On Monday, November 18, 2024 at 8:00pm please join the Cinema Lounge, the DC Film Society's monthly film discussion group.

TOPIC: What Is the Future for Classic Hollywood Films? or Will Anyone Still Care About Greta Garbo in 2050? with David Pierce

Fans of classic films want to ensure that they are available to be seen – both on disc and on the big screen. In this talk, David Pierce explores the future for classic Hollywood films. He explores different aspects of “Classic Hollywood,” the incredible popularity of filmgoing during the 30s and 40s, how modern audiences discover these films today, what elements of these films might keep them from being accepted by modern audiences, and whether we should be optimistic that the current popularly and availability of these films is sustainable.

David Pierce is an archivist and historian. He recently retired as Assistant Chief and COO of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center at the Library of Congress. He worked at the British Film Institute (BFI) from 2001 to 2004, first as head of preservation and manager of the J. Paul Getty Jr. Conservation Center, and was appointed curator (head) of the archive in 2002. Pierce curated the first Library of Congress Festival of Film & Sound in June 2023, and the June 2024 AFI Classic Film Weekend, devoted to Pre-Code films, both held the AFI Silver.

Pierce is the author of The Survival of American Silent Feature Films: 1912–1929, published for the National Film Preservation Board in 2013. He is the co-author (with James Layton) of The Dawn of Technicolor: 1915-1935, published in 2015 by the George Eastman Museum for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Technicolor company. The book received the award for Best Film Book of 2015 from the Theatre Library Association. He and James Layton also wrote King of Jazz: Paul Whiteman’s Technicolor Revue (2016). Pierce founded the Media History Digital Library, which has digitized two million pages of the printed record of the motion picture, broadcasting and recorded sound industries for free access. His articles have appeared in Film Comment, American Cinematographer, The Moving Image, and The Journal of Film Preservation. He is a member of the Production and Technology Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and serves on the Academy's Science and Technology Council.

Please RSVP to atspector@hotmail.com and you'll get the Zoom link 1-2 days before the discussion.

The Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, meets the third Monday of every month (unless otherwise noted) at 8:00pm online via Zoom. You do not need to be a member of the Washington DC Film Society to attend. Cinema Lounge is moderated by Adam Spector, author of the DC Film Society's Adam's Rib column.

The 49th Toronto International Film Festival

By Ron Gordner, DC Film Society Member

The 49th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was held from September 5-15, 2024 showcasing over 200 feature films including many world premieres, plus many additional shorts. Fifty per cent of the films were directed or co-directed by women, minorities or LGBTQ artists as TIFF has promised in the past few years. TIFF2024 included mainly onsite general admission seating screenings primarily at the Bell Lightbox and Scotiabank Theatres for press and industry members only this year while other venues required assigned seatings. Public screenings, however this year included assigned seatings at all venues to some chagrin of participants. Although public screenings had assigned seats, there were still sometimes long queues as usual at TIFF. Although Also a more robust return to red carpets, and industry and artist parties and other interactions. Over 70% of the films were still internationally based so directors and others were usually in attendance at most screenings. Five day industry panels and talks also with varied speakers address the film production, creative scene and financial marketplace.

As in other recent festival years, I did find a small number of festival goers with paper tickets, the primary ticketing was electronic and saved on phones in various ways. There was no large central ticketing center to pick up tickets, since most were e-tickets but the Lightbox box office served as a general place to buy or exchange tickets (when allowed) with day of screening purchasing at venue box offices also happening. Rush lines again were used. Since COVID was not a prevalent issue this year an even smaller number of attendees wore masks compared to last few years. King St. for a few blocks was blocked off from most traffic the first weekend of the festival only. There were far fewer outside free promotional items including samplings of plant-based burgers, pizza, tea and other items. A stage with live music was available with some free outdoor screenings of old favorite films. Attendance is usually over 300,000 in number and generates more than $115 million to benefit Toronto restaurants, hotels, airlines, and other local businesses.

Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director and CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival was in charge again. Many of the films had TIFF usual world premieres and some films from earlier festivals such as Cannes, and the earlier scheduled Telluride Film and Venice Film Festivals. A few high-profile films missing from TIFF this year at other festivals included Blitz, Maria, and Nickel Boys. A large selection of Canadian feature and short films are also available, chosen from the over 8,000 international and national films submitted for the festival to host. One film, Russians at War from Canada that was shown at other festivals was protested by a very large group of Ukrainian Canadians who saw it as Russian propaganda having some Canadian government funding. It had one press and industry screening but was removed from the screening schedule apparently due to political pressure on the distributor. There were also some smaller protests from PETA and Israeli support groups on the streets near the festival venues.

Although there were still over 200 feature films this year, only several public screenings this year again seem to have been scheduled prior to about noon on most weekdays. Press and industry screenings usually run around 8:30 am until 4 or 5 pm. This allowed some time to spend at the gyms or museums or stores, but was problematic to schedule enough films from pre-purchased films packets to fit them in during one’s stay in Toronto.

Earlier scheduling information and that some virtual screening would be available via different ticketing and viewing windows would have been helpful to better budget finances and time spent at TIFF this year. Ticket packages of 10 tickets, limited to 4 packets and no allowance for vouchers this year was a bit stressful but with fewer public morning screenings it was difficult to schedule more than about 30-40 film if staying about 8-9 days only. The press and industry screenings began early in the morning primarily at the Scotia theatre and their screenings in some earlier years usually ended the second Thursday but this year some were available through the second Saturday of the festival.

Toronto is a great city for restaurants of all levels, museums, and cheaper street food. The U.S. dollar was strong also, since the Canadian dollar was again worth about 72 American cents. Flying by Porter into the Billy Bishop City Toronto Airport also saved time instead of flying into Pearson Toronto International Airport which requires a train ride into the city and is the largest Canadian airport, so creates larger lines for Customs and other requirements. However returning to the U.S. from the City Airport on the weekend was problematic due to fog on the lake and flights fully booked in anticipation of an Air Canada pilots strike which was resolved the last Saturday night or Sunday of the festival. The threat of a strike had been ongoing for weeks in the local news but other airlines apparently did not add additional flights and blamed some cancellations as weather-related events.

TIFF Tribute Awards for 2024 included those honoring actors Amy Adams and Angelina Jolie. The Artisan Tribute Award went to Clement Ducol and Camille. Cate Blanchett received the TIFF Share Her Journey Goundbreaker Award. David Cronenberg received the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award. Durga Chew-Bose received the Tribute Emerging Talent award. Zhao Tao was also a Tribute Award Honoree. Mike Leigh received the Ebert Director Award and Jharrel Jerome received the Tribute Performer award. Major sponsors for TIFF were Rogers, VISA, the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada, and the City of Toronto.

TIFF has sections or categories of films but smaller for the 200 some films on display. Sections this year included the Free winner (the Audience Award winner on the last Sunday), Gala Presentations, Discovery (first and second time filmmakers), TIFF DOCS (documentaries), Centrepiece, Platform (filmmakers who challenge our notions of mainstream cinema), Primetime (TV movies or series), Wavelengths (avant-garde cinema), Classics (older films), and their famous Midnight Madness section (primarily horror and black comedy films screening at Midnight with usually an appreciative and rowdy crowd). The former Contemporary World Cinema category was now called the Centrepiece stream. Short Cuts includes short film programming and In Conversation With live discussions with actors and filmmakers: Zoe Saldana, Cate Blanchett, Hyun Bin and Lee Dong-wook, and Steven Soderbergh.

There didn’t seem to be a definite theme in the collation of films this year other than the usual immigrant features and a number of films on grieving or death. This list is culled from primarily films seen at TIFF:


MUST SEE FILMS:

We are always looking for film-related material for the Storyboard. Our enthusiastic and well-traveled members have written about their trips to the Cannes Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, London Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Palm Springs Film Festival, the Reykjavik Film Festival, the Munich Film Festival, the Virginia Film Festival, the Locarno Film Festival, The Nitrate Picture Show, and the Chicago Critics Film Festival. We also heard about what it's like being an extra in the movies. Have you gone to an interesting film festival? Have a favorite place to see movies that we aren't covering in the Calendar of Events? Seen a movie that blew you away? Read a film-related book? Gone to a film seminar? Interviewed a director? Taken notes at a Q&A? Read an article about something that didn't make our local news media? Send your contributions to Storyboard and share your stories with the membership. And we sincerely thank all our contributors for this issue of Storyboard.

FILMS

American Film Institute Silver Theater
"Silent Cinema Showcase" (October 25–November 16) features restored classics and rare gems from the silent era, some of which are celebrating their 100th anniversay. Almost all have live music accompaniment by Andrew Simpson, Ben Model, Donald Sosin, and the Anvil Orchestra. Titles are Peter Pan (1924); Drifting (1923) with Anna May Wong; Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr. (1924) and One Week (1920); Harold Lloyd in Hot Water (1924) and Girl Shy (1924); The Crowd (1928) in 35mm; Wings (1927); The Navigator (1924); Our Dancing Daughters (1928) with Joan Crawford; Within Our Gates (1920); Lon Chaney in The Unknown (1927); Lon Chaney in He Who Gets Slapped (1924); The Flying Ace (1926); Metropolis (1927); and a collection of four short films by Man Ray. A festival pass is available.

"Special Engagements" for November include the animated The Timemasters (1982); Paris Texas (1984); A Hard Day's Night (1964); Pulp Fiction (1994); Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004); The Godfather Part II (1974); Chinatown (1974); A Woman Under the Influence (1974); The Wizard of Oz (1939); and Amadeus (1984).

"AFI Silver After Dark" is a series of midnight-style movies. The film for November is Audition (1999) from Japan.

"Anime Expo Cinema Nights" (September 11, 2024-March 16, 2025) presents some of the most influential anime films. The series continues in November with Metropolis (2001), shown in both dubbed and subtitled versions.

"Party Like It's 1999" (October 30–November 28) shows films from 1999 (and a few from 1998). Titles are The Sixth Sense (1999); Audition (1999); Election (1999); Rushmore (1998); Cruel Intentions (1999); Fight Club (1999); Toy Story 2 (1999); 10 Things I Hate About You (1999); The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999); Run Lola Run (1998); But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) in a director's cut; Girl Interrupted (1999); Being John Malkovich (1999); Buena Vista Social Club (1999); The Matrix (1999); Beau Travail (1999); All About My Mother (1999); The Virgin Suicides (1999); and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999).

Freer Gallery of Art
On November 13 at 2:00pm is Samurai Saga (Hiroshi Inagaki, 1959) part of the "Japanese Classics" series of films. Shown in 35mm.

The "China Noir" series continues in November. On November 8 at 7:00pm is Suzhou River (Lou Ye, 2000) in a 4K restoration. On November 10 at 2:00pm is Fallen Angels (Wong Kar Wai, 1995); on November 22 at 7:00pm is PTU (Johnny To, 2003).

National Gallery of Art
The "Fall Cine-Concert Film Series" begins November 2 at 12:00pm with a screening of Max Fleischer's "Out of the Inkwell," silent, animated short films with Koko the Clown. Ben Model accompanies the films on piano and theater organ. On November 3 at 2:00pm is Her Wild Oat (Marshall Neilan, 1927) starring Colleen Moore. Ben Modell accompanies. On November 10 at 2:00pm is Body and Soul (Oscar Micheaux, 1925) starring Paul Robeson. Live improvised accompaniment by Aaron Hill, keyboards.

The series "Art Films and Special Screenings" presents the documentary 1874, The Birth of Impressionism (Julien Johan, 2024) on November 2 at 2:00pm, November 29 at 2:00pm and November 30 at 12:00pm. Note that this film has more showings in December and January.

The series "Color, Cinema, and the Impressionist Moment" is a 3-part series to accompany the exhibit "Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment," examining how the beginnings of cinema shaped and was shaped by the modern world of color. The last in this series "Fantasia of Color" is on November 30 at 2:00pm.

The "Exile and Memory in Haitian Cinema" film series accompanies the exhibit "Spirit and Strength: Modern Art in Haiti." On November 16 at 2:00pm is Haiti: The Way to Freedom (Arnold Antonin, 1975), preceded by Anita (Rassoul Labuchin, 1981) with an introduction by Yasmina Price, curator of the series. On November 23 at 2:00pm is Haitian Corner (Raoul Peck, 1988). On November 24 at 2:00pm is >This House (Miryam Charles, 2022) shown with two short films Fly, Fly Sadness (2015) and All the Days of May (2023). Filmmaker Miryam Charles and series curator Yasmina Price take part in a discussion after the films.

Museum of American History
On November 19 at 6:00pm is an evening of classic Popeye cartoons. Location: The Warner Bros. Theater.

Washington Jewish Community Center
On November 7 at 7:30pm is Citizen Weiner (Daniel Robbins, 2024), a documentary/comedy about running for city council. On November 12 at 7:30pm is A Real Pain (Jesse Eisenberg, 2024). On November 17 at 6:00pm, November 18 at 7:30pm; November 19 at 7:30pm, November 20 at 7:30pm, and November 21 at 7:30pm is Centered: Joe Lieberman (Jonathan Gruber, 2024), a documentary about the first Jewish person to be a major party vice-presidential candidate. Panel discussions will follow the film; check the website for more information.

French Embassy
On November 22 at 7:00pm is Babette's Feast (Gabriel Axel, 1987), preceded by a brief piano – vocal concert featuring soprano Colleen Daly and tenor Allan Palacios Chan.

The Japan Information and Culture Center
On November 7 at 6:30pm is the anime film Suzume (Makoto Shinkai, 2022).

Cinema Arts Bethesda
"Cinema Arts Bethesda" is a monthly Sunday morning film discussion series held at Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema. On November 17 at 10:00am is Perfect Days (Wim Wenders, 2023) from Japan.

Breakfast is at 9:30am, the film is at 10:00am and discussion follows, moderated by Adam Spector, host of the DC Film Society's Cinema Lounge and author of the column "Adam's Rib." A season pass is available.

The Avalon
On November 6 at 8:00pm is Simona Kossak (Adrian Panek, 2024), part of the "CinePolska" series.

For this month's "Lions of Czech Film" is Waltzing Matilda (Petr Slavík, 2023) on November 13 at 8:00pm.

On November 20 at 8:00pm is Sisterhood for the "French Cinematheque" series.

The "Exhibition on Screen" series presents Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers (David Bickerstaff, 2024) on November 17, 19, and 23 at 10:30am.

Library of Congress
The Mary Pickford Theater shows classic films and restored films. On November 7 and 7:00pm is Lilies of the Field (Ralph Nelson, 1963) stars Sidney Poitier who won Best Actor for the role.

Library of Congress
On November 13 at 6:00pm is Resistance: They Fought Back (2024) tells the story of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust and includes a Q&A with director Paula Apsell. Location: The James Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater. See this link for more information.

Kennedy Center
On November 3 at 3:00pm is Origin (Ava DuVernay, 2024). On November 17 at 3:00pm is For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (Joseph Sargent, 2000). On November 24 at 3:00pm is The Godfather Part II (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974). These films are shown at the Kennedy Center's Justice Forum.

"Elf in Concert" will have three shows in November and one in December. The November dates are November 19 at 7:00pm, November 30 at 2:00pm and November 30 at 7:00pm. Elf (Jon Favreau, 2003) will be accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra with Steven Reineke conducting the score by John Debney. Location: Concert Hall.

Old Greenbelt Theater
In the "Cinema Classics" series is The Candidate (Michael Ritchie, 1972) on November 4 at 1:00pm and November 7 at 8:00pm.

On November 21 at 8:00pm is Wayne's World (Penelope Spheeris, 1992), part of the "Cult Classics" series.

On November 25 at 7:00pm is The Thing (Howard Hawks, 1951), part of the "Film in Focus" series.

On November 2 at 1:00pm is a double feature of two films by Don Hertzfeldt: It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012) and Me (2024) for International Animation Day.

On November 9 at 1:00pm is Me and Orson Welles (Richard Linklater, 2008).

Alden Theater
The foreign film for November is the Mexican film Roma (Alfonso Cuaron, 2018) shown on November 7 at 1:00pm and November 13 at 6:30pm. The performing arts film this month is the documentary Robert Shaw: Man of Many Voices (Peter Miller and Pamela Roberts, 2016) on November 21 at 1:00pm.

Angelika Film Center Mosaic
The "Angelika Classics" series shows classic films on the first Monday of the month at 7:00pm. On November 4 at 7:00pm is Shaft (1971).

"Dinner With..." is on the fourth Monday of the month at 7:00pm. On November 25 at 7:00pm is Charade (Stanley Donen, 1963) starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

"Classics in Black and White" features a classic B&W film on the third Monday of each month at 7:00pm. On November 18 at 7:00pm is To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

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