BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – IU Cinema’s spring season will kick off with a series of virtual events celebrating the 10th anniversary of its first public screening. Since the cinema opened with a showing of “Lawrence of Arabia” in 2011, it has developed a national reputation for its innovative, unique and collaborative programming. Its transformative programming has continued, despite a worldwide pandemic.
“This past year has forced IU Cinema to be more nimble and innovative than ever before, as the pandemic forced us to close our doors and quickly move our world-class programming online,” interim director Brittany D. Friesner said. “While we’ve had to stay apart physically, the cinematic experiences we’ve offered virtually have helped our community stay connected. We’re excited to continue giving people the opportunity to hear from visionary filmmakers this semester, while continuing collaborations with several programming partners across campus.”
The cinema will kick off a series of screenings celebrating its 10th anniversary with a virtual screening at 7 p.m. Jan. 13 of a new IU Cinema video essay featuring images and quotes from filmmakers who’ve visited over the past decade. The free, ticketed event will include a conversation with IU Cinema staff sharing their favorite memories. Founding Director Emeritus Jon Vickers and Friesner will also read an excerpt from their forthcoming book, “Indiana University Cinema: The New Model.”
The celebration will continue through the semester with the “10 Years. 10 Films. 10 Perspectives.” series, which features 10 films from the cinema’s past decade in programming. The series will run through March 31, and each film will be offered for two weeks on a first-come, first-served basis. Information on how to access the films will be shared exclusively through IU Cinema’s weekly email.
The spring season will also feature several other films series:
- The Jorgensen Guest Filmmaker Series, supported by the Ove W Jorgensen Foundation, will host virtual events with independent filmmaker Nina Menkes on Feb. 4 and 11, in partnership with the Writers Guild at Bloomington, and South Korean director Kim Seong-hun on Feb. 23 and Feb. 25, in collaboration with the Institute for Korean Studies.
- The World of Wong Kar Wai series, celebrating seven of the director’s films, will continue through Jan. 20. The series features seven films, including six new 4K restorations and one HD remaster. This program is offered by Janus Films.
- IU President Michael A. McRobbie selects films each semester that represent masterworks of cinematic art. The President’s Choice Film Series: Fellini at 100 will focus on Oscar-nominated filmmaker Federico Fellini and kicks off with a screening of “8½” at 7 p.m. Feb. 18.
- The Staff Selects series features screenings curated by IU Cinema’s nonprogramming staff. The first of the semester is “Les Enfants du Paradis” at 7 p.m. Jan. 26. A screening of “Womanhouse” at 7 p.m. March 2 will include an interactive discussion featuring IU artists and experts from the Wylie House Museum.
- Key masterworks of 20th-century filmmakers are featured in the City Lights Film Series, a partnership with The Media School that is curated by graduate students and supported by the cinema’s Creative Collaborations program. The first film of the year will be “Elevator to the Gallows” at 7 p.m. Jan. 21, followed by “Room at the Top” at 7 p.m. March 23.
- The Underground Film Series is another collaboration with The Media School that’s curated by graduate students. It explores film through the unique vision of noncommercial or otherwise marginalized filmmakers. A 7 p.m. Jan. 28 screening of “Two Moon July” starts the spring series. “Invisible Adversaries” is available through the virtual screening room at 7 p.m. March 9.
- In partnership with the IU Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, IU Cinema will continue hosting Art and a Movie, which features film screenings followed by virtual discussions with museum experts and special guests. The first is “Alice Rahon, l’abeille noire” at 7 p.m. Feb. 9. “Queen of Hearts: Audrey Flack” will be shown at 7 p.m. March 11 and feature an interactive discussion with artist Audrey Flack and director Deborah Shaffer.
- ”IU 2020” follows the lives of students from IU Bloomington’s class of 2020 for four years. The final two parts of the series will be shown in the spring and feature discussions with students featured in the documentary. IU 2020: Part 3 will be screened at 7 p.m. May 11 and Part 4 at 7 p.m. May 25.
- Double Exposure at 7 p.m. April 9 will feature a world premiere of new, short films created by student filmmakers from The Media School accompanied by new orchestral scores written by student composers and performed by student musicians from the Jacobs School of Music.
- In partnership with the Jacobs School, the world-premiere orchestral score will be presented for the 1925 film “Grass: A Nation’s Battle for Life” at 7 p.m. April 17. The score was commissioned through the Jon Vickers Film Scoring Award, which selected Patrick Holcomb to create an orchestral score for the film. The annual award is endowed by a gift from former IU trustee P.A. Mack Jr. and given each year to a student from the Jacobs School’s composition department.
For additional information on these IU Cinema spring virtual screenings and more, visit the IU Cinema website.
