big lens film festival

Hello Everyone!

We have to keep moving along at THE NEON! If you still need to see ISLE OF DOGS or YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE, Thursday will be you last chance to catch them with us. On Friday, we will open acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh’s lovely new film – LEAN ON PETE. TULLY will stick around for one more week.

Synopsis for LEAN ON PETE: ONE WEEK ONLY! “From acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh (WEEKEND and 45 YEARS), and based on the beloved novel by Willy Vlautin, comes LEAN ON PETE – a deeply moving story about love, loneliness, family, and friendship, told through the unique prism of one boy’s connection to a very special racehorse. Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer) arrives in Portland, Oregon with his single father Ray (Travis Fimmel), both of them eager for a fresh start after a series of hard knocks. While Ray descends into personal turmoil, Charley finds acceptance and camaraderie at a local racetrack where he lands a job caring for an aging Quarter Horse named Lean On Pete. The horse’s gruff owner Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi) and his seasoned jockey Bonnie (Chloe Sevigny) help Charley fill the void of his father’s absence – until he discovers that Pete is bound for slaughter, prompting him to take extreme measures to spare his new friend’s life.” Click on this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

The Dayton Jewish Film Festival is down to its last film for this year…and it has already SOLD OUT! But there’s good news if you haven’t purchased your ticket yet. An encore screening of SAMMY DAVIS JR: I’VE GOT TO BE ME has been scheduled for Thursday, May 24 at 7:30. Brochures are available in our lobby, and you can find out more about the films (as well as details about tickets) on the festival’s OFFICIAL SITE.

 

After two successful special screenings, WE’RE DOING FINE is coming back for one more show this Saturday. Audiences loved seeing Dayton all aglow on the big screen, and we’ve had several requests to play the film one more time during the day. So we’ve added a screening – you’ll have one more chance to catch it at THE NEON. We will screen WE’RE DOING FINE on Saturday, May 12 at Noon, and tickets are just $7.50 each. Tickets for this encore screening are only available in-person at THE NEON’s Box Office!

“It’s now official: Big things come in small, un-hyped packages. LIVES WELL LIVED, the inspiring film about women and men aged 75-100 who have more energy, creativity and optimism than any superhero, just rolled over the results for recent Oscar winners in its theatrical premiere. LIVES WELL LIVED celebrates the incredible wit, wisdom and experiences of adults aged 75 to 100. Through their intimate memories and inspiring personal histories encompassing over 3000 years of experience, forty people share their secrets and insights to living a meaningful life. These men and women open the vault on their journey into old age through family histories, personal triumph and tragedies, loves and losses – seeing the best and worst of humanity along the way. Their stories will make you laugh, perhaps cry, but mostly inspire you.” (Shadow Distribution) Director Sky Bergman will be here for this special one-time screening on Sunday, May 13 at 3:00. Tickets, just $7.50, are now available at THE NEON’s box office. Tickets are selling quickly. Get yours early!

“LUNAFEST returns to Dayton for the 9th year, bringing nine new short films by, for and about women from around the world. This year’s unique films range from animation to fictional drama, covering topics such as women’s health, body image, relationships, cultural diversity and breaking barriers. From the comedy of a young Indian-American woman who wants to follow her dreams to the harrowing first-person account of a young girl’s escape from Boko Haram, each story will inspire and enlighten. All proceeds from LUNAFEST will go to the Ohio Domestic Violence Network and to Chicken & Egg Pictures, a nonprofit organization that supports women nonfiction filmmakers whose artful and innovative storytelling catalyzes social change. The festival is sponsored locally by Dayton Women’s Rights Alliance. Tickets are $10.00 ($5.00 students) with donations over this amount gratefully accepted. Tickets can be purchased in advance for this popular one-time showing which sold out last year.” (Dayton Women’s Rights Alliance) Tickets available now at THE NEON’s Box Office or via this LINK. LUNAFEST will screen on Sunday, May 20 at 3:00.

On Thursday, May 17 at 7:30, Mike Shea is bringing his latest film to THE NEON. “MONARCH is a neo-noir mystery short about a detective trying to make sense of the drug dealing underworld of a small mid-western city. This film was shot all around Dayton, OH’s legendary Oregon District. The cast is comprised entirely of comedians from the Dayton area starring in almost exclusively dramatic roles. The story itself is based on writer/director Michael Shea’s 2017 docu-drama THE CROSS AT THE GEM. This film was submitted (in a condensed 5-minute cut) to the 2018 Lander University 2WK Film Festival in Greenwood, SC. At this special one-night event, the audience will be treated to an opening performance from some of the cast and crew, a screening of the original 2017 film THE CROSS AT THE GEM as well as the premiere of the full director’s cut version of the film MONARCH. The premiere will close with a Q&A session with the whole cast and crew. Tickets are $5 and are available at THE NEON box office. Fans can also qualify for fun rewards and prizes by supporting the film’s GoFundMe campaign at this official site LINK.”

“On Wednesday May 23, Jewish Family Services of Greater Dayton and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will host a screening of the film NEWTOWN. This documentary chronicles the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history: a shooting that took the lives of 20 elementary children and 6 educators in Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012. Now in the wake of the Parkland shooting and the many others that pass by us in the media, it is critical that we keep the conversation going. For every community – for the Dayton community – how do we keep our children safe? Please join the community on hand to watch the movie, listen to reflections by the film’s director, Kim Snyder, and take part in a panel discussion to explore safety strategies for our communities.” Admission is Free, and tickets will be given on a first come, first served basis the night of the screening.

“The student filmmakers of Wright State University’s award-winning Motion Pictures Program will premiere their new thesis films at the 2018 BIG LENS FILM FESTIVAL at THE NEON on May 27. This year’s films dive into a number of contemporary issues and themes, including coming of age stories, cyberbullying, severed familial relationships, racial tensions, aging, conquering fears and more. Short films from Wright State’s Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures have screened at top film festivals, including Sundance, and been Student Academy Award Nominees. This year’s festival will have two scheduled screenings of the films. The first screening starts at 5:30pm and the second will begin at 8pm, both ending with Q&A with the directors of the films.” Tickets are available now for $10 at THE NEON’s box office. For more information about the films, cast and crew, please click on this LINK.

On Wednesday, May 30 at 7:30, we will have a special, customer appreciation screening of a truly special film. BARAKA is a film that played at an older incarnation of THE NEON before I took over management more than 17 years ago. “Featuring no conventional narrative, this film presents footage of people, places and things from around the world. From chaotic cities to barren wilderness, the movie takes viewers around the globe to witness a variety of spectacles in both natural and technological realms.” (google) You won’t want to miss your chance to see this astonishing film on the big screen. Tickets will be free and given on a first come, first served basis. We will begin giving out tickets at 6:30 on May 30 – one ticket per customer.

In the coming weeks, we will have some very special documentaries that I think will be loved by so many of you. First off is RBG – a film about a living legend and icon, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This film is set to open on the evening of May 17 (showtime below). Later in June, we’ll have WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? – a fantastic documentary about PBS’s Mister Rogers – a true humanitarian and American treasure. Because we think you’ll embrace these films so much, we have assembled a bit a merchandise that ties in with each film. These little gift items will be perfect for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, or just to treat yourself. Be sure to check out our display case next time you’re in.

Thank you for your continued support!
We hope to see you this weekend,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Wednesday, May 9 – Thursday, May 17:

ISLE OF DOGS (PG-13) 1 hr 41 Min
Wednesday & Thursday (May 9-10): 5:15
FINAL DAY – May 10!

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE (R) 1 Hr 29 Min
Wednesday (May 9): 3:10, 7:30
Thursday (May 10): 3:10
FINAL DAY – May 10!

TULLY (R) 1 Hr 36 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (May 7-10): 3:00, 5:20, 7:40
Friday (May 11): 12:30, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20, 9:45
Saturday (May 12): 2:40, 5:00, 7:20, 9:45
Sunday (May 13): 12:30, 5:15, 7:30
Monday-Wednesday (May 14-16): 3:00, 5:20, 7:40
Thursday (May 17): 3:00, 5:20
FINAL DAY – May 17!

LEAN ON PETE (R) 2 Hrs 1 Min
Friday & Saturday (May 11 & 12): 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30
Sunday (May 13): 1:00, 4:00, 7:00
Monday-Wednesday (May 14-16): 2:45, 5:15, 7:45
Thursday (May 17): 2:45, 5:15
FINAL DAY – May 17!

WE’RE DOING FINE (NR) 1 Hr 26 Min
Saturday (May 12): Noon

LIVES WELL LIVED (NR) 1 Hr 12 Min + Q&A
Sunday (May 13): 3:00

MONARCH (NR) new film, short + pre-show
Thursday (May 17): 7:30

RBG (PG) 1 Hr 37 Min
Thursday (May 17) – Preview Screening – 7:45

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
May 18 – DISOBEDIENCE
June 1 – POPE FRANCIS: A MAN OF HIS WORD
June 29 – WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?
TBD – FOXTROT
TBD – FINAL PORTRAIT