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
RADIUM GIRLS by Lydia Dean Pilcher and Ginny Mohler
Based on true events, teenage sisters Bessie and Jo paint glow-in-the- dark watch dials at the American Radium Factory in 1920s New Jersey. When girls at the factory mysteriously begin to fall ill, Bessie uncovers a corporate scandal and fights back in a radical coming-of-age story.
Register here for our Virtual Discussion with The Matinee Club and film Directors Lydia Dean Pilcher and Ginny Mohler, Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 pm.
TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL by Alex Gibney, Ophelia Harutyunyun & Suzanne Hillinger
TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL chronicles Donald Trump and the White House’s failed response to the coronavirus pandemic. Filmed in secrecy over five months, this documentary examines how thousands of American lives and jobs could have been saved with better leadership.
Martin Eden
Directed by Pietro Marcello
“One of the year’s best films.”
– IndieWire
In this adaptation of a Jack London novel from Italian filmmaker Pietro Marcello, Martin Eden is a dissatisfied prole with artistic aspirations who hopes that his dreams of becoming a writer will help him rise above his station and marry a wealthy young university student. Martin Eden is an enveloping, superbly mounted bildungsroman.
The Gates
Directed by Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Antonio Ferrera, Matthew Prinzing
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. 16 at 1 pm.
Playing In Our Virtual Cinema
An exploration of the nexus of art, race, and justice through the story of art collector and philanthropist Agnes Gund who sold Roy Lichtenstein’s painting “Masterpiece” in 2017 for $165 million to start the Art for Justice Fund to end mass incarceration. This is untapped terrain, and we see Aggie leading the way. Official Selection: 2020 Sundance FF
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
THE KEEPER by Marcus H. Rosenmüller
The Keeper tells the extraordinary love story between a young English woman and a German PoW, who together overcome prejudice, public hostility, and personal tragedy. This films takes a look at how the German POW and a young English woman overcame prejudice, personal tragedy and public hostility as World War II came to an end.
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.
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
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
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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