September Events at Russell Library

Russell Library is a hub of activity this September.

September marks the start of the school year, and Russell Library is reflecting that same energy. In addition to our children's programming, our reading and writing groups, and the beginning of the monthly Friends' Book Sales, we've got some special events planned!
 
September 12th at 2:00 p.m.:  Jazz Up Close Resonant Motion, Inc. and series curator Noah Baerman presents the third of four installments in the 2015 Jazz Up Close series. Renowned drummer and composer Victor Lewis will be featured in a trio with bassist Henry Lugo and pianist Noah Baerman.

September 15th at noon: We begin the first of our film discussion series. This series is entitled, Pre-Code Hollywood: Sin on the Silver Screen, featuring four films that were made before the censorship system was instituted in 1934. The first film is "One Hour With You" from 1932.

September 15th, 6:30 - 7:45 p.m.: We are privileged to be part of the New England tour of a Mexican puppet company called Facto Teatro. Along with New York City-based Great Small Works and German puppeteer Barbara Steinitz, the troupe will perform Three Toy Theater Tales: A Puppet Show for family audiences. Thanks goes to La Boca Restaurant and Cantina for donating dinner to the performers!

September 17th, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.: Award winning dancer/choreographer Eiko Otake will be performing A Body in a Library as part of her solo series, “The Body in Places” in the public spaces of Russell Library. A discussion with the audience follows the performance. 

 

Soup Kitchen, Shelter Leaders Join HBO Filmmaker Monday Night For Screening, Talk

OPEN to the COMMUNITY

Monday, April 7th

the Center for Film Studies

301 Washington Terrace

Click for Directions & Parking 

5pm Refreshments/6pm Film 

presented by Wesleyan-Middletown Relations Committee

Harry Gantz will be coming to Wesleyan's Center for Film Studies on April 7th at 6 pm to share his film "American Winter". Join us for a screening of this powerful documentary and a panel talk, including Ron Krom, Executive Director of the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen, and Mackenzie Tyson, Program Manager at the Eddy Shelter, following the film. Light refreshments will be served before the film at 5:00. The event is free of charge.

Produced and directed by Emmy award-winning filmmakers, Joe and Harry Gantz, American Winter is a documentary feature film that follows the personal stories of families struggling in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Preview below:

Filmmaker To Screen & Discuss Documentary "American Winter" in Middletown

OPEN to the COMMUNITY

Monday, April 7th

the Center for Film Studies

301 Washington Terrace

Click for Directions & Parking 

5pm Refreshments/6pm Film 

presented by Wesleyan-Middletown Relations Committee

Produced and directed by Emmy award-winning filmmakers, Joe and Harry Gantz, American Winter is a documentary feature film that follows the personal stories of families struggling in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Harry Gantz will be coming to Wesleyan's Center for Film Studies on April 7th at 6 pm to share his film and speak with students and the Middletown community. Join us for a screening of this powerful documentary and a panel talk, including Ron Krom, Executive Director of the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen, and Mackenzie Tyson, Program Manager at the Eddy Shelter, following the film. Light refreshments will be served before the film at 5:00. The event is free of charge.

"Food, Inc." Free Screening at Middlesex Community College

FREE SCREENING OF “FOOD, INC.” ON APRIL 20

Middlesex Community College will host a free screening of the provocative documentary film, “Food, Inc.” at Chapman Hall, 100 Training Hill Road in Middletown on Wednesday, April 20 at 11 a.m. A panel discussion on food, the industrialization of farming, and corporate agribusiness will follow immediately.

# # #

Youth Dance Invitational and Film Screening

Breaking Boundaries with Breakdancing at Green Street

On May 21st and 22nd, Green Street Arts Center will celebrate National Hip Hop Week and local break dancing and hip-hop performers with a documentary film screening and dance competition. Both events feature young dancers from in and around Middletown.

On Friday, filmmaker Bridget Palardy, Wesleyan University Class of ’05, will present Middletown B-Boys, a documentary following two B-Boy crews currently operating in Middletown, Of Shadow and Earth and 4-ONE. According to Palardy, the film “is a portrait of the two crews as they negotiate religion, race, drug abuse and life in a small city.” Middletown B-Boys recently won the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Jesse Thompkins III Artist Award of Distinction, and was officially selected by the Chicago International Hip Hop Film Festival. Following Palardy’s presentation and film will be a “cypher,” or break dancing event, between local crews.

The following day will feature a competition between the best local youth dance groups, hosted by ThoroEnergy and Of Shadow and Earth, in partnership with Green Street. ThoroEnergy is a newly formed hip-hop dance troupe featuring several Green Street students and founded by alumnus Eric Quiñones. The Youth Dance Invitational is a chance for kids ages 8-16 to compete against their peers and experience a larger hip hop and break dancing scene. Prizes will be awarded for the top dancers in a one-on-one bboy/bgirl battle and hip hop freestyle categories. Visit Green Street’s blog for more info about the events.

Bridget Palardy will show Middletown B-Boys on Friday, May 21st at 7pm at the Green Street Arts Center, located at 51 Green Street in Middletown. The Youth Dance Invitation will be held at Green Street the following afternoon on Saturday, May 22nd at 1pm. Admission to both events costs $8 for non-members and $5 for members, students, and seniors. For more information or to purchase tickets call 860-685-7871 or visit www.greenstreetartscenter.org.

About Bridget Palardy
Palardy, a resident of Brooklyn, NY, has also contributed to new films The Better Half (as Director of Photography, official selection at SXSW Film Festival and LA Shorts Fest) and The Distance Between the Apple and the Tree (Co-Director, Best New Filmmaker at Del Ray Film Festival.) She currently freelances as a video director and editor in the New York area under the production moniker, Sharkaa Films.

About the Green Street Arts Center
Wesleyan University’s Green Street Arts Center, which opened in January 2005, is a vibrant center for arts education, serving residents of the neighborhood and the region. It is a project of Wesleyan University in collaboration with the City of Middletown and the North End Action Team (NEAT). Programming in the former schoolhouse at 51 Green Street includes an after school arts education program and a wide range of affordable classes and workshops for children and adults in music, dance, visual arts, theater, sound recording, media arts and creative writing.

Film Review

Review submitted by Sue Reiderman

Film Review - A Chemical Reaction

There was a screening of an excellent documentary film, A Chemical Reaction, at the Middletown High school last Thursday night with approximately 150 people in attendance. The event was hosted by the Middletown group, Project Green Lawn, along with students from the Middletown Regional Agricultural Science and Technology Center. A discussion led by SafeLawn representative, Scott Reil, followed the film. The students put together a great display on organic lawn care that included numerous handouts for attendees to take home. In addition, the students organized a raffle with many prizes suited to the occasion.

A Chemical Reaction is an inspiring story about how one woman, Dr. June Irwin, and the little town of Hudson Quebec, sparked a movement that has led to the banning of lawn care pesticides across many parts of Canada. As a dermatologist, Dr. Irwin began noticing a connection between illnesses her patients were experiencing and the use of lawn care chemicals. She was so alarmed by her findings, she began a tireless campaign to ban these harmful chemicals in her town of Hudson. Her persistence and persuasive arguments eventually led to a ban on lawn pesticides in Hudson. The ban did not sit well with the lawn care industry, who relentlessly challenged the legality of the ban and took the case all the way to the Canadian Supreme court, where the tiny town of Hudson prevailed. Since that, now famous, supreme court decision, numerous towns and provinces in Canada have followed suit and banned the use of many dangerous lawn care pesticides and herbicides.

The film also stars Paul Tukey, a landscaper who became very ill from the chemicals he was applying. He now goes across the country educating people about the dangers of lawn pesticides and the many benefits of organics. For anyone who doubts organic lawns can be beautiful, take a look at the SafeLawn website www.SafeLawns.org, where many prominent organic lawns are featured, and you will find lots of organic lawn care resources.

Connecticut's own Nancy Alderman, President of Environment & Human Health, Inc., the organization that published the research study Risks from Lawn Care Pesticides, was featured in the film, and the Connecticut law banning lawn care pesticides in schools was also mentioned. The film made clear, that in response to what took place in Canada, the pesticide industry aggressively pushed through the preemption laws that are now in 40 US states. These laws make it illegal for individual towns to ban lawn care pesticides, as they did in Hudson. Bans on lawn care chemicals must be enacted at the state level, a much higher hill to climb. The pesticide industry wanted to ensure that what happenned in Canada would never happen in the US. Maine has no such preemption law, and much to the dismay of the chemical lawn care industry, Camden has banned lawn care pesticides.

Many people have the misconception that organic lawn care is expensive. Scott Reil explained that while organic is more expensive in the beginning, once established, an organic lawn pretty much takes care of itself. A chemically treated lawn, while cheaper to start with, constantly requires chemical applications for insects, weeds, and diseases, that can become quite expensive. The best lawn featured in the film was in the town of Marblehead, MA, where the municipality is using all organic methods. It was mentioned in the discussion that Chip Osbourne along with UMASS, have recently released data on the cost savings of using organics.

In Canada, the supreme court decision favored using the "precautionary principle," which basically means "better safe than sorry". In the US, however, chemicals are considered "innocent" until proven guilty. This means many people are sickened and suffer before any preventative action is taken. According to Scott Reil, change in this country is going to have to come from the bottom up. With that in mind, I'd like to encourage all Middletown residents to participate in Project Green Lawn by signing a pledge not to use chemical pesticides on your lawn, and to demonstrate your support for organics by putting their Chem- Free lawn sign in your yard. Please urge your friends and neighbors to do the same!

For more information on Project Green Lawn, to sign the pledge or obtain the Chem-Free signs for your yard, contact Kim O'Rourke, Middletown Recycling Coordinator at 860-344-3526 or via email: kim.orourke@cityofmiddletown.com

Many thanks to the City Recycling Division, Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, The Jonah Center for Earth and Art, and the Mattabesset FFA Agricultural Communications Team for cosponsoring this event.

Film : A Chemical Reaction

Join Us for a Film Screening and Discussion of

A CHEMICAL REACTION

Thursday, April 1, 2010, 7:00 pm Middletown H.S. Lecture Hall

“A Chemical Reaction, is a documentary movie that tells the story of one of the most powerful and effective community initiatives in the history of North America. It started with one lone voice in 1984. Dr. June Irwin, a dermatologist, noticed a connection between her patients’ health conditions and their exposure to chemical pesticides and herbicides. With relentless persistence she brought her concerns to town meetings to warn her fellow citizens that the chemicals they were putting on their lawns posed severe health risks and had unknown side

effects on the environment. “

for more info about the film go to www.ChemicalReactionMovie.com

Co-hosted by the Middletown Regional Agricultural Science & Technology Center

Co-sponsored by the City Recycling Office, the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, The Jonah Center for Earth and Art, and the Mattabaset FFA Agricultural Communications Team

Pre-registration is encouraged!

Phone (860) 344-3526 to register or for more information

Suggested donation: $5 Great door prizes too!

Major Motion in Middletown – Rising Stars in Training at MXCC

For the first four weeks of June, more than a dozen of Hollywood and New York’s finest motion picture professionals shared their experience and talents with 50 ambitious film trainees in the Connecticut Film Industry Training Program (FITP), presented for the second year at Middlesex Community College. FITP is part of the state’s initiative to attract feature film and episodic television production to Connecticut. The program trains people to work as crew members in various departments, including Assistant Directing, Camera, Lighting and Camera Grip, Script Supervision, Location Management, Production Office Coordination and Sound.

FITP is a four-week intensive program, resulting in the production of a short film, Down to the Wire. The film began shooting June 19 on the MxCC campus. Production wrapped on June 26, with a screening of the first cut of the film for all participants. The film is directed by Lewis Gould, Producer of Law and Order, and Director of Medium and Judging Amy. Middletown resident and Emmy award winning producer/director Lisa Simmons and MxCC professors John Shafer and Rich Lenoce coordinate FITP and are producing the film. MxCC alum Giovanna Vecchitto wrote the screenplay.

During filming the 50 trainees acted as crew under the 10 professionals while on the set. Students trained on and used cinema-quality equipment including 35mm Panavision film and Panasonic digital-cinema video cameras, professional sound equipment, lighting and grip trucks and the computer hardware and software necessary to make a film.

Competition for entry into this year’s program was stiff, with hundreds of people applying for only 50 available slots. Trainees range in age from 19-55. Though they come from all different backgrounds, each participant shares a passion for working in the film industry.

According to one graduate of last year’s program, “FITP teaches you all of the things they don’t teach you in film school.” Many of those 2008 graduates are now working on feature films and network television programs as these productions are attracted to Connecticut due to the state’s tax credits.

The program ran through June 26. FITP is funded by a grant from the Office of Workforce Competitiveness.

Photos of the set in action can be found here and here. (It works for Facebook users... another more public portfolio may happen eventually...)

Once more with feeling

(Director Jeff Lipsky directs Drea DeMatteo on Main Street)

The movie crews rolled into town early this morning, and Main Street from Washington to College was shut down to accommodate the shooting of Once More With Feeling, directed by Jeff Lipsky.



(Mayor Sebastian Giuliano on set)

The crews, mostly from New York City, all t-shirts and tattoos, set up for two hours before cameras rolled for the first time. The initial shot involved shooting from the corner of Main and Washington, on the North of Main, from a dolly. This was not something town officials anticipated, and the mayor was not completely happy that the result was a Route 66 traffic jam which was stopped all the way West to Middlefield. Beachgoes honked their horns in frustration over the delay for shooting. Even after the first scene was shot, traffic, on a perfect beach day, was slow for hours.


(Councilman Ron Klattenberg speaks with producer Paul Jarret)


The first scene involved the character played by Drea DeMatteo being stopped by a policeman for a traffic violation, and then roaring off in her car in anger. It was shot from several angles before the cast and crew broke for lunch and a company move down the block for the shooting of a second scene, involving a tour bus. While there was a lot of excitement having four grip trucks, a generator truck, lights, camera equipment, crew and actors on the street, most observers found that watching a film being made is like watching paint dry, only slower, and with more assistants.

Shooting was expected to be completed by 4 p.m. at which time Main Street will be reopened once again for traffic.

A report from Channel 8 will appear on the 6 p.m. news.


UPDATE: Shooting continued until at least 6:00 pm on the corner of Main and Washington. Merchants along Main Street expressed distress that section of Main, unused for the shoot, were kept closed all day long, with one merchant promising to compose an angry letter to the mayor.

Main Street to be transformed into back lot for moviemaking

On Saturday July 26th, Middletown's Main Street will be used as the set for an independent film, Once More With Feeling, being shot in New York and Connecticut. The film is "about a father, grandfather and respected psychiatrist who grabs hold of a microphone and can’t let go." I'm not sure exactly what that means.


While the film is being pitched as "Hollywood comes to Middletown" the posted NY crew calls describe it as a "low budget, independent feature," being produced by PHC Productions.

It'll be fun to have a movie shot here, low budget or no, but we shouldn't overplay the economic benefits to Middletown or Connecticut. As for public relations for our Main Street, one never knows. Remember Mystic Pizza was also a low-budget, independent film with then-unknown actors.

Recognizable actors include Chazz Palminteri and Drea de Mateo.

Main Street from Washington to Court will be shut down for production between 8 am t0 noon, and from Court to College from noon to 4 pm. Residents are invited to watch the production as long as they cooperate with filmmakers and the local constabulary.

North End Filmmaker Featured on WNPR

Filmmaker and North End resident Justin Liberman was on WNPR's Where We Live yesterday. He spoke about his film Y Nada Mas, the recent surge of film production in CT and this weekend's film symposium at the Green Street Arts Center.

Check it out

(the image is a still from Y Nada Mas)