A Moses Greeley Parker Lectures / Lowell Film Collaborative presentation
“The Projectionist Is No Longer in the House: Cinema in the 21st Century”
Wednesday, April 23 • 7pm (Doors at 6:30pm)
Art Gallery at Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union
1 Tremont Place, Lowell (GPS: 257 Fr. Morissette Blvd.)
Free admission, complimentary refreshments!
Special Guests:
Garen Daly – Film Critic, Producer/Director (“The Orson Welles Complex“), Festival Producer
Rob Newton – Founder & Director, Cape Ann Community Cinema in Gloucester, MA
Explore the timelessness of cinema through the eyes of the movie projectionist, that “magician” in the projection booth who spliced, threaded (and sometimes shredded!) celluloid film. As digital cinema takes over the industry, the death of celluloid & 21st century technology has made projectionists defunct, as well as many of the theaters they worked in. See two remarkable, 30-minute documentary shorts that pay homage to The Projectionist and learn more about how the shift to digital is impacting audiences, filmmakers, and theater owners through a discussion with two very special guest speakers!
Film #1 — Kris Roselli’s “The Projectionist: A Passion for Film” (2012)
and
Film #2 — Kendall Messick’s “The Projectionist” (2007)
“The Projectionist: A Passion for Film” – Experience a story of one man’s passion that influences the people around him. Directed by Kris Roselli, “The Projectionist” is a heartfelt tale of internationally recognized film preservationist, movie projectionist and historian Louis DiCrescenzo, who has spent the last 50 years collecting and preserving film, projection and sound equipment. See his progression from a local to international level and meet his son Nick, who grew up being influenced by his father’s passion for film even though they were estranged during Nick’s teenage years. Hear from the people whose lives have been touched by Lou, and dive deep into one man’s incredible contribution to the film industry.
‘The Projectionist’ Trailer from Kris Roselli on Vimeo.
“The Projectionist“ – Born in 1915, Gordon Brinckle’s boyhood dream was to become a movie projectionist and some day own his own theater. After getting his start showing films in the army, he lived most of his adult life in a small town in Delaware, where he worked at a movie theater for 33 years, living in a modest 1950s-style house with his wife until they both passed away just months apart in 2007. But Brinckle had an extraordinary secret: Over the course of nearly 50 years, he created a miniature movie palace in his basement that he called the Shalimar. Inspired by 1920s and 30s-era movie palaces, his miniature theater, decorated in bright pink and gold, had a marquee, an organ, a box office and, of course, a working projector. Hear first hand from Brinckle as he tells his story to photographer Kendall Messick, who lovingly captured Brinckle’s life story through a traveling photography and installation exhibit showcasing Brinckle’s Shalimar!
[Click above to see a sneak peek of Kendall Messick’s “The Projectionist”]
lowellfilmcollaborativema.org 