蜜柚直播

No in-person events meant a lot fewer movies created prior to the pandemic making it to the silver screen.

鈥淭here was a bottleneck last year,鈥� said Jeff Yanc, program director for 蜜柚直播鈥檚 The Loft Cinema, which is bringing back its film festival starting Wednesday, Nov. 10. 鈥淲hen we went looking for films this year, there were plenty to choose from. There was almost a glut of films in a way.鈥�

Yanc said because of the abundance of options, the quality of this year鈥檚 fest, which will be held entirely in-person, is tip-top, with more than 40 full-length and short films screening through Nov. 18.

As an example, the festival will open on Wednesday with the 蜜柚直播 premiere of Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almod贸var鈥檚 鈥淧arallel Mothers,鈥� starring Pen茅lope Cruz and Milena Smit as two expecting mothers who, by happenstance, have a chance encounter at their local hospital while they are both in labor.

Yanc said Almod贸var, an accomplished director and Academy Award winner, has long been on The Loft鈥檚 wishlist for the festival.

鈥淗e is extremely prolific,鈥� Yanc said. 鈥淗e has made many films over the years and they are always consistently good. He has never really dipped in quality. Because of that he has built up a reputation as a filmmaker that people trust to provide a good experience.鈥�

The fest closes with a screening of 鈥淛ulia,鈥� a documentary by directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West, about famed cookbook author and television personality Julia Child.

Sandwiched in-between is a wide-ranging selection of films, including 鈥淎 Hero,鈥� about a man in debt who is offered an opportunity to make good, directed by Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi; and a free screening of the 1924 Buster Keaton film 鈥淪herlock Jr.鈥� with live musical accompaniment from members of the 蜜柚直播 Friends of Chamber Music and the American Harp Society.

Yank said the festival tries each year to make the film selections as diverse and inclusive as possible. That includes working toward featuring as many female directors in the lineup as there are male directors.

Among the options this year for female-directed movies is Lauren Hadaway鈥檚 鈥淭he Novice,鈥� a psychological thriller that won big at this year鈥檚 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

鈥淚t is getting easier,鈥� Yanc said. 鈥淢ore and more women directors are getting opportunities to make films. There are more to choose from.鈥�

Festival programming will be shown in The Loft鈥檚 main auditorium and in its outdoor, Open Air Cinema screening area, created during the pandemic to provide a safer viewing experience for patrons.

鈥淭he Open Air Cinema was a great lifeline during the course of the pandemic,鈥� Yanc said. 鈥淲e closed it over the summer. Our projector was literally melting. Parts were malfunctioning in the heat. But the weather has finally cooled down.鈥�

The Loft continues to institute strict COVID protocols. Masks must be worn inside the lobby and auditorium, except when eating and drinking. The venue is limiting capacity to 185 people per screening in its main auditorium. And proof of vaccination or a negative test is required to attend.

Yanc said people worried about COVID have appreciated the measures that The Loft has taken to keep them safe. They plan to keep such procedures in place through the end of the year, at which time they will revisit.

Yanc said the film festival coming back is a major step toward things returning back to normal at The Loft.

鈥淎 lot of festivals went 100% virtual last year, but we skipped it completely,鈥� Yanc said. 鈥淲e wanted to wait to do it in person so that we could celebrate the communal aspect of people watching films together.鈥�