First Posted: 2/28/2014
Believe it or not, we are less than a month away from the Dietrich’s Spring 2014 Film Festival.
Starting on Friday, March 28 and running for two weeks through Thursday, April 10, we will showcase 18 of the most highly-acclaimed foreign, independent and art films that have been released over the past few months.
Hildy, Ronnie and our film booker Jeffrey Jacobs from New York City did another fabulous job of picking this spring’s films. They include “August: Osage County”, “The Best Offer”, “The Broken Circle Breakdown”, “Girl on a Bicycle”, “Gloria”, “The Great Beauty”, “Great Expectations”, “In Secret”, “Inside Llewyn Davis”, “The Invisible Woman”, “Kids for Cash”, “La Camioneta”, “Liv and Ingmar”, “The Lunchbox”, “Nebraska”, “The Past”, “Philomena and Tim’s Vermeer”. There are great documentaries such as “La Camioneta”, which follows the transformation of an American school bus into a bus for public transportation in Guatemala, as well as, “Kids for Cash”, the Robert May film about the juvenile judicial scandal that occurred in Wilkes-Barre. I’m also looking forward to the period piece “Great Expectations” with Helena Bonham Carter playing Miss Havisham, and “The Lunchbox”, a charming film that was a hit at the Toronto Film Festival.
“The Lunchbox” will be one of our featured films at the Opening Night Gala of the Film Festival on March 28, as well as “August: Osage County” with a cast that includes Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Chris Cooper. In addition to great films, we will be able to enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres from Epicurean Delight, Twigs Restaurant and Café, Greenley’s BBQ, and Seasons Restaurant at gala. Nimble Hill wine and beer will be flowing, and Epicurean Delight will wow us with amazing desserts in between films. So gather up your friends and join us for what is bound to be a great night of entertainment. Tickets are $35 each and can be reserved by calling 570-996-1500. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Like last fall’s film festival, there will be afternoon and evening shows every day during festival. Matinee tickets are $8 and evening tickets sell for $9. For movie summaries and show times, please visit www.dietrichtheater.com or call us to request a festival brochure.
Another movie event that’s quickly approaching is our special showings of “Double Indemnity” from 1944. It’s this month’s selection for the Dietrich Classic Movie Series and will show on the big screen at the Dietrich on Wednesday, March 12 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Enjoy this example of film-noir about an insurance rep who lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigator’s suspicions. This film stars Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at www.dietrichtheater.com or at the door.
The theater also has a lineup of live events for you to enjoy this weekend. If you or your children are nature lovers, come out for local naturalist Rick Koval’s talk on Reptiles and Amphibians of Northeastern Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 8 at 11 a.m.
During this PowerPoint presentation, Rick will share with us photos of 44 species of these fascinating creatures that reside in our area from salamanders to snakes to turtles and more. After the program, audience members will have an opportunity to meet and hold a few reptiles and amphibians. Admission is free thanks to support from the Overlook Estate Foundation. Tickets can be reserved in advance by calling 570-996-1500 and they will be available at the door as long as they last.
Local author and physical therapist Jeanne Moran will share her personal journey of writing a novel from idea to publication on Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. I think it is always so interesting to learn about authors’ inspirations and writing methods. If you have not read her historical fiction novel “Risking Exposure”, I strongly recommend it.
She’ll have copies of her book available for sale at the presentation and all proceeds will support the Dietrich Theater. Moran has been a longtime member of the theaters Writers’ Group, so we are very excited about this upcoming event. Admission is free.
As you can see, the Dietrich is so much more than the movies!