"This film, with its prickly characters and complicated plot, rips along with continuous tension and power." David Denby, New Yorker

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Jim Grant (Robert Redford) is a public interest lawyer and single father raising his daughter in the tranquil suburbs of Albany, New York. Grant's world is turned upside down,when a brash young reporter named Ben Shepard (Shia LaBeouf) exposes his true identity as a former 1970s antiwar radical fugitive wanted for murder. After living for more than 30 years underground, Grant must now go on the run. With the FBI in hot pursuit, he sets off on a cross-country journey to track down the one person that can clear his name.

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"There is love, laughter and whisky galore in Ken Loach's unusually joyful comedy drama about delinquent Scottish youths defying the odds society has stacked against them." Stephen Dalton, Hollywood Reporter

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Ken Loach is known for dramatic realism and his films trend toward the bleaker end of the emotional spectrum. The former is on display here, but the latter has been replaced by a decidedly lighter tone. A whiskey heist is the plot conceit in play here, and it’s undertaken in the Scottish countryside by as bumbling a crew as ever hit the big screen. While the film aims to tickle your funny bone, its perspective is working-class, the actors are mostly nonprofessional, it was filmed in sequence, it’s set against a backdrop of social ills and whiskey flows aplenty--this is Loach, after all.

"Confidently expanding his inquiry into the essence of American masculinity, Nichols' latest pressure-cooker pastoral conjures a wily figure of endangered Southern chivalry." Peter Debruge, Variety

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After making several questionable, mainstream movie choices, actor Matthew McConaughey has proven himself as a force to be reckoned with in such smaller releases as Bernie, Killer Joe, and, of course, Magic Mike. And teamed up with Take Shelter director Jeff Nichols, the results are both critically acclaimed and downright magical. Two boys, Ellis and Neckbone, checking out a boat stuck in a tree in rural Arkansas happen upon a fugitive named Mud (McConaughey), who spins a story of love for a lady named Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). The kids immediately take him at his word, vow to help and embark upon a lyrical journey of love and life along the Mississippi.

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Co-Sponsored by: - Transition Whatcom: Heart and Soul Working Group, Terra Organica, Center for S.A.C.R.Ed Change, & Community Food Co-op.

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“Occupy Love is an invitation to look at ourselves and realize that despite the differences and conflicts we all have, we all collectively need to become proactive and love one another by supporting everyone. This documentary is highly motivational.” – The Link

Occupy Love explores the growing realization that the dominant system of power is failing to provide us with health, happiness or meaning. The old paradigm that concentrates wealth, founded on the greed of the few, is causing economic and ecological collapse. The resulting crisis has become the catalyst for a profound awakening: millions of people are deciding that enough is enough – the time has come to create a new world, a world that works for all life.

The film connects the dots in this era of rapidly evolving social change, featuring captivating insider scenes from the Egyptian Revolution, the Indignado uprising in Spain, Occupy Wall Street in New York, Indigenous activists at the Alberta Tar Sands, the climate justice movement, and beyond. Woven throughout the action oriented backbone of the film is a deep exploration of public love, and compelling stories of an emerging new paradigm.

Join in a discussion after the movie as we explore how the concepts presented in Occupy Love can be used to guide local activities to create a more resilient and self-reliant Whatcom County.

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"A ravishing visual poem about uncertainty in love and faith, and an insightful portrait of a flame between two incompatible people igniting, dimming, and flickering out." Jon Frosch, France24

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Prior to 2011’s Tree of Life, enigmatic, visionary director Terrence Malick hadn’t helmed a film in six years. In fact, in the nearly 40 years since the release of his first film, Badlands, Malick has directed a mere six films, including this one. A love story of sorts--or, if you prefer, a love triangle of sorts--the movie focuses on the relationship between Neil (Ben Affleck) and Marina (Olga Kurylenko) who fall in love in France and then move to Oklahoma where Neil gets back in touch with an old flame (Rachel McAdams). Problems ensue, but as in most Malick films, the plot is simply a conduit to explore our place in this universe. And, true to form, Malick’s is unequivocally the most visually stunning film you’ll see this year.

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Special sneak peek before wide release! Presented by Gathr Previews. Tickets are purchased through 'Gathr' either individually at $10 or buy a Subscription and see all the preview series free. Get tickets or buy a membership!

"This modern-day adaptation of Henry James's novel about a child shuttled back and forth between her divorced parents features an excellent performance from newcomer Onata Aprile." Henry Barnes, Guardian [UK]

A contemporary reimagining of Henry James' novel, WHAT MAISIE KNEW tells the story of a captivating little girl's struggle for grace in the midst of her parents' bitter custody battle. Told through the eyes of the title's heroine, Maisie navigates this ever-widening turmoil with a six-year-old's innocence, charm and generosity of spirit.

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"Pickford Film Center is thrilled to be a part of Gathr Previews, which brings back the excitement of being the first in the neighborhood to see great films on the big screen--before their wide release. Our film fans will have the opportunity to be local and national taste-makers." - Michael Falter, Program Director, Pickford Film Center  

"Directors Maria Demopoulos and Jodi Wille take a rewarding, even-handed approach, revisiting an Apollonian flip side to the Dionysian dystopias of Charles Manson or Jim Jones." Marc Mohan, Oregonian

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The Source Family’s outlandish lifestyle, popular celebrity hangout restaurant, rock band, and beautiful women made them the darlings of Hollywood’s Sunset Strip; but their outsider ideals, controversial spiritual leader Father Yod, along with his 13 wives, instigated local authorities. They fled to Hawaii, leading to their dramatic demise. Years later, family members surface and the rock band reforms, revealing how their time with Father Yod shaped their lives in the most unexpected ways. These personal accounts, along with interviews with outsiders, make up the interviews in the film. However, the story is largely cinematic, expressed through the use of the group’s extensive film and audio archive maintained by Isis Aquarian, one of Father's wives, Family documentarian, and a central character in the documentary (as well as being associate producer). The film’s soundtrack is composed entirely of original Source Family music produced from 1971-1975.

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Join the PFC for a special Ski to Sea presentation! Introduction by directors Todd & Brian!

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The Mountain Runners is the story of America's first mountain endurance/adventure foot race, which took place in Bellingham, Washington. First run in 1911, the grueling 28 to 32 mile race to the glacial summit of Mount Baker and back utilized steam trains and modified model T autos and lasted only three years due to its intrepid dangers. Told in a docudrama style, the film incorporates never before released historic images,  archival film, visual effects, and recreated dramatizations staring WILLIAM B. DAVIS (X-Files, Smoking man.) The film is narrated by KEVIN TIGHE (LOST, Emergency, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape) and is well supported by a cast of Cascadian historians, descendants of race participants and a group of world-renowned experts in their field. Interviews with multiple contemporary world-champion athletes including: alpine speed-climbers and climbing author, Steve House and Chad Kellogg; ultrarunners Krissy Moehl, Scott Jurek, and Doug McKeever; and Second Wind author Cami Ostman, reveal a look back at the accomplishments of their endurance-athlete predecessors with astonishment.

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Join the PFC for this classic adventure!

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The second of the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg Indiana Jones epics is set a year or so before the events in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1984). After a brief brouhaha involving a precious vial and a wild ride down a raging Himalyan river, Indy (Harrison Ford) gets down to the problem at hand: retrieving a precious gem and several kidnapped young boys on behalf of a remote East Indian village.

Interesting Tidbits:

The film's original title was "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Death" which was changed because it sounded too foreboding. It was retained as the film's German title ("Indiana Jones und der Tempel des Todes").

The "chilled monkey-brains" were made from custard and raspberry sauce.

"Like the paintings of the master, "Renoir" is beautiful to look at, but it would be a mistake to call the film (or its subject) shallow." Kyle Smith, New York Post 

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Set on the French Riviera in the summer of 1915, Gilles Bourdos' lushly atmospheric drama RENOIR tells the story of celebrated Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, in declining health at age 74, and his middle son Jean, who returns home to convalesce after being wounded in World War I. The elder Renoir is filled with a new, wholly unexpected energy when a young girl miraculously enters his world. Blazing with life, radiantly beautiful, Andrée will become his last model, and the wellspring of a remarkable rejuvenation. At the same time, Jean also falls under the spell of the free-spirited young Andrée. Their beautiful home and majestic countryside grounds reverberate with familial intrigue, as both Renoirs, père et fils, become smitten with the enchanting and headstrong young muse.

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"The harmonies they strike in this reality-inspired charmer are sweetly sublime." Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

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Inspired by a true story, THE SAPPHIRES follows four vivacious, young and talented Australian Aboriginal girls from a remote mission as they learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertains the U.S. troops in Vietnam in 1968. Cynthia (Tapsell), Gail (Mailman), Julie (Mauboy) and Kay (Sebbens) are discovered by Dave (O'Dowd), a good-humored talent scout with a kind heart, very little rhythm but a great knowledge of soul music. As their manager, Dave books the sisters their first true gig giving them their first taste of stardom, and travels them to Vietnam to sing for the American troops.

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"An absorbing, nuanced, and vividly animated tale of adventure, ambivalent morality, colonial injustice, talking animals, and the vagaries of religious zeal and colonialism." Sarah Fisch, Village Voice

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Based on the best-selling graphic novel by Joann Sfar, The Rabbi's Cat tells the story of a rabbi and his talking cat - a sharp-tongued feline philosopher brimming with scathing humor and a less than pure love for the rabbi's voluptuous teenage daughter. Algeria in the 1930s is an intersection of Jewish, Arab and French culture. A cat belonging to a widowed rabbi and his beautiful daughter, Zlabya, eats the family parrot and miraculously gains the ability to speak. Along with the power of speech comes unparalleled sardonic wit, and the cat - and filmmaker Sfar - spare no group or individual as they skewer faith, tradition and authority in a provocative exploration of (among other things) God, lust, death, phrenology, religious intolerance, interspecies love, and the search for truth. Rich with the colors, textures, flavors and music of Mediterranean Africa, the film embarks on a cross continent adventure from the tiled terraces, fountains, quays and cafes of colonial Algiers to Maghrebi tent camps, dusty trading outposts, and deep blue Saharan nights in search of a lost Ethiopian city.

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"Modest and affecting, it's a portrait of the possibility of finding peace, contentment and self through both music and spirituality." Nick Schager, Time Out New York

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In 1970, Jeffrey Kagel walked away from the American dream of rock 'n' roll stardom, turning down the chance to record as lead singer for the band soon-to-be the Blue Oyster Cult. Instead, he sold all his possessions and moved from the suburbs of Long Island to the foothills of the Himalayas in search of happiness and a little-known saint named Neem Karoli Baba. ONE TRACK HEART: THE STORY OF KRISHNA DAS follows his journey to India and back, witnessing his struggles with depression and drug abuse, to his eventual emergence as Krishna Das, world-renowned spiritual teacher and chant master. Featuring interviews with Ram Dass (LSD Icon Richard Alpert), Rick Rubin (Grammy Award winning Producer), Sharon Salzberg (NY Times bestselling author), Daniel Goleman (two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee), as well as a musical score by J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr) & Devadas, this is the inspiring story of how one man's heart-expanding journey continues to transform countless lives.

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Tickets are free, available only at the box office.

Pickford Film Center is proud to partner with ITVS and present screenings of select Independent Lens documentaries on the big screen as part of our dedication to community education and outreach.

Amlan Ganguly empowers children to become activists and educators, with powerful results. The Revolutionary Optimists follows him as he attempts to replicate his work in the brick fields outside the city, where children live and work in unimaginable conditions. Using street theater, puppetry, and dance as their weapons, the children in Calcutta's slums have cut their neighborhoods' malaria and diarrhea rates in half, and turned former garbage dumps into playing fields. Now, pushing at the limits of optimism, Amlan is attempting to take his work into the brickfields outside Calcutta, where spend their days making and carrying bricks using methods unchanged by centuries.

The Revolutionary Optimists proposes a workable solution to intractable problems associated with poverty, including preventable diseases and ineffectual governance. Ganguly's story suggests that education and child empowerment are crucial keys to lifting entire societies out of hopelessness.

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Presented by WWU's Design Days 2013 Visit their website    http://wwudesigndays.com/

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"Typeface touches on notions about globalization and the nature of authenticity, turning a seemingly quaint subject into a meditation on the pressing issues of the day." Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix

Typeface focuses on a rural Midwestern museum and print shop where international artists meet retired craftsmen and together navigate the convergence of modern design and traditional technique.

It's a Thursday afternoon and all is quiet in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Main Street is virtually empty, and there are “for rent” signs in several shop windows. In the last few years, the un-employment rate has been consistently on the rise in the region. Factories are leaving the heartland for cheaper locales and the little town of Two Rivers is struggling to re-invent itself. Jim VanLanen, one of the town’s most industrious entrepreneurs, began developing small museums as a way to bring tourists and industry to the area...(continue)

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"This Scandinavian import is a lavishly constructed true-to-life epic that stands among the most thrilling and accessible films of this year's Academy Award nominations." Simon Brookfield, We Got This Covered

Max Manus co-directors Espen Sanberg and Joachim Rønning reteam for this sweeping adventure detailing Thor Heyerdahl's daring attempt to prove that early settlers from South America once populated Polynesia by sailing across the Pacific on a simple balsa wood raft. Rejected by every publisher he approaches to print his unusual thesis, Heyerdahl (Pål Sverre Hagen) eventually decides that the only way to prove it is to make the journey himself as the entire world watches.

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Dates are subject to change. 

"A wacky, sometimes hilariously esoteric deconstruction of the subliminal messages and hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining." Todd McCarthy,  Hollywood Reporter

Who doesn’t love a movie about a movie? Especially when the movie in question is Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining? The lore surrounding this creepy Kubrick classic is deep, and this doc mines all of it, from the weird to the mundane. Five fanatics who have devoted untold amounts of time to analyzing the 1980 movie are interviewed--off-screen, an interesting and ultimately effective choice by director Rodney Ascher--about aspects of the film they say “the casual viewer is not going to see.” And they’re not kidding. What begins as a meditation on the events in Kubrick’s Room 237 becomes a fascinating glimpse into the nature of obsession itself.

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Join the PFC for one of the greatest American horror films of all time!

See Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece and watch Room 237 to decipher its hidden messages.

Interesting Tidbits:

The scene where Hallorann explains to Danny what shining is was shot 148 times, which is a world record.

Stanley Kubrick, known for his compulsiveness and numerous retakes, got the difficult shot of blood pouring from the elevators in only three takes. This would be remarkable if it weren't for the fact that the shot took nine days to set up; every time the doors opened and the blood poured out, Kubrick would say, "It doesn't look like blood." In the end, the shot took approximately a year to get right.

During filming, Stanley Kubrick made the cast watch Eraserhead, Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist to put them in the right frame of mind.

Outtakes of the shots of the Volkswagen traveling towards the Overlook at the start of the film were "plundered" by Ridley Scott (with Stanley Kubrick's permission) when he was forced to add the 'happy ending' to the original release of Blade Runner.

Special sneak peek before wide release! Presented by Gathr Previews.  Tickets are purchased through 'Gathr' either individually at $10 or buy a Subscription and see all the preview series free. See more info on the Gathr website!

100 BLOODY ACRES is the story of brothers Reg and Lindsay Morgan’s struggling organic blood and bone fertiliser business. The use of dead car crash victims in their product has been a huge boon to business, but it’s been months since their last find and an important new customer is waiting on a delivery. When Reg Morgan (Damon Herriman), the junior partner in the business, comes across two guys and girl stranded on a remote country road, he sees a radical solution to their supply problems, and a way of finally gaining the respect of his bossy big brother, Lindsay (Angus Sampson). But things don’t quite go to plan when Reg starts to fall for Sophie…

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"Pickford Film Center is thrilled to be a part of Gathr Previews, which brings back the excitement of being the first in the neighborhood to see great films on the big screen--before their wide release. Our film fans will have the opportunity to be local and national taste-makers." - Michael Falter, Program Director, Pickford Film Center

PFC's Ballet in Cinema series.

Admission: $20 / $16 members

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“one of the greatest of all love stories…and one of the most brilliant ballet scores ever written for its music” - Raymond Stults, The Moscow Times

Romeo and Juliet is presented with fresh passion in Yuri Grigorovich’s version from the Bolshoi, which he originally staged in 1978 with his wife, the prima ballerina Natalia Bessmertnova, as Juliet. After her death in 2008, he revisited Romeo and Juliet; today’s revival reflects Grigorovich’s tender remembrances for his own beloved Juliet, accompanied by Sergei Prokofiev’s passionate score.

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Special sneak peek before wide release! Presented by Gathr Previews. Tickets are purchased through 'Gathr' either individually at $10 or buy a Subscription and see all the preview series free. See more info on the Gathr website!

Three years past his divorce, veteran novelist Bill Borgens (Academy Award® nominee Greg Kinnear) can¹t stop obsessing over, let alone spying on, his ex-wife Erica (Academy Award® winner Jennifer Connelly), who ignominiously left him for another man. Even as his neighbor-with-benefits, Tricia (Kristen Bell, ³House of Lies²), tries to push him back into the dating pool, he remains blind to anyone else¹s charms. Meanwhile, his fiercely independent collegiate daughter Samantha (Lily Collins, MIRROR MIRROR) is publishing her first novel while recoiling at the very thought of first love with a diehard romantic (Logan Lerman, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER); and his teen son Rusty (Nat Wolff, PEACE, LOVE AND MISUNDERSTANDING) is trying to find his voice, both as a fantasy writer and as the unexpected boyfriend of a dream girl with unsettlingly real problems. As each of these situations mounts into a tangled trio of romantic holiday crises, it brings the Borgens to surprising revelations about how endings become beginnings.

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"Pickford Film Center is thrilled to be a part of Gathr Previews, which brings back the excitement of being the first in the neighborhood to see great films on the big screen--before their wide release. Our film fans will have the opportunity to be local and national taste-makers." - Michael Falter, Program Director, Pickford Film Center

PFC's Masters of Japanese Cinema

"By introducing comedy into the mixture and telling the tale from an atypical perspective, Kurosawa has differentiated The Hidden Fortress from nearly every similar feudal era Japanese epic ever committed to the screen. This is a masterpiece." James Berardinelli, ReelViews

A general and a princess must dodge enemy clans while smuggling the royal treasure out of hostile territory with two bumbling, conniving peasants at their sides; it’s a spirited adventure that only Akira Kurosawa could create. Acknowledged as a primary influence on George Lucas’s Star Wars, The Hidden Fortress delivers Kurosawa’s inimitably deft blend of wry humor, breathtaking action and humanist compassion on an epic scale.

Ciao Thyme sponsors the film and follows it up with the meal the film is famous for. 

Admission for dinner & film: $85 Member/$100 Non-Member 

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Frances lives in New York, but she doesn't really have an apartment. Frances is an apprentice for a dance company, but she's not really a dancer. Frances has a best friend named Sophie, but they aren't really speaking anymore. Frances throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles. Frances wants so much more than she has but lives her life with unaccountable joy and lightness.

"Loose, limber and driven by a fierce energy and staccato/pause rhythm we haven't seen previously from this filmmaker, Noah Baumbach's sublime "Frances Ha" is a fresh and vivacious near-reinvention of the director/writer's comedic milieu."  Rodrigo Perez - The Playlist.

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"“Three environmental activists around the globe are profiled in ELEMENTAL and their efforts are duly inspiring and the related issues imposing…an interesting view of eco-warriors at work…Editing smoothly weaves between the three strands, with assembly polished in other departments as well, notably an expansive string-based original score.” Dennis Harvey, VARIETY

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Elemental tells the story of three individuals united by their deep connection with nature and driven to confront some of the most pressing ecological challenges of our time.

The film follows Rajendra Singh, an Indian government official gone rogue, on a 40-day pilgrimage down India’s once pristine Ganges river, now polluted and dying. Facing community opposition and personal doubts, Singh works to shut down factories, halt construction of dams, and rouse the Indian public to treat their sacred “Mother Ganga” with respect. Across the globe in northern Canada, Eriel Deranger mounts her own “David and Goliath” struggle against the world’s largest industrial development, the Tar Sands, an oil deposit larger than the state of Florida. A young mother and native Denè, Deranger struggles with family challenges while campaigning tirelessly against the Tar Sands and its proposed 2,000-mile Keystone XL Pipeline, which are destroying Indigenous communities and threatening an entire continent.

Separated by continents yet sharing an unwavering commitment to protecting nature, the characters in this story are complex, flawed, postmodern heroes for whom stemming the tide of environmental destruction fades in and out of view – part mirage, part miracle.

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PFC's Opera in Cinema series

Admission $20 / $16 member

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Mozart’s classic opera The Magic Flute is breathtakingly transformed in a spectacular film version conceived and directed by Kenneth Branagh with a newly-adapted libretto by Stephen Fry. With musical director James Conlon conducting the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the film showcases opera stars René Pape, Tom Randle, Lyubov Petrova and Silvia Moi in a romantic adventure story of humanity and fellowship, weaving drama with comedy. Branagh “...brings magic and a new life to Mozart” (Classic FM). A perennial favorite for generations of opera-goers this production is a visually extraordinary cinematic experience that the LA Times called “exuberant!”

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Special sneak peek before wide release! Presented by Gathr Previews. Tickets are purchased through 'Gathr' either individually at $10 or buy a Subscription and see all the preview series free. See more info on the Gathr website!

MORE THAN HONEY, a new documentary by the Swiss filmmaker Marcus Imhoof, is looking into the fascinating world of bees, showing small family beekeepers (including the beekeeper of ERSTE Foundation beehive, Heidrun Singer) and industrialized honey farms. MORE THAN HONEY is a film on the relationship between mankind and honeybees, about nature and about our future. Honeybees show us that stability is just as unhealthy as unlimited growth, that crises and disasters are triggering evolution and that salvation sometimes comes from a completely unexpected direction.

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"Pickford Film Center is thrilled to be a part of Gathr Previews, which brings back the excitement of being the first in the neighborhood to see great films on the big screen--before their wide release. Our film fans will have the opportunity to be local and national taste-makers." - Michael Falter, Program Director, Pickford Film Center

"A history lesson that holds some pleasures even for those who know its material by heart." John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter

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GREENWICH VILLAGE: MUSIC THAT DEFINED A GENERATION is a feature-length documentary about the Greenwich Village music scene and how it sparked everlasting political, social and cultural changes. For the first time, the greatest singer-songwriters, authors and performers from Greenwich Village reflect on how they collectively became the voice of a generation. Through poignant interviews, rare archival footage and new live performances, GREENWICH VILLAGE: MUSIC THAT DEFINED A GENERATION tells a story about community, courage and most importantly - music.

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"A deceptively light-hearted romp that blends English and Danish with a touch of Italiano, for a lively, likeable view of the complexities of life and love." Ed Gibbs, Empire Magazine Australasia

A hairdresser (Kim Bodnia) who has lost her hair to cancer finds out her husband is having an affair, travels to Italy for her daughter's wedding and meets a widower (Pierce Brosnan) who still blames the world for the loss of his wife.

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PFC and Village Books Present... Writers in the Limelight:
On-screen Author Talks & Interviews

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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Pulitz-er Prize finalist Eisenhower at War, comes a fond ac-count of the retirement years of his grandfather, Presi-dent Dwight D. Eisenhower.

PFC's Ballet in Cinema series.

Admission: $20 / $16 member

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Nederlands Dans Theater 2, the main company’s breeding ground for new talent in dancers and choreographers, puts its unique signature on this varied program featuring both newcomers and familiar faces, along with live accompaniment by Holland Symfonia. Ballets such as Studio 2, choreographed for the company’s 50th anniversary in 2009 by directors Sol Leon and Paul Lightfoot, and the award-winning ballet Dream Play by Johan Inger will be performed. Two world premieres, will complete this special evening including Sara a work by former Batsheva Dance Company stars Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, and Maybe Two by the multitalented rising star choreographer, Alexander Ekman.

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Special sneak peek before wide release! Presented by Gathr Previews. Tickets are purchased through 'Gathr' either individually at $10 or buy a Subscription and see all the preview series free. See more info on the Gathr website!

The Good Son is the story of boxer Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, the World Boxing Association Lightweight Champion in 1982 whose life took a dramatic turn when his Korean opponent, Deuk Koo Kim, died of injuries sustained in their championship fight. Based on the book with the same name, the film traces Ray Mancini's life, uncovering his father's footsteps, his brothers death and the eventual showdown with Kim, all resulting in a life altering face to face meeting between Ray Mancini and Kim's own son, Jiwan.

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"Pickford Film Center is thrilled to be a part of Gathr Previews, which brings back the excitement of being the first in the neighborhood to see great films on the big screen--before their wide release. Our film fans will have the opportunity to be local and national taste-makers." - Michael Falter, Program Director, Pickford Film Center

Co-sponsored by the Transition Whatcom Personal Finance Group who will host a discussion after the movie.

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"Money & Life is a lucid exploration about how one of humanities most brilliant inventions has turned into its darkest shadow, how money and debt haunt our highest aspirations, and undermine our greatest needs. Katie Teague's documentary is populated by some of the most thoughtful monetary pioneers who explain money's curse and promise, and point to new economic models that create social justice, economic security, and environmental health." Paul Hawken, Blessed Unrest

Money & Life is a passionate and inspirational essay-style documentary that that asks a provocative question: can we see the economic crisis not as a disaster, but as a tremendous opportunity? This cinematic odyssey connects the dots on our current economic pains and offers a new story of money based on an emerging paradigm of planetary well-being that understands all of life as profoundly interconnected. Money & Life invites us to meet the challenge of our time: to participate in the great transition to a sustainable, equitable and restorative economy that meets the needs and realities of the 21st century.

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The sublime Barbara Sukowa reteams with director Margarethe von Trotta (Vision, Rosa Luxemburg) for her brilliant new biopic of influential German-Jewish philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt. Arendt's reporting on the 1961 trial of ex-Nazi Adolf Eichmann in The New Yorker-controversial both for her portrayal of Eichmann and the Jewish councils-introduced her now-famous concept of the "Banality of Evil." Using footage from the actual Eichmann trial and weaving a narrative that spans three countries, von Trotta beautifully turns the often invisible passion of thought into immersive, dramatic cinema.

An Official Selection at the Toronto International and New York Jewish Film Festivals, Hannah Arendt also co-stars Klaus Pohl as philosopher Martin Heidegger, Nicolas Woodeson as New Yorker editor William Shawn, and two-time Oscar Nominee Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) as novelist Mary McCarthy.

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Shakespeare by Joss Whedon!

"While you can sense the easy camaraderie and chemistry among the cast, the film doesn't coast on its homey goodwill. It's actually a very smart and disciplined adaptation of Shakespeare's play." Rob Thomas, Capital Times

Shakespeare's classic comedy is given a contemporary spin in Joss Whedon's film, "Much Ado About Nothing". Shot in just 12 days (and using the original text), the story of sparring lovers Beatrice and Benedick offers a dark, sexy and occasionally absurd view of the intricate game that is love.

Official Website

Special sneak peek before wide release! Presented by Gathr Previews. Tickets are purchased through 'Gathr' either individually at $10 or buy a Subscription and see all the preview series free. See more info on the Gathr website!

"The film is rich in poignant moments and negotiates its frequent shifts from violence to gentleness to sorrow with sensitivity." David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

Skunk is 11, diabetic, and pretty cool. The summer holidays have just begun and her days are full of easy hopes. Then Mr. Oswald, the ugly man who lives opposite, beats up Rick, the sweet, but unstable boy next door and Skunk's innocence begins to be drained away at a speed and in a way she cannot control. Her home, her neighborhood, her school - all become treacherous environments where the happy certainties of childhood give way to a fear-filled doubt, and a complex, broken world fills her future. Skunk seeks solace in the last remaining place where she knows she can find it - the unspoken friendship with sweet, damaged Rick - and falls into a chaos where suddenly, joyfully, she has choice thrust back into her hands. The choice to remain in this place she was never promised, or to leave it entirely - to live or to die...

Official Website

"Pickford Film Center is thrilled to be a part of Gathr Previews, which brings back the excitement of being the first in the neighborhood to see great films on the big screen--before their wide release. Our film fans will have the opportunity to be local and national taste-makers." - Michael Falter, Program Director, Pickford Film Center  

Tickets are free, available only at the box office.

Pickford Film Center is proud to partner with ITVS and present screenings of select Independent Lens documentaries on the big screen as part of our dedication to community education and outreach.

Love Free or Die begins with the story of a man whose two defining passions are in conflict: his love for God and his love for his partner, Mark.

Gene Robinson is the first openly gay bishop in the high church traditions of Christendom. His consecration in 2003, to which he wore a bullet-proof vest, caused an international stir, and he has lived with death threats nearly every day since. Bishop Robinson refuses to leave the church that has taught for centuries it has no place for people like him. And he refuses to leave the man he loves, even though he has been taught it is God's will for him to do so. And of course he is not alone. Bishop Robinson lives in a nation and a world in which many are caught in this ultimate double bind.

The film shows how Robinson's witness leads to cultural change as his church moves from frozen to outspoken on the LGBT equality issue, and it leads to legal change as his state, New Hampshire, moves from voting against same-sex marriage to supporting it.

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Challenging? Maybe. But if so, it’s a challenge this endlessly inventive filmmaking crew will more than meet. Dive in and make your own fake film preview or show up and spectate.

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Trailer Wars is a locally founded, ongoing film competition that challenges creative types of the area to create fake movie trailers based on a set of criteria. On screening night, a bewildered yet entertained audience watches the no-budget efforts and votes on a winner, who then states the theme for the following edition. Genres thus far include Musicals, Children's Fantasy, Westerns, and Unnecessary Sequels. The event is a nominal $2, which covers only basic overhead provided by PFC, usually runs for one hour, and often contains the equivalent of R-rated material. For more information or to see past submissions, visit or write us (trailerwars[at]gmail.com, youtube.com/trailerwars, myspace.com/trailerwars).

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This documentary focuses on two bartenders trying to achieve their dreams through the world of bartending. 

After being injured a Marine turns his goals to becoming a rock star bartender at the best cocktail bar in the world. A former bank executive who bought the corner bar in his hometown struggles to keep it afloat in a community that no longer values a place where everyone knows your name.

Featuring the most famous bartenders in the world along with unprecedented access to the most exclusive bars in New York City and commentary from Graydon Carter, Danny Meyer and Amy Sacco.

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Hitchcock on DCP!

Jonathan Marlow, co-founder and Chief Content Officer for FANDOR, comes to Bellingham to provide insight into Hitchcock's Rope (and share a short film that you don't want to miss).

"The film is so chilly you could ice champagne in it or place it around a silver serving dish of fresh caviar. It really is the "stunt" that Hitchcock calls it in "Hitchcock," Francois Truffaut's series of interviews with him, but it looks far more interesting now than either Hitchcock or Truffaut thought 20 years ago. And, once you get in touch with its dated speech rhythms, even its archness is acceptable.

"Rope" is not merely a stunt that is justified by the extraordinary career that contains it, but one of the movies that makes that career extraordinary. "I really don't know how I came to indulge in ("Rope")," Hitchcock said almost apologetically to Truffaut, though he then went on to describe exactly why he did:Hitchcock was interested in seeing whether he could find a cinematic equivalent to the play, which takes place in the actual length of time of the story. To do this, he decided to shoot it in what would appear to be one long, continuous "take," without cutaways or any other breaks in the action, though in fact there would have to be a disguised break every 10 minutes, which was as much film as the camera could contain." Vincent Canby

Come see this classic adventure on our amazing new equipment!

The last good Indiana Jones movie is back! Nazis make better villains than space aliens, anyway...

Interesting Tidbits:

Sean Connery and Harrison Ford wore no trousers during the shooting of the entire Zeppelin sequence (mainly because it was filmed in a very hot studio and Connery didn't want to sweat too much).

During the Castle Brunwald rescue, Dr. Jones Sr. expresses dismay at Indy inadvertently bringing the diary into enemy hands saying that he "should have mailed it to The Marx Brothers". Harpo Marx revealed in his autobiography that he once really had to smuggle a journal of important documents out of Russia to keep them from falling into enemy hands.

Sean Connery was only 58 at the time of filming (and only 12 years older than Harrison Ford).

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Angela was adopted as an infant from Chattanooga, TN, under the terms of a 'closed' adoption. As an African-American raised by a Caucasian couple in Bellingham, WA, she had a confused sense of identity while growing up. As Angela grew older it became apparent that the unanswered questions about her birth story would continue to haunt her if she did not attempt to find the answers. This documentary follows Angela over two years during her search, leading her back to Chattanooga to come face to face with her birth mother, and meet family members who never knew she existed.

Q&A with Angela Tucker (Subject) and her husband Bryan Tucker (Director) after the film! 

Leopold Classic Series feat. Carole Lombard

Senior admission is $5, Free for Leopold residents and staff

In Warsaw at the beginning of WWII, Maria Tura (Lombard) and husband Joseph (Jack Benny) perform anti-Nazi plays with their theater troupe until they are forced to switch to Shakespeare's Hamlet. Lt. Stanislav Sobinski (Robert Stack) falls for Maria and meets up with her during Joseph's famous "To Be or Not to Be" speech as Hamlet. When Stanislav is eventually dispatched for war, he implicates Maria with Professor Siletsky (Stanley Ridges), who has a secret plan to destroy the Warsaw resistance. The Polish theater troupe is then forced to use their theatrical skills to ensure their survival. Eventually, they turn to impersonating Nazi officers -- and even Hitler himself -- in order to outwit the enemy and keep the resistance safe from spies. 

Interesting Tidbits:

Ernst Lubitsch directs the 1942 political satire classic To Be or Not to Be, which marked the final screen appearance of comedienne Carole Lombard.

To Be or Not to Be opened to a controversial release in 1942, when the U.S. was still very much involved in WWII.

It was remade in 1983 starring Mel Brooks and real-life wife Anne Bancroft. 

PFC and Village Books Present... Writers in the Limelight:
On-screen Author Talks & Interviews

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The Things They Carried “belongs high on the list of best fiction about any war....crystallizes the Vietnam experi-ence for everyone [and] exposes the nature of all war stories.” (New York Times)

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"One of this decade's most important and most harrowing documentaries, The Act of Killing is a shattering take on the nature of evil." Jason Gorber, Twitch

This documentary challenges former Indonesian death squad leaders to reenact their real-life mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.

Anwar Congo and his friends have been dancing their way through musical numbers, twisting arms in film noir gangster scenes, and galloping across prairies as yodelling cowboys. Their foray into filmmaking is being celebrated in the media and debated on television, even though Anwar Congo and his friends are mass murderers. Medan, Indonesia. When the government of Indonesia was overthrown by the military in 1965, Anwar and his friends were promoted from small-time gangsters who sold movie theatre tickets on the black market to death squad leaders. They helped the army kill more than one million alleged communists, ethnic Chinese, and intellectuals in less than a year. As the executioner for the most notorious death squad in his city, Anwar himself killed hundreds of people with his own hands.

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There was a time, as recently as the 1980s, when storefronts, murals, banners, barn signs, billboards, and even street signs were all hand-lettered with brush and paint. But, like many skilled trades, the sign industry has been overrun by the techno-fueled promise of quicker and cheaper. The resulting proliferation of computer-designed, die-cut vinyl lettering and inkjet printers has ushered a creeping sameness into our landscape. Fortunately, there is a growing trend to seek out traditional sign painters and a renaissance in the trade.

In 2010 filmmakers Faythe Levine, coauthor of Handmade Nation, and Sam Macon began documenting these dedicated practitioners, their time-honored methods, and their appreciation for quality and craftsmanship. Sign Painters, the first anecdotal history of the craft, features stories and photographs of more than two dozen sign painters working in cities throughout the United States. With a foreword by legendary artist (and former sign painter) Ed Ruscha, this vibrant book profiles sign painters young and old, from the new vanguard working solo to collaborative shops such as San Francisco’s New Bohemia Signs and New York’s Colossal Media’s Sky High Murals.

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