Frontier Cafe + Cinema + Gallery
Fort Andross / Brunswick, ME
A summer getaway this past weekend found us visiting friends in Brunswick, ME, and making a new cinematic discovery: the Frontier Cafe, Cinema & Gallery. For anyone seeking a twist on your cafe or movie-going experience, we recommend a visit to the Frontier as well as Brunswick’s Fort Andross, an exquisite, vast mill complex on the Androscoggin River.
Built within the last 5 years, the Frontier lures guests with taglines “Come in …. go beyond” and “Explore food, film & art inspired by the world,” both of which are spot on. Their 75-seat theater is intimate, and invites patrons to enjoy food and drink with their film. Frontier’s cafe menu serves hearty helpings of food indeed inspired by the world, particularly their “marketplates” (see mouth-watering photo below) which are served on wooden cheeseboards and feature finger-tastes of France, Italy, and the Middle East. Though we passed on dining at Frontier, we did notice many happy customers digging into these fabulous nibbles — those marketplates were eye-catching!
We were fortunate to catch the film Afghan Star on its final night. All of us were left stunned and breathless by this 2009 award-winning Sundance favorite which showcases four contestants in Afghanistan’s television equivalent to American Idol. Afghan Star has swept the country, leaving Afghani citizens to partake in TV democracy as they delight in one of the Taliban’s most hated primal sensations: the enjoyment of music. Prepare to be lifted out of the comfort of your western life.
In addition to the Frontier, Fort Andross also boasts incredible flea market and antique showrooms within their impressive mill
spaces, which added to the New England charm of this riverside destination. Independent cinema is thriving in Brunswick, and it’s got pinache! We hope you will make the 2-hour trek north to discover AND support this unique movie-lover’s hideaway.
lowellfilmcollaborativema.org 