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Author Archive | Alex Kamody

Holiday Film Series: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

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This event will be held at The Ridges Auditorium on Saturday, December 23rd at 5:00 p.m.

About the film

Frank Capra’s classic stars the great James Stewart as George Bailey, the eternally-in-debt manager of his late father’s bank in the typical American small town of Bedford Falls. Long considering himself a failure and now facing financial ruin, George concludes that his life is not worth living when an angel sent from Heaven arrives to show him how life would be in Bedford Falls if he never existed.

About the series

Athena Cinema, Arts for Ohio, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Athens Uptown Business Association present the 11th annual Holiday Film Series & Canned Food Drive!

As is tradition, admission to all Holiday Film Series showings is either a non-perishable food or cash donation supporting Athens Food Pantries. Tickets are available starting now, both in-person and online! Online purchases have the option for a cash donation.

Click here to view the other films coming to this year’s Holiday Film Series.

 

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Running Time: 130 MIN130 MIN
PG Rated
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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The Met: Live in HD: Verdi’s NABUCCO

Ancient Babylon comes to life in a classic Met staging of biblical proportions. Baritone George Gagnidze makes his Met role debut as the imperious king Nabucco, alongside soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska reprising her thrilling turn as his vengeful daughter Abigaille. Mezzo-soprano Maria Barakova and tenor SeokJong Baek are Fenena and Ismaele, whose love transcends politics, and bass Dmitry Belosselskiy repeats his celebrated portrayal of the high priest Zaccaria. Daniele Callegari conducts Verdi’s exhilarating early masterpiece, which features the ultimate showcase for the great Met Chorus, the moving “Va, pensiero.”

Due to the current repairs going on at the Athena Cinema, this program will be presented as a pre-recorded encore at the Ridges Auditorium. This screening starts at 12:55pm and is estimated to end at 4:01pm.

Admission $20 (senior $18, children $8)

OHIO Student: Free

Thanks to Arts for OHIO, we are able to offer a limited number of FREE student tickets available on first-come, first-serve basis. Must have valid student I.D.

Click here to view the rest of the Met: Live in HD schedule.

Special thanks to George Weckman and the following supporters:

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Running Time: 186 MIN186 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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A TRIP TO THE ATHENA: Paint & Sip

Calling all cinephiles and dreamers!

Join us for a movie-themed Paint & Sip event inspired by Méliès’ iconic 1902 silent film A TRIP TO THE MOON. Register for this two-hour paint lesson and bring home your own 16×20 A TRIP TO THE MOON inspired painting.

Taught by Graduate Art Student, Brooke Ripley. Brooke will lead a 2 hour course using acrylics and exploring the technique of glazing to reflect the style of film colorization explored in early film. Brooke Ripley is a multimedia artist who works with speculative fiction to represent the experience of the climate crisis. She received her BFA in Fine Arts from the Columbus College of Art and Design, with minors in Art History and Social Practice, and is currently a third-year MFA candidate at Ohio University in the Painting and Drawing Department. Visit her website here.

“Laugh, my friends. Laugh with me, laugh for me, because I dream your dreams.”-George Méliès

We have very limited availability for our first class, so register today!  

SOLD OUT: Saturday, January 20th at 5:00 p.m.

SOLD OUT: Sunday, January 21st at 1:00 p.m.

 

 

Paintings will make a great holiday gift!

Registration for the course is $30.00 and includes all supplies for your 16×20 painting.

Or opt for one of our inclusive package:

$40—includes all supplies and 2 drinks of your choice (we offer a limited menu of beer, wine and seltzers, plus we will have mimosas)!

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Heroes In Color: BLACK PANTHER

Watch Trailer Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman
Awards: Oscar for Best Picture

About the film

T’Challa, prince of the hidden nation of Wakanda, must return to his homeland in the wake of his father’s death to assume the throne and take up the mantle of the “Black Panther”. Killmonger, a rival from another tribe, also returns, seeking to take the throne for himself and reveal Wakanda’s advanced technological secrets to the world at-large.

Starring the late-great Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan, BLACK PANTHER won three Academy Awards and was the first superhero film to win an Oscar for Best Picture. It is the unquestionable jewel in the crown of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Each show will feature added content such as trivia, introductions, raffles, themed drinks and more!

Seating and pre-show activities at 7:00 p.m., film start time 7:30 p.m.

About the series

The mission of this film series is to synergize education and entertainment, creating a unique experience for our community. At the heart of the Heroes in Color film series lies a commitment to celebrate voices and stories of people of color that have traditionally been marginalized within popular culture. By showcasing a kaleidoscope of cinematic heroes who reflect the spectrum of human stories, backgrounds, and aspirations, we strive to redefine heroism, proving that anyone, regardless of their origin, can rise to greatness.

Click here to view the other films coming to this year’s Heroes In Color series.

Sponsored by Ohio University Division of Diversity & Inclusion, Multicultural Center, Black Student Cultural Programming Board, Division of Student Affairs, Office of Global Affairs, Ohio Men of Excellence Network and Ohio Arts Council

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Running Time: 134 MINS134 MIN
PG-13 Rated
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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Classics & Cocktails: FARGO

Watch Trailer Director: The Coen Brothers
Cast: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi

Classics & Cocktails is back!! Kicking off our third installment of our popular Classics & Cocktails series, join us on Friday, February 2nd at 7pm for the classic Coen Brothers film FARGO. Our featured cocktail is a Wood Chip Bloody, made with West End Ciderhouse house bloody mix, charred wood infused vodka, Eleven Square Garlic & Peppercorn Vodka and garnished with pickled veggies.

Admission is $8. Drink prices vary.

About the Film

Welcome to Fargo, where sinister acts pile up like snowdrifts along the empty, blizzard-blown northern highways. Joel and Ethan Coen deliver an exceptional and highly original modern-day film noir starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, and Peter Stormare.

When a car salesman (Macy) devises a seemingly harmless plot to kidnap his own wife and extort money from his wealthy father-in-law, things go awry and continue to snowball towards a chilling conclusion. Meanwhile, a local law enforcement officer (McDormand) tries to piece together the puzzling imperfect crime before her coffee gets cold.

Along with the specialty cocktail, we will have a full menu of wine, local beer and local ciders.

Click here to view the rest of the films in this series.

 

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Running Time: 98 MIN98 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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Sibs Weekend: THE BOY AND THE HERON (English Dubbed)

Watch Trailer Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writer(s): Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Voices by: Robert Pattinson, Karen Fukuhara, Gemma Chan, Christian Bale, Mark Hamill, Florence Pugh, Willem Dafoe, Dave Bautista

The Athena is excited to present the THE BOY AND THE HERON for Sibs Weekend 2024!

About the film

Set during WWII, THE BOY AND THE HERON tells the story of Mahito Maki, a young boy who loses his mother and is evacuated with his father from the city to the country to escape the ravages of war. Mahito, burdened by grief and struggling to adjust to his new surroundings, finds himself pestered by a grey heron. While pursuing the bird, Mahito is led to a strange stone tower where he discovers that the structure and the bird are gateways to a world beyond his imagination.

Having announced retirement almost a decade ago, Hayao Miyazaki instead persevered and began storyboarding THE BOY AND THE HERON in 2016 — it seemed that he had one final, fantastic story to tell. In production for nearly seven years and, allegedly, the most expensive film ever made in Japan, Miyazaki’s latest (and last) film has been hailed by critics as a masterpiece of animation filled with characters and themes that exemplify the breadth of Miyazaki’s illustrious career as one of the greatest animators and storytellers in the entertainment industry.

 

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Running Time: 124 MIN124 MIN
Closed Captioning is available for this film. Listening Aids are available for this film. Descriptive Aids are available for this film. This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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Heroes In Color: BLADE

Watch Trailer Cast: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff

About the film

Say hello to Blade. He’s equal parts human and vampire, with all the supernatural attributes of his blood-thirsty brethren but with none of their vulnerabilities. This makes him the ultimate vampire hunter! It’s a good thing too, because Los Angeles is set to become ground zero for the onset of war between the fanged and the un-fanged. But, there’s in-fighting within the ranks of the blood-suckers between elders and fledglings, giving Blade the opportunity he needs to put a stop to the nefarious plans of the council of pure-blood vampires.

The film that launched the Marvel MCU franchise, BLADE is a superhero film that will surely get your blood to rise!

Each show will feature added content such as trivia, introductions, raffles, themed drinks and more!

Seating and pre-show activities at 7:00 p.m., film start time 7:30 p.m.

About the series

The mission of this film series is to synergize education and entertainment, creating a unique experience for our community. At the heart of the Heroes in Color film series lies a commitment to celebrate voices and stories of people of color that have traditionally been marginalized within popular culture. By showcasing a kaleidoscope of cinematic heroes who reflect the spectrum of human stories, backgrounds, and aspirations, we strive to redefine heroism, proving that anyone, regardless of their origin, can rise to greatness.

Click here to view the other films coming to this year’s Heroes In Color series.

Sponsored by Ohio University Division of Diversity & Inclusion, Multicultural Center, Black Student Cultural Programming Board, Division of Student Affairs, Office of Global Affairs, Ohio Men of Excellence Network and Ohio Arts Council

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Running Time: 120 MIN120 MIN
R Rated
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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From the Hills and Hollers: KING COAL with Elaine McMillion Sheldon

Watch Trailer Director: Elaine McMillion Sheldon
Writer(s): Shane Boris, Heather Hannah, Logan Hill

About the film

A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, KING COAL meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon reshapes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking in a spectacularly beautiful and deeply moving immersion into Central Appalachia where coal is not just a resource, but a way of life.

While deeply situated in the communities under the reign of King Coal, where McMillion Sheldon has lived and worked her entire life, the film transcends time and place, emphasizing the ways in which all are connected through an immersive mosaic of belonging, ritual, and imagination. Emerging from the long shadows of the coal mines, KING COAL untangles the pain from the beauty, and illuminates the innately human capacity for change. Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon will be at this event to introduce the film.

About the director/speaker

Elaine McMillion Sheldon (Director / Producer / Co-Editor) is an Academy Award-nominated, and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker. Sheldon is the director of two Netflix Original Documentaries – HEROIN(E) and RECOVERY BOYS – that explore America’s opioid crisis. She has been named a Creative Capital Awardee, Guggenheim Fellow, a USA Fellow by United States Artists, and one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” by Filmmaker Magazine. Her latest film, KING COAL, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

McMillion Sheldon was raised in West Virginia and lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.

About the series

Due to the resounding success of the series launch during 2022-2023, we are thrilled to present the 2nd annual From the Hills and Hollers: Appalachian Film Series for 2023-2024.

The series seeks to foster a deeper connection between the Athens city and university communities and the cultural legacy of the surrounding region through films that examine the many facets, both positive and negative, of life in Appalachia. This batch of films is, in large part, the product of filmmakers who have intimate knowledge of living in this environment and, as a result, are well-suited for representing the realities of Appalachia on the big screen.

Short introduction/lectures will provide context for the film and introduce the underlying issues represented in film and other media. All events in the series are presented with free admission.

This screening will take place at the Athena Cinema located at 20 S. Court St.

This series is sponsored by the College of Health Sciences and Professions, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences, OHIO Honors Program, Center for Campus and Community Engagement, Athens County Public Libraries, University Libraries, GO Local, University College, the Center for Law, Justice, and Culture, and the Ohio Arts Council.

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Running Time: 80 MIN80 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Unfolds as a series of lyrical, poetic ruminations read by Sheldon in her own voice.

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Classics & Cocktails: MIDNIGHT COWBOY

Watch Trailer Director: John Schlesinger
Writer(s): Waldo Salt
Cast: Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman
Awards: Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay

Join us on Friday, February 9th at 7pm for a wild cinematic ride – MIDNIGHT COWBOY! Prowl the streets of old New York while you sip on our specialty cocktail — the Kentucky Buck, made with West End Distillery Spiced Bourbon, lemon, sugar, ginger, Angostura bitters, seltzer.

Admission is $8. Drink prices vary.

About the Film

When young Joe Buck decides to leave Texas (and his inhibitions) behind, he heads east to the Big Apple with plans to make his way in the world as a gigolo. However, his naiveté is soon evident as he learns what it means for “the hustler to get hustled”. Things start looking up, however, when he meets the nearly-homeless con man “Ratso” Rizzo who takes Joe under his wing and shows him the big city ropes. The two form a bond and do their best to survive the tough streets of 1960s New York.

John Schlesinger’s classic 1969 film is considered to be one of the best films in cinema history. The on-screen chemistry between stars Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman is undeniable, and the two deliver timeless performances that are still studied and discussed half-a-century later.

Along with the specialty cocktail, we will have a full menu of wine, local beer and local ciders.

Click here to view the rest of the films in this series.

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Running Time: 113 MINS113 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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The Met: Live in HD: Bizet’s CARMEN

Acclaimed English director Carrie Cracknell brings a vital new production of one of opera’s most enduringly powerful works, reinvigorating the classic story with a staging that moves the action to the modern day and finds at the heart of the drama issues that could not be more relevant today: gendered violence, abusive labor structures, and the desire to break through societal boundaries. Dazzling young mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina leads a powerhouse quartet of stars in the complex and volatile title role, alongside tenor Piotr Beczała as Carmen’s troubled lover Don José, soprano Angel Blue as the loyal Micaëla, and bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen as the swaggering Escamillo. Daniele Rustioni conducts Bizet’s heart-pounding score.

Due to the current repairs going on at the Athena Cinema, this program will be presented as a pre-recorded encore at the Ridges Auditorium. This screening starts at 12:55pm and is estimated to end at 4:39pm.

Admission $20 (senior $18, children $8)

OHIO Student: Free

Thanks to Arts for OHIO, we are able to offer a limited number of FREE student tickets available on first-come, first-serve basis. Must have valid student I.D.

Click here to view the rest of the Met: Live in HD schedule.

Special thanks to George Weckman and the following supporters:

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Running Time: 224 MIN224 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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