In the midst of the summer blockbuster season, the Dietrich Theater in downtown Tunkhannock is not only showing the mainstream hits of Hollywood on the big screen, but is also celebrating the acclaimed foreign, independent and art films released in the past few months with Summer Fest 2023.
Summer Fest is sponsored by Peoples Security Bank & Trust.
Starting on Friday, July 14, and running through Thursday, Aug. 3, this festival will feature 21 films in 21 days. According to Dietrich Theater General Manager and Movie Booker Ronnie Harvey, “Our upcoming Summerfest is a testament to the true and lasting impact of cinema and how it alone can shape hearts and minds. Most of these films deal with identity and the importance of shared connections through rekindling a connection from the past like in The Eight Mountains, Past Lives and Return to Seoul or embracing the true identity of the person you love like in Joyland, Monica or L’immensita. The festival also includes the less conventional aspects of connection like connecting over shared tragedy in A Good Person or a connection through history like in The Lost King.”
Summer Fest will kick off with an Opening Night Gala on Friday, July 14. Doors open at 6 p.m. and gala goers will experience an evening of two films – You Hurt My Feelings and Somewhere in Queens, light hors d’oeuvres, popcorn, beer, wine and a dessert of strawberry shortcake. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door and can be reserved by calling the Dietrich Theater at 570-836-1022 x3.
In addition to the two Opening Night selections, the slate of films for Summer Fest include Blackberry, Chevalier, The Eight Mountains, The Forger, A Good Person, It Ain’t Over, Joyland, L’immensita, The Lost King, Master Gardener, Monica, Other People’s Children, Paint, Past Lives, Return to Seoul, Showing Up, Sisu, The Starling Girl, A Thousand and One, and Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition.
If you are interested in discussing the films you see in Summer Fest 2023, there will be a Post Festival Discussion on Friday, Aug. 4, at 1 p.m. at the Dietrich Theater. Facilitated by film buff extraordinaire Ronnie Harvey, participants will be able to share their views about movies they have screened and ask questions of other festival goers. Admission is free. All are welcome to attend.
The following is a listing of Summer Fest movie synopses and the films’ showtimes. Tickets to Summer Fest 2023 movies are $8.50 each, excluding Opening Night and can be purchased at the Dietrich’s ticket booth, at DietrichTheater.com or by calling 570-836-1022 x3.
Tickets to Summer Fest 2023 movies are $8.50 each, excluding Opening Night and can be purchased at the Dietrich’s ticket booth, at DietrichTheater.com or by calling 570-836-1022 ext. 3.
Blackberry
Show times: July 15 at 9:15 p.m., July 17 at 5:00 p.m., July 27 at 7:15 p.m., Aug. 1 at 2:45 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 120 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Matt Johnson
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson
Starring Glenn Howerton, Jay Baruchel and Cary Elwes, BlackBerry is the unbelievable true story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone. Blackberry tells a compelling portrait of a company at the top of its game that flew too close to sun.
Chevalier
Show times: July 15 at 2:15 p.m., July 20 at 12:00 p.m., July 25 at 12:00 p.m., July 28 at 4:30 p.m., July 31 at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 2 at 5:00 p.m.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 108 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Stephen Williams
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton
Inspired by the incredible true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Chevalier follows the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, who rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer. Complete with an ill-fated love affair and a falling out with Marie Antoinette and her court, Chevalier is the untold story that you never knew filled with intrigue, passion and incomparable music.
The Eight Mountains
Show times: July 17 at 2:15 p.m., July 22 at 7 p.m., July 24 at noon, July 26 at 4:30 p.m., July 28 at 9 p.m., Aug. 1 at noon, Aug. 3 at 2:15 p.m
Rated: not rated
Runtime: 147 minutes
Language: in Italian, English, Nepali with subtitles
Directed by: Felix van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch
Starring: Luca Marinelli, Alessandro Borghi, Lupo Barbiero
Winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, The Eight Mountains follows the captivating story of Pietro and Bruno who after meeting as children over a series of summers in the picturesque Italian Alps, reunite as adults to build a mountainside cottage. This cottage becomes a site of both reflection and reconciliation and the film captures the peaks and valleys of the relationship between the two men over four decades.
The Forger
Show times: July 19 at noon, July 24 at 2:45 p.m., July 27 at 2:15 p.m., July 29 at 7 p.m.
Rated: not rated
Runtime: 116 minutes
Language: in German with subtitles
Directed by: Maggie Peren
Starring: Louis Hofmann, Jonathan Berlin, Luna Wedler
Based on the true story of Cioma Schönhaus, The Forger follows a young Jewish man who won’t let anyone take away his zest for life, especially not the Nazis. Drawing on his art school background, he joins a network of underground rescuers and becomes infamous for his masterfully forged IDs that save the lives of hundreds of Jews by allowing them to escape the country. His talent and propensity for boldness puts him in danger guaranteeing his only chance of survival is one last forged document — with his own name on it.
A Good Person
Show times: July 16 at noon, July 22 at 2 p.m., July 26 at noon, July 30 at 4:30 p.m., Aug. 2 at 7:15 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 128 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Zach Braff
Starring: Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Molly Shannon
Starring Academy Award Winner Morgan Freeman and Academy Award Nominee Florence Pugh, A Good Person follows Daniel and Allison who are brought together when an unimaginable tragedy takes his daughter’s life. As grief-stricken Daniel navigates raising his teenage granddaughter and Allison seeks redemption, they discover that friendship, forgiveness, and hope can flourish in unlikely places.
It Ain’t Over
Show times: July 18 at 7 p.m., July 21 at 5 p.m., July 25 at 2:30 p.m., July 29 at 4:30 p.m.
Rated: PG
Runtime: 98 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Sean Mullin
An intimate portrait of a misunderstood American icon, It Ain’t Over is an emotional and uplifting documentary about Yogi Berra that takes us beyond the caricatures and “Yogisms,” and into the heart of a sports legend whose unparalleled accomplishments on the baseball diamond were often overshadowed by his off-the-field persona.
Joyland
Show times: July 17 at Noon, July 27 at 2:30 p.m., July 31 at 5 p.m.
Rated: not rated
Runtime: 126 minutes
Language: in Punjabi, Urdu with subtitles
Directed by: Saim Sadiq
Starring: Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan
Winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Joyland follows the Ranas who yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line. Their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for an ambitious trans starlet. Their impossible love story slowly illuminates the entire Rana family’s desire to break from their patriarchal oppression and learn to understand an evolving world when it comes to gender fluidity.
L’immensità
Show times:, July 17 at 2:30 p.m., July 21 at 2:30 p.m., July 24 at 5 p.m., July 27 at noon.
Rated: not rated
Runtime: 97 minutes
Language: in Italian with subtitles
Directed by: Emanuele Crialese
Starring: Penélope Cruz, Vincenzo Amato, Luana Giulian
Starring Penelope Cruz and set in 1970s Rome, L’immensita follows Clara and Felice who have just moved into a new apartment. Their marriage has reached a point of no return: they no longer love each other, but they can’t seem to leave each other either. Their children are the only thing that keeps them together, the same children that are the syphon for all of Clara’s dreams of freedom. As the children search around them for guidance everything changes, both inside and outside of themselves.
The Lost King
Show times: July 20 at 7:15 p.m., July 22 at noon, July 25 at 5 p.m., July 28 at noon, Aug. 1 at 5 p.m.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 108 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Stephen Frears
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan, Helen Katamba
In this inspiring true story starring Academy Award nominee Sally Hawkins, The Lost King tells the story of an amateur historian who believes she has made the archeological find of the century: the lost burial site of King Richard III. She takes on Britain’s most eminent historians, forcing them to rethink the legacy of one of the most controversial rulers in English history
Master Gardener
Show times: July 15 at 7 p.m., July 17 at noon, July 20 at noon, July 22 at 9:45 p.m., July 28 at 2:15 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 111 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Paul Schrader
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, Quintessa Swindell
Directed by Academy Award nominee Paul Schrader and starring Joel Edgerton and Sigourney Weaver, Master Gardener follows the meticulous horticulturist of Gracewood Gardens. He is as much devoted to tending the grounds of this beautiful and historic estate, to pandering to his employer, the wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill. When Mrs. Haverhill demands that he take on her wayward and troubled great-niece as a new apprentice, chaos ensues, unlocking dark secrets from a buried past that threaten them all.
Monica
Show times: July 19 at 2:30 p.m., July 23 at 2:30 p.m., July 30 at noon, Aug. 3 at 7 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 106 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Andrea Pallaoro
Starring: Emily Browning, Patricia Clarkson, Trace Lysette
Monica is an intimate portrait of a woman who, for the first time in 20 years, returns home to the Midwest to take care of her ailing mother. Through the themes of abandonment, aging, rejection, acceptance and forgiveness, we get to know Monica and her world made of pain, fear, and ultimately courage.
Other People’s Children
Show times: July 18 at 2:30 p.m., July 24 at 2:15 p.m., July 28 at noon, July 31 at noon.
Rated; not rated
Runtime: 103 minutes
Language: in French, Hebrew with subtitles Directed by: Rebecca Zlotowski
Starring: Virginie Efira, Roschdy Zem, Chiara Mastroianni
Other People’s Children follows Rachel who is 40 years old, with no children. She loves her life: her high school students, her friends, her ex, and her guitar lessons. When she unexpectantly falls in love, she becomes attached to her new partner’s 4 year old daughter. She tucks her into bed, cares for her, loves her like her own. But to love other people’s children is risky. Other People’s Children perceptively explores motherhood outside traditional biological confines and delivers sobering truths with an ample side of levity.
Paint
Show times: July 18 at 2:30 p.m., July 21 at 7 p.m., July 24 at noon, July 31 at 2:30 p.m., Aug. 2 at noon.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 96 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Brit McAdams
Starring: Owen Wilson, Elisabeth Henry, Paul Kosopod
Starring Owen Wilson and Wendi McClendon Covey, Paint follows Carl Nargle, Vermont’s #1 public television painter who is convinced he has it all: a signature perm, custom van, and fans hanging on his every stroke. His status as a superstar of public broadcasting is put to the test when a new younger painter is hired leaving him to question his career and his future prospects.
Past Lives
Show times:, July 19 at 7 p.m., July 21 at noon, July 27 at 5 p.m., July 31 at noon, Aug. 3 at noon.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 106 minutes
Language: in English, Korean with subtitles
Directed by: Celine Song
Starring: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro
Past Lives follows Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, who are torn apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.
Return to Seoul
Show times: July 18 at noon, July 23 at 7 p.m., July 25 at 2:30 p.m., July 31 at 2:30 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 119 minutes
Language: in English, French, Korean with subtitles
Directed by: Davy Chou
Starring: Park Ji-min, Oh Kwang-rok, Guka Han
Return to Seoul follows Freddie who returns to South Korea for the first time on an impulse to reconnect with her origins where she was born before being adopted and raised in France. The headstrong young woman starts looking for her biological parents in a country she knows so little about, taking her life in new and unexpected directions.
Showing Up
Show times: July 15 at 4:30 p.m., July 17 at 7:15 p.m., July 20 at 2:15 p.m., July 26 at 2:30 p.m., July 29 at 2:30 p.m., Aug. 3 at noon.
Rated: R
Runtime: 107 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Kelly Reichardt
Starring: Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, André 3000
Starring Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams, Showing Up tells the story of a sculptor preparing to open a new show that promises to be a career changer. She must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends. What follows is a vibrant and captivating portrait of art and craft told
in a richly funny and creative way.
Sisu
Show times: July 18 at 5 p.m., July 21 at 9:30 p.m., July 28 at 7 p.m., Aug. 1 at 2:30 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 91 minutes
Language: in Finnish, English with subtitles
Directed by: Jalmari Helander
Starring: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan
Depicting the last desperate days of WWII, Sisu follows a solitary prospector who crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland. When the Nazis steal his gold, they quickly discover that they have just tangled with no ordinary miner. This one-man death squad will go to outrageous lengths to get his gold back — even if it means killing every last Nazi in his path.
Somewhere in Queens
Show times:
July 14 – Opening Night, July 16 at 4:30 p.m., July 18 at noon, July 23 at noon, July 25 at 7:15 p.m., July 29 at noon, Aug. 3 at 2:30 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 106 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Ray Romano
Starring: Ray Romano, Laurie Metcalf, Jennifer Esposito
Starring TV royalty Ray Romano and Laurie Metcalf, Somewhere in Queens follows a couple who live a simple life in Queens with their shy but talented basketball player son and a close-knit network of Italian-American relatives and friends. Leo lives each week for his son’s basketball games, never missing
a chance to cheer on his only child. When he gets a life-changing opportunity to play basketball in college, Leo jumps at the chance to provide a plan for his future, away from the family construction business. When sudden heartbreak threatens to derail him, Leo goes to unexpected lengths to keep his son on this new path.
The Starling Girl
Show times:
July 21 at 2:15 p.m., July 24 at 7 p.m., July 30 at 2:15 p.m., Aug. 1 at noon.
Rated: R
Runtime: 116 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Laurel Parmet
Starring: Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman, Jimmi Simpson
Featuring a star making performance from Eliza Scanlen, The Starling Girl follows Jem Starling who struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy of dancing with the church group is tempered by worry that her actions are sinful and she
i s caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and her religious devotion. With the return of an enigmatic youth pastor, she soon finds herself attracted to his worldliness and charm. Slowly, he draws her into a dangerous relationship that could upend their entire community.
A Thousand and One
Show times:
July 16 at 7:00 p.m., July 20 at 2:30 p.m., July 22 at 4:30 p.m., July 29 at 9:30 p.m., Aug. 2 at 2:15 p.m.
Rated; R
Runtime: 117 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: A.V. Rockwell
Starring: Teyana Taylor, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Aven Courtney
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, A Thousand and One follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez who kidnaps six-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding onto their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.
Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition
Show times: July 15 at noon, July 20 at 5 p.m., July 25 at noon, July 27 at noon, July 30 at 7 p.m.
Rated: not rated
Runtime: 90 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: David Bickerstaff
In the spring of 2023, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam opened its doors to the largest Vermeer exhibition in history. This film offers you the chance to experience the once-in-a-lifetime exhibition on the big screen. With loans from across the world, this major retrospective will bring together all 28 of Vermeer’s most famous masterpieces including Girl with the Pearl Earring. This Exhibition on Screen film invites audiences to a privileged view of the exhibition, accompanied by the director of the Rijksmuseum and the curators of the show. Just who was this master of paint? The answer lies in the paintings and never before has there been a film that shows them in this much detail and with this much context.
You Hurt My Feelings
Show times: July 14 – Opening Night, July 16 at 2:30 p.m., July 19 at 5 p.m., July 21 at noon, July 23 at 5 p.m., July 26 at 7:30 p.m., July 28 at 2:30 p.m., Aug. 1 at 7:15 p.m., Aug. 3 at 5 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 93 minutes
Language: in English
Directed by: Nicole Holofcener
Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins
Featuring a scene stealing performance from Julia Louis-Dreyfus, You Hurt My Feelings follows a popular writer, and her husband, who share the kind of relationship that cannot be real: that is, they’re actually in love. Even after decades of marriage, their physical spark has somehow not diminished; in fact, they
seem to relish the opportunity to drive others mad with their love. But when she discovers that he has been untruthful to her about his opinion of her work for years – her world comes crashing down.
Has their whole relationship been one Big Fat Lie?