15th Annual Boston Jewish Film Festival Schedule Announced!

15th Annual Boston Jewish Film Festival Schedule Announced!

November 6 – 16, 2003 marks the 15th Annual Boston Jewish Film Festival featuring the world’s best contemporary films on Jewish themes. Artistic Director Kaj Wilson and the BJFF staff has considered more than 600 films and, once again, has brought a dazzling array to Boston. Chlotrudis member, and BJFF Executive Director Sara Rubin for nearly seven years, does an amazing job presenting an outstanding festival each year, and this is no exception. From a Fiddler on the Roof sing-a-long at the Coolidge to Congressman Barney Frank’s introduction of the gay romance, Yossi and Jagger, audience members will find something for every taste.

There’s even another Chlotrudis Society connection. Check out the Shorts Program: East Side, West Side, All Around on Tuesday, November 11 at the Coolidge and meet the 2nd place winner of the Chlotrudis Best Short Film Category, David Zackin who will introduce his film Tunanooda. And that’s all just the tip of the iceberg. Visit the Boston Jewish Film Festival website for the complete schedule of films, information about tickets sales, and venues. This festival is quite possibly the best organized event in Boston. Don’t miss out!

Clink! Chlotrudis Society Member Appreciation Cocktail Party a Smashing Success!

On Saturday, September 27, the Chlotrudis Society’s founding Boston-chapter held a member-appreciation cocktail party in Cambridge. Board member Esm’reen (pictured left along with new member Robert Stanhope, and his friend David) hosted the party at her Harvard Square apartment. The fete was organized by Green, along with Chlotrudis Membership Committee Chair, Georgette Gagne, and Chlotrudis President, Michael Colford. A lively group of over 30 members and their friends enjoyed Cosmopolitans, Dark & Stormies, Manhattans, and Martinis while socializing, playing a terrific game of Chlotrudis bingo (created and run by the Coolidge Corner’s Clinton McClung) and doing a bit of fund-raising as well. Check out some terrific photos from the party here. The Chlotrudis Society would like to thank Chris Perry for his terrific bartending skills, Emily Neill’s Closet Smarts, The Charlesmark Hotel, the Brattle Theatre, the Coolidge Corner Theatre, the Landmark Theatre, Greenwood Wine & Spirits in Wakefield, MA, and the Chltorudis Board of Directors, for making this delightful event possible. We hope to do it again in the future. Hope you can join us!

Donnie Darko comes to a Cambridge stage

Many Chlotrudis members are fans of Richard Kelly’s film, DONNIE DARKO, which was nominated for four Chlotrudis Awards in 2003 (Best Movie, Director, Actor, and Original Screenplay.) The film went on to win Actor (Gyllenhaal) and Original Screenplay, but more notable was the number of presenters at the ceremony who cited the film as their favorite of the year. Now Boston-area fans of Kelly’s cult film have an opportunity to see a stage adaptation performed by the American Repertory Theatre Institute.

For those who don’t know, DONNIE DARKO is a science fiction, psychological thriller about a suburban teen coming face-to-face with his dark destiny. Donnie is a possibly delusional high school student visited by a demonic rabbit with eerie visions of the past and deadly predictions for the future. This stage adaptation of the film written by Richard Kelly is being directed for the Institute by Marcus Stern. Performances at the Zero Church Street performance space, corner of Church Street and Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard Square take place on October 3, 4, & 5.

The Institute is q two-year, five-semester professional training program that includes a three-month residency at the Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia. During the academic year, the actors and directors enrolled in the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training present a series of performances for the general public. Tickets cost $10; $8 for subscribers and $5 for students, and can be purchased in advance through the Loeb Drama Center box office at 617-547-8300.

4th Annual Short Film Fest Announces Call for Entries

The Chlotrudis 4th Annual Short Film Festival will take place in February 2004, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA. We are currently accepting films of all genres, under 30 minutes in length, for consideration. The Chlotrudis Short Film Screening Committee will review all submissions and select the nominees for the Best Short Film Award to be announced at our annual Awards Ceremony. The nominees will be screened at the Festival, where Chlotrudis members will vote for their choice of Best Short Film of the Year. In addition, an Audience Award will be given to the favorite of non-members. Check out the eligibility requirements and fill out our NEW on-line submission form at the Short Film Festival page.

Chlotrudis Society will miss John Ritter

The Chlotrudis Society was shocked and saddened to hear about John Ritter’s sudden death Thursday on the set of his sitcom, “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.” Of course we all remember Ritter so well from the ’70’s sitcom “Three’s Company,” with Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers. But surely Chlotrudis members will reserve a very special place for Ritter for his wonderful, nuanced portrayal of Vaughn Cunningham, a closeted gay man, in Sling Blade. Ritter earned a Chlotrudis Award nomination for that role. He also appeared in several other independent films, including Greg Araki’s Nowhere, the little seen Montana, with a fascinating cast including Kyra Sedgwick, Stanley Tucci, Robin Tunney, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Panic, with William H. Macy and Neve Campbell.

Most recently on the indie scene, Ritter appeared as Stanley Grubman in Tadpole. His intellectual academic played Tadpole’s father, whose new wife played by Sigrouney Weaver, is the object of his stepson’s crush. Chlotrudis members will have a couple more chances to see Ritter on the indie film scene. Manhood is a new film co-starring Janeane Garafalo, which premiered this year at the Sundance Film Festival, and just completed is Terry Zwigoff’s Bad Santa, which stars Billy Bob Thornton.

Thanks for making us laugh, and showing us your dramatic talents as well in independent film… we’ll miss you, John Ritter

Brattle Theatre and Chlotrudis Society Partnership a Real Eye-Opener

The Brattle Film Foundation, the non-profit corporation that runs the Brattle Theatre, and the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film, have joined together to launch an exciting new screening series with a distinctly independent and edgy attitude. This weekly Sunday morning event kicks-off on September 14 at 11:00 a.m.

Dubbed “The Sunday Eye-Opener” this series will feature independent and foreign films in an intimate environment that will encourage discussion. While classics that contribute to an understanding of independent film will occasionally be screened, most sessions will feature advance or sneak preview screenings. Each film will be screened at 11 am with a historical and/or cultural context provided by an intro from a Brattle staff person or Chlotrudis Board member. When available the theatre will be provided as a place for discussion after the film.

In addition to some of the latest independent releases coming to town, the Sunday Eye-Opener will feature cutting-edge films that are seeking distribution, as well as the work of local filmmakers who often seek a local screening. When possible, filmmakers will be invited to attend the screenings and participate in the discussions.

‘The Brattle Film Foundation and the Chlotrudis Society share an educational component to their mission statements, and this is an exciting way to create a forum for our members, ‘ says Ned Hinkle, Program Director for the Brattle Film Foundation. ‘We’re hoping that this is a series that can grow; a series where people will be able to sneak a peak at upcoming indie films well ahead of the pack. We think of this as a sort of semi-private, ongoing film festival.’

‘This will be a place to share knowledge and opinions,’ adds Chlotrudis President, Michael Colford, ‘We’re particularly excited about the prospect of screening some of the films that we see at festivals that never make it into a regular distribution network and hope that we will be able to form some real, ongoing bonds with emerging filmmakers.’

The Sunday Eye-Opener is a subscription-based series and will be broken up over the year into several 10 – 12 week ‘semesters.’ The cost of each semester will be $50 for the general public, $25 for Brattle members, $15 for Chlotrudis members and FREE for those who are members of both organizations. Subscriptions may be purchased anytime during the run of the semester, but only at the prices listed above.

This is a huge perk for Chlotrudis members, who will be potentially screening 12 preview films for a mere $15.00. That alone is worth the cost of a Chlotrudis membership. Even better is the deal for members of both organizations, who can attend the series for free. Take a look at the Chloturdis membership page, and visit the Brattle Film Foundation homepage to find out how to become a member of these organizations.

To enroll, interested individuals may simply e-mail ned@brattlefilm.org or call 617.876.6838. Once subscribed, participants will receive a weekly e-mail notification letting them know the title of the week’s upcoming screening. Only subscribers will receive this information. Occassionally, depending on the nature of the film being screened, an individual screening may be opened to day-of-sale tickets, but subscribers will always have a seat set-aside for them. More information is available at the Brattle Theatre website.

Chlotrudis invades Rochester, New York for High Falls Film Festival

Several Boston-area members of the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film will be heading to Rochester, NY this November to take part in the High Falls Film Festival. Two Rochester members of Chlotrudis are very involved with High Falls, and Chlotrudis has been represented at each of their two previous festivals. The High Falls Film Festival honors women behind the camera, in a multitude of roles. The festival runs from November 5 – 9, with Chltorudis members heading out on the morning of the 6th. Any members who’d like to join in the fun and take part in this expedition to upstate New York, contact Michael Colford at colford@chlotrudis.org.

Website Re-Design Complete!

If you’re reading this, then you have probably noticed a difference in the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film’s website. In an effort to streamline navigation, and to make the site more visually dramatic, without being cluttered, your Society President has been working closely with his graphic design team, B5C Studios, and the Technology Coordinator. We’re very interested to hear what you think of the re-design. Take a look around, then e-mail us at website@chlotrudis.org and let us know what you think!

Chlotrudis Reviews Updated for 2003 Films!

The reviews page is frequently
updated with the latest reviews on the newest films by Chlotrudis
Awards
Nominating Committee members. Find out what Chlotrudis Awards Nominating
Committee members think about currently and soon-to-be released
films
such as THE
SECRET LIVES OF DENTISTS
, SWIMMING
POOL
, DIRTY
PRETTY THINGS
, KM.
0
, WHALE
RIDER
, THE
TRIP
, LILJA
4-EVER
, TEN,
28
DAYS LATER
, and I
CAPTURE THE CASTLE
! If you’re
looking for a recommended video rental, check out our 2002
and 2001 reviews and
see what we liked last year! Stop by our Top
10’s page
as well and see what movies made individual Nominating
Committee members’ top lists of 2002.