren Aronofsky starring Natalie Portman; The King’s Speech, which features Colin Firth as King George VI; and True Grit, a Western from the Coen Brothers starring Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, and Matt Damon. Let me just repeat some of those names for you—Aronofsky, Firth, Coen, Bridges, Brolin—these highly talented actors and filmmakers are each coming off of recent Oscar wins and nominations, so you can bet that their new films will be must-sees!

The King's Speech, which stars Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, is scheduled to start at BMFI on December 25.

In addition to a great crop of new releases, BMFI will also be featuring a truly unique selection of One Night Only films that you won’t want to miss. (Really, don’t miss them--they are shown for one night only, after all!) Come to a special screening of the award-winning animated charmer My Dog Tulip and a free (yes, free!) Master Class with the filmmakers, Paul and Sandra Fierlinger, who will talk about the art of animated documentary and creating films in the digital world. I know that I’m excited for the screening of Kings of Pastry, the documentary about a three-day French pastry baking competition. This isn’t an episode of Top Chef or Cake Boss, these chefs are skilled artisans competing for a coveted title that would earn much more than bragging rights—it would fulfill a lifelong ambition. Did I mention that there will be free treats at the screening?

We all have our favorite classic films, and delight in the opportunity to see them on the big screen. The Remembering Film Legends series will feature the films of two recently departed greats—the Academy Award-winning director and Philadelphia native, Arthur Penn, and the iconic Tony Curtis. You won’t want to miss Curtis in Some Like it Hot, the uproarious comedy voted the funniest film of all time by the American Film Institute! This ultimate classic will be shown in conjunction with a Cinema Classics Seminar taught by BMFI’s Director of Education, Andrew J. Douglas, Ph.D.  

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon shine in Some Like It Hot. The comedy classic will be shown as part of a tribute to Curtis and featured at the center of BMFI's newest Cinema Classics Seminar.

As many of you have already discovered, BMFI is not just a place for film, but also for broadcasts of incredible music, theatre and opera performances from renowned venues all over the world. From the comfort and convenience of BMFI you can see Romeo and Juliet from the Globe Theatre in London, or Pagliacci from the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. And of course the popular Philadelphia Orchestra Concert Series will continue will live HD simulcasts.

Spend Valentine's Day with Romeo and Juliet, broadcast in HD from London's Globe Theatre.

Now you can see ballet simulcasts as well—for the first time BMFI has added ballet to the program, including live simulcasts of the holiday favorite The Nutcracker from the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, and the classic Giselle from London's Royal Opera House, among others! Check out the list here.

This is only a taste of what's coming. To learn more, keep a look out for the new issue of Projections (mailed to members and available at the theater starting December 9) or visit http://www.brynmawrfilm.org/!

METROPOLIS and Fritz Lang's Legacy; or, Robot Doppelgangers: Kitsch or Classic?

By Meredith Slifkin, BMFI Intern

On Monday, October 25, Bryn Mawr Film Institute is hosting both a screening of the sci-fi epic Metropolis and a Cinema Classics Seminar, a one-session class that focuses on this classic film and includes the in-theater screening. Why is this a must-see film? Long before James Cameron was out there sinking giant ships and painting people blue, trying to tackle tough issues of class and race while offering up a big budget Hollywood extravaganza, Fritz Lang was making groundbreaking cinema.

Metropolis is the most expensive silent film ever made—that's money well spent on the breathtaking sets and visuals that create this dystopian futuristic setting. The production of this film was executed on a grand scale and the result is far ahead of its time. In the industrial society depicted in Metropolis, the citizens are either “thinkers” or “workers”; the exaggerated gap between them serves as Lang’s commentary on Capitalistic society. The plot combines social commentary, science-fiction, and even a love story, making Metropolis a classic of epic proportions.

Metropolis director Fritz Lang is a titan of early cinema and has had an enduring influence on film. He was born in Vienna in 1890 and fought for Austria during the First World War, an experience that he cited as being influential to his work. After years of military service, travel, and education all over Europe, Lang became involved in acting and then filmmaking. Eventually he landed in Germany, where he thrived as part of the German Expressionist movement. Lang made a name for himself by combining art with entertainment, making classic films such as Metropolis (1927) and M (1931), which are both technically spectacular and thoroughly enjoyable to watch.

In 1934 Lang fled the ever-strengthening Nazi regime in Germany for Paris, though the circumstances of his exodus remain controversial. It is speculated that Lang actually met with the infamous Joseph Goebbels before leaving, though it is unclear whether this meeting was called because Goebbels wished to interrogate Lang about his arguably anti-Nazi film, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, or whether Goebbels was in fact so impressed with Lang’s ability as a filmmaker that he offered him a post as head of the German film studio, UFA. To further complicate the situation, Lang worried that he would be persecuted for being half-Jewish (despite being raised Catholic). At the same time his marriage to Thea Von Harbou was falling apart because of her increased identification with the Nazi party. Amidst all of this controversy it is unclear exactly why Lang left Germany, but it is known for certain that by 1934 he had fled to Paris, where he worked briefly before coming to the United States in 1936. Lang brought his talents to Hollywood where he continued to make acclaimed films into the 1960s. He is credited with introducing the German Expressionist style to American cinema, which was especially influential to the emerging film noir genre.

What is German Expressionism? Well, it’s a film genre that began in Germany in the 1920s, and has heavily influenced probably all cinema to follow. It is highly stylistic, with plots and characters that are often steeped in madness or psychological distress. German Expressionism toes the line between the real and the surreal, while often crossing over into the realms of paranormal and science-fiction. Equally important is the visual style of German Expressionism—the stark lights and darks, dramatic shadows, exaggerated make-up, and constructed sets. The result is a disorienting exaggeration of reality, and an overwhelming sense of creepiness. German Expressionist influences are clearly visible in film noir, horror, psychological thrillers, and of course science-fiction films. If you were to have a conversation with say, Alfred Hitchcock, Tim Burton, or even Mr. Cameron, I’m sure they’d have a lot to say on the matter.

Metropolis is a true cinema classic. Now you can enjoy Fritz Lang’s masterpiece on the big screen as he intended, restored to its original glory--this new version includes 25 minutes of recently discovered footage that had been lost since 1927! If that’s not enough, I’ll leave you with two words: robot doppelganger!

At BMFI:
Metropolis screening - Monday, October 25, 7:00pm

Cinema Classics Seminar: Metropolis (registration required) - Monday, October 25, 6:30-10:00pm
Seminar includes in-theater screening, lecture, discussion, readings, and popcorn and a drink.

Filmmakers Amp Up Screening of ROCK SCHOOL

Producer Sheena Joyce and director Don Argott rocked the house at last night’s screening of Rock School, their 2005 Sundance hit about Philadelphia’s original Paul Green School of Rock. The husband-wife filmmaking team’s first documentary feature focuses on Paul Green, the foul-mouthed (but effective) teacher of a group of remarkable nine- to seventeen-year-old musicians who more than do justice to the music of Frank Zappa and Black Sabbath.

Filmmakers Sheena Joyce and Don Argott sign BMFI's autograph book after the screening of Rock School.

This screening kicked off our four-film series celebrating the contributions that Bryn Mawr College alumnae have made to film in honor of Bryn Mawr College’s 125th Anniversary.

Bryn Mawr College president Jane Dammen McAuliffe introduced Sheena Joyce, class of 1998, before the screening, and both Sheena and Don answered audience questions afterwards. Keep reading for selections from the Q&A!

Q: How did the project come about?
Don Argott: The project took shape because I had a production company with another partner. We had always planned on doing a feature, but mostly we had been doing commercial work and corporate videos. He wanted to go to LA, but I had no interest in going there. After the company dissolved, I wanted to do something creative to remind myself why I was in the business. I was out walking when I saw a poster for the Paul Green School of Rock. It had this cartoony type and caught my attention. This was back in 2002, before everything was online, and so I didn’t have a lot of information to go on, but I dug around a little. Finally, I looked up his number in the phone book and gave him a call. I told him I’d like to do a documentary about him, without ever having met him. He said, “All I ask is that you take it seriously and do it for real.” (Apparently VH1 had been in talks about doing something but then backed out, so he was a little protective.) There was something about our first meeting and we hit it off; it helped that I am a musician, too. Two days later, I was there with my camera, and stayed there for the next nine months filming. Sheena quit her job at the film office and came on as a full-time producer on the project.
Sheena Joyce: I was working at the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, the area's film commission, which acts as a free producer to visiting productions. I wanted to do whatever I could to encourage Don, and I offered to help him with this new project. It started at night and on weekends, but eventually, I got so involved, I quit my job, and we formed 9.14 Pictures together.

Q: What’s Paul Green doing now?
DA: He used this opportunity with the kids to build from there. As we were in post-production he opened up a school in New Jersey and one in Downingtown and used the marketing push from the film to franchise. Now there are 48 franchises across the country. He sold off the company and lives in New York now. He's still involved in music, though, and has a new venture called Studio House.

Q: What was it like seeing the movie again on the big screen?
DA: This is the first time we’ve seen the movie in five years, since it came out. It was amazing seeing the film again. It put me back in the spot of where we were then. I forgot how funny it was! It was so nice to revisit it. It brought back a lot of memories.

Q: What other features have you done?
SJ: After this we did Two Days in April, where we followed four college football players as they entered the NFL draft. The project was funded by Netflix and the film is available on Netflix. We followed that up with The Art of the Steal, about the Barnes Foundation’s move from Merion, which was featured at the Toronto Film Festival and released nationally this year. It is now on DVD and will be on Showtime in October. Currently we have four documentaries we’re working on in various stages of production.

Q: This was your first film. How has your approach to filmmaking changed since, if at all?
DA: We cut our teeth on this thing, we were so naïve. We thought, “No one listens to Frank Zappa anymore, it’ll be easy to get the music rights.” $250,000 later… Rock School was like getting our Ph.D. in filmmaking.
SJ: It was trial by fire, but the real work begins when you sell it. You have to make it “deliverable”—get clearances, photo licenses, releases, music licenses. I would say that our procedures have changed, but our filmmaking hasn’t changed. We still try to bring a rock and roll sensibility to whatever we do—even The Art of the Steal opens with a cover of a Black Sabbath song done by a jazz trio called The Bad Plus.

Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Bryn Mawr College's President, joined BMFI's Juliet Goodfriend (seated)
to welcome filmmaker Sheena Joyce, Bryn Mawr College '98.  

The Celebrating Bryn Mawr College Film Series continues with three additional screenings, starting with Christopher Strong, starring Katharine Hepburn '28, which will feature a talk about the famous alum's influence on cinema by Bryn Mawr College film studies professor Dr. Homay King. Then filmmaker Susan Koch '76 will introduce and discuss her documentary about the Homeless World Cup, Kicking It. The series concludes with the return of Sarah Schenck '87 to Bryn Mawr Film Institute to screen and discuss her first feature film as producer, Virgin, starring Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men) and Robin Wright.