Farewell, Mao’s Last Dancer and The Elephant in the Living Room… plus special guests

Hello Everyone,

Many thanks to those of you who came out this past weekend to The 5th Annual Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Festival.  I saw many familiar faces – especially during STONEWALL UPRISING, UNDERTOW, and I KILLED MY MOTHER.  I hope you enjoyed the films.  This year’s festival was our most successful yet!  A special shout out and thanks to all the festival volunteers, too…I couldn’t handle the process without the hundreds of volunteer hours you committed to the festival.

All our current films will only play through Thursday (9/30).  On Friday, we open three new films – FAREWELL, MAO’S LAST DANCER and THE ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM.  (It’s quite possible that each of these films will only play for one week…so hurry down!)

Synopsis for FAREWELL: “In the vein of The Lives Of Others…FAREWELL is an espionage film about events that changed history. In 1981, Colonel Grigoriev (Kusturica) of the KGB, disenchanted with the Communist ideal, decides he is going to change the world. Discreetly, he makes contact with Pierre (Canet), a French engineer working in Moscow and passes on documents to him – mainly concerning the United States and France – containing information which would uncover the most important Soviet Cold War espionage operation known to date. During a period of two years, French President Francois Mitterrand and US President Ronald Reagan personally vetted the documents supplied by this source in Moscow, to whom the French Secret Service gave the codename Farewell.” (taken from imdb)

Synopsis for MAO’S LAST DANCER: “From Academy Award nominees Bruce Beresford (director, TENDER MERCIES, DRIVING MISS DAISY), comes the remarkable true story of ballet dancer Li Cunxin.  MAO’S LAST DANCER stars Chi Cao, a gifted dancer and principal at the Birmingham Royal Ballet making his impressive screen debut as Li.
The story begins when a young Li is taken from his peasant home by the Chinese government and chosen to study ballet in Beijing.  Separated from his family and enduring countless hours of practice, Li struggles to find his place in the new life he has been given.  Gaining confidence from a kind teacher’s encouraging guidance and a chance trip to America, Li finally discovers that his passion has always been dance.
MAO’S LAST DANCER weaves a moving tale about the quest for freedom and the courage it takes to live your own life.  The film poignantly captures the struggles, triumphs and the intoxicating effects of first love and celebrity amid the pain of exile.” (maoslastdancer-movie.com)

Synopsis for THE ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM: “The Elephant in the Living Room is an award winning documentary about the controversial world of raising the deadliest and most exotic animals on earth as common household pets.  The story follows the journey of two men at the heart of the issue.  One, Tim Harrison, an Ohio police officer whose mission is to protect exotic animals and the public, and the other, Terry Brumfield, a big-hearted man who struggles to keep two pet African lions that he loves like his own family.
Since its premiere in Dayton, Ohio earlier this year, the movie has been playing to sold out crowds all over the country. It has been selected by no less than fifteen film festivals from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles and winning three BEST DOCUMENTARY awards, including one from  Academy Award winning director Michael Moore who called the film ‘One of the scariest, most entertaining and technically perfect documentaries.'” (taken from press notes)
For Friday and Saturday’s 7:30 screening, director Michael Webber and Tim Harrison (subject of film) will attend and hold a Q&A after the film. Advanced tickets are already available at our box office.

Living City Film Fest is at it again!  This year, the festival will be a celebration of the career of Jeff Bridges.  Here’s the line-up:
THE BIG LEBOWSKI (sponsored by Dublin Pub) – Oct. 15, 16 at 10PM, Oct. 18 at 7PM
THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS (sponsored by Downtown Dayton Partnership) – Oct. 25 at 7PM
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (sponsored by Chisano Marketing) – Nov. 1 at 7PM
THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT (sponsored by Jeff Martin Florist) – Nov. 8 at 7PM
RANCHO DELUXE (sponsored by CityWide Development) – Nov. 15 at 7PM
Single tickets will be $8 each available before each show.  A festival pass (available soon) will be just $30 for all five screenings.

Until we find our next round of hits, movies will be coming and going quickly.  We hope to see you soon and often.

Take care,
Jonathan