Theater Temporarily Closed —
Virtual Screening Rooms Open
On Friday, March 13, 2020, the Film Society of Summit closed its doors due to Covid-19
Until we can be together again, we have opened a virtual cinema for you, accessible through this website.
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New To Our Virtual Cinema
OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE by Ric Burns
A moving tribute to Oliver Sacks, M.D. who, for decades, captured the imagination of the public with his eloquently written case studies of cognitive disorders yet remained private for much of his own life, specifically about his struggles growing up gay in the repressive England of the 1950s.
Winner: Hamptons Audiemce Award: Official Selection: NYFF, Telluride
RBG documentary
At the age of 85, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has developed a lengthy legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon. But the unique personal journey of her rise to the nation's highest court has been largely unknown, even to some of her biggest fans – until now. RBG explores Ginsburg's life and career.
The Gates
Directed by by Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Antonio Ferrera, Matthew Prinzing
Join our virtual discussion with curator Mary Birmingham of the Visual Arts Center of NJ and Linda Blumberg of the Central Park Conservancy, Friday Oct. 2nd at 1 pm
The Gates chronicles the 25-year battle by Christo (1935-2020) and Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009) to get a public showcase for their work. In February 2005, New York City's Central Park was adorned with 7,503 gates made from steel frames and a saffron-colored nylon fabric. This documentary chronicles the work that went into the controversial, once-in-a-lifetime installation by world-renowned artist Christo and his wife, Jeanne-Claude. The pair must overcome various municipal and political hurdles. Once completed, the installation elicits a full range of reactions from the city's celebrities and non-famous residents.
Watch the film at your leisure prior to our virtual discussion of The Gates on Oct. 2nd at 1 pm.
WE ARE MANY
The never-before-told story of the largest demonstration in human history, and how the movement created by a small band of activists changed the world. On February 15th, 2003, up to 30 million people, many of whom had never demonstrated before, came out in nearly 800 cities around the world to protest against the impending Iraq War. WE ARE MANY is the never-before-told story of the largest demonstration in human history, and how the movement created by a small band of activists changed the world. This fearless, thought-provoking documentary is the remarkable inside story behind the first ever global demonstration, and its surprising and unreported legacy. Featuring interviews with Noam Chomsky, Ron Kovic, Mark Rylance, John le Carre and Danny Glover.
OPEN AIR CINEMA
JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE
Open Air Screening on the Summit Green
Monday, Oct. 19 at 7 pm
Discussion to Follow
Using interviews and rare archival footage, JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE chronicles Lewis' 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform and immigration.
Tickets $15
Playing in Our Virtual Cinema
JIMMY CARTER: ROCK & ROLL PRESIDENT (documentary)
JIMMY CARTER, ROCK & ROLL PRESIDENT charts the mostly forgotten story of how Carter, a lover of all types of music, forged a tight bond with musicians Willie Nelson, the Allman Brothers, Bob Dylan and others. Low on campaign funds and lacking in name recognition, Carter relied on support from these artists to give him a crucial boost in the Democratic primaries. Once Carter was elected, the musicians became frequent guests in the White House. The surprisingly significant role that music played throughout Carter’s life and in his work becomes a thread in this engaging portrait of one of the most enigmatic Presidents in American history.
Selected as the Opening Night Film of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, JIMMY CARTER, ROCK & ROLL PRESIDENT is filled with illuminating new interviews.
$10 per household
Bert Stern's JAZZ ON A SUMMER'S DAY
Filmed at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island and directed by world-renowned photographer Bert Stern, Jazz on a Summer's Day features intimate performances by an all-star lineup of musical legends including Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan, Anita O'Day, Chuck Berry, and Dinah Washington, and closes with a beautiful rendition of The Lord's Prayer by Mahalia Jackson at midnight to usher in Sunday morning. The film has been beautifully and extensively restored in 4K from the best surviving vault elements by IndieCollect. Also featuring Dinah Washington, Big Maybelle, Sonny Sitt and many others.
DESERT ONE
Dir. Barbara Kopple | USA | 2020 | 107min | NR
In English and Farsi with English subtitles
Two-time Oscar-winner Barbara Kopple (HARLAN COUNTY USA) re-examines the story of Americans taken hostage by Iranian revolutionaries in 1979. Focusing on a rescue mission, the film plays like a thriller.
“One of the most skillful, detail-oriented filmmakers in the world… the most impressive assembly of key players in a historical documentary since Ken Burns’ THE VIETNAM WAR series…a treat for history buffs and the definitive film about Operation Eagle Claw.” —Musanna Ahmed, Film Inquiry
$10 per household
Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful
Dir. Gero von Boehm | Germany | 2020 | 89 min. | NR
In English, French and German with English subtitlesInterpreting the most traumatic political and cultural shift in German history, Helmut Newton established his controversial photographic legacy channeling imagery from his Jewish family’s prosperous Weimar past—and an adolescence marked by the Third Reich—into a highly subversive portfolio dominated by bold women lingering in the shadows of Helmut's motherland.
$12 per household
Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind
An exploration into the career, music and influence of the iconic musician, this intimate documentary follows Gordon Lightfoot’s evolution from choirboy in rural Canada to troubled troubadour to international star.
$10 per household
The Tobacconist
Based on the international bestseller by Robert Seethaler. A tender, heart-breaking story about one young man and his friendship with Sigmund Freud during the Nazi occupation of Vienna.
$10 per household
VINYL NATION
The vinyl record renaissance over the past decade has brought new fans to a classic format and transformed our idea of a record collector: younger, both male and female, multicultural. This same revival has made buying music more expensive, benefited established bands over independent artists and muddled the question of whether vinyl actually sounds better than other formats.
Salutogenic Series: Film, Food and Nutrition
To advance the health and well-being of our patrons, the Film Society of Summit is launching a Salutogenic Series that combines a featured film in our Virtual Screening Room with presentations about food and nutrition. Nutrition offers benefits to health and well-being including support for the immune system. Participants will acquire the knowledge to select health-promoting foods while experiencing the cuisine of various cultures.
Each discussion is $10, $5 for Starter Members and Free for Single and Dual Members.
Fantastic Fungi
Fantastic Fungi is all about our interconnectedness and the common issues that we face as a species. We know that our biggest defense from these viruses is our own sense of wellbeing, our own immunity and the ability to live from a place of health and wellness both individually and collectively.
Directed by Louie Schwartzberg, this is a consciousness-shifting film that takes us on an immersive journey through time and scale into the magical earth beneath our feet, an underground network that can heal and save our planet’s most pressing environmental and global challenges.
Your rental helps support the Film Society of Summit.
$4.99 per household
Support the Film Society of Summit, and ensure its future as a valuable, nonprofit community resource—the home of independent film and discussion for the Summit community.
Your 100% tax deductible contribution will help cover our operating costs and ensure that we can continue to bring powerful films & filmmakers to our area.
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