SewickleyHerald-UGC
IF: Sensory Friendly Screening of Animated/Live Action Tale Set for May 25 at The Lindsay Theater
A sensory friendly screening of the new John Krasinski film IF is set for Saturday, May 25, at 10:30 a.m. at The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center.
All tickets will be discounted to $8.75 for this special event.
IF relates the funny and touching story of a girl who can see people's imaginary friends, and sets out to reunite the "pretend" playmates with the kids who loved them.
"Imaginary friends are not just these adorable creations, they are time capsules for our hopes, dreams, ambitions," says Krasinski. "I wanted people to leave this movie believing in something bigger and believing in something beautiful."
IF features Ryan Reynolds, Cailey Fleming and a star-studded cast of faces and voices including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Awkwafina, Bradley Cooper and Blake Lively.
The Lindsay's sensory friendly screenings are geared to families and individuals who are impacted by autism or other special needs, and enables the entire family to participate in the cinematic experience. No trailers are shown to reduce "sit time," dim house lights remain on throughout the screening and volume is lowered. Doors exiting the screening room remain open, allowing guests to easily walk into the lobby if they wish.
The Lindsay, which pioneered sensory friendly screenings northwest of Pittsburgh in 2017, schedules these showings to be the only events in the Theater and provides adequate staffing to create an enjoyable, low stress atmosphere for all attending.
Tickets are available online and at the door. [Please email the Theater if you are unable to attend because of ticket costs.]
The Theater, a nonprofit organization at 418 Walnut St., Sewickley, has attracted guests from across the tri-state area with sensory friendly screening event options to people living in suburban and rural areas. Parking in a metered municipal lot adjacent to the Theater is the easiest drop-off point for those with mobility challenges. A ramp also provides accessibility from Walnut Street.
May 14
Stephanie Waite
SewickleyHerald-UGC
SewickleyHerald-UGC
Pittsburgh Moving Picture Festival Celebrates Region’s Cinema, Brings Classic Romero Film, Indie Trailer/Screenplay Competition to The Lindsay
A 45th anniversary screening of George Romero's classic zombie film Dawn of the Dead, along with the Double Feature: Trailer Bash and Raging Pages trailer and screenplay competitions, will highlight the Pittsburgh Moving Picture Festival, set for Sunday, May 19, at The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center.
A celebration of the art of cinema and the region's rich motion picture tradition, the event also includes a Q&A with actors from Dawn of the Dead, filmed at the Monroeville Mall and considered one of the most influential horror films of all time.
The afternoon begins at 12:30 p.m. with the Double Feature trailer and screenplay competitions, a curated program of Official Selections of coming attractions, all of which are eligible to earn one of the premiere trailer trophies on the festival circuit"the "Tabby""for Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Score, overall Best Trailer and the Audience Favorite award!
This event is free to the public but reservations are requested to ensure seating for all.
At 1:30 p.m., in collaboration with the George A. Romero Foundation's "Romero Lives!" series, the festival continues with a 30-minute Q&A with Dawn of the Dead actors Melissa Dunlap ("Airport Zombie Kid"), Bob Michelucci ("Scope Zombie") and"in a very rare public appearance"Jeannie Jeffries ("Blond Zombie"). The one-of-a-kind panel is hosted by fellow "zombie talent" veteran and director/producer Mike Ancas (Day of the Dead, Chasing Zombies).
Following the Q&A, at 2 p.m., watch Dawn of the Dead as it was intended to be seen: on the big screen. Romero's gut-chomping, genre-defining sequel to Night of the Living Dead premiered April 12,1979 at the Gateway Theater in downtown Pittsburgh yet is rarely seen on movie screens. The plot follows two Philadelphia S.W.A.T. team members, a traffic reporter and his television executive girlfriend who seek refuge from a zombie epidemic in a secluded shopping mall.
The late critic Roger Ebert gave the movie four out of four stars and proclaimed it one of the best horror films ever made. Empire named it one of the 500 Greatest Movies of all Time in a 2008 survey.
The film also launched the career of makeup and special effects artist Tom Savini, a Pittsburgh native who went on to work on classic horror films such as Friday the 13th parts 1 and 4, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
Tickets are on sale now!
The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center, formerly The Tull Family Theater, is an independent, film-driven arts nonprofit located at 418 Walnut St. in Sewickley.
May 10
Stephanie Waite
SewickleyHerald-UGC
TribLive
Duquesne student's journey from a cracked violin to master's degree, fellowship
At age 9, Jesse Thompson heard a violin for the first time and was mesmerized by it during a student assembly as a public school student in Williamsport, Pa. There was one problem. There were not enough violins in school for him to study it in class. "I was bawling
May 10
Bill Schackner
TribLive
SewickleyHerald-UGC
Pittsburgh’s 2023 “Best Filmmaker,” Steve Rudzinski, Presents CarousHELL Trilogy at The Lindsay Theater’s Emerging Filmmakers Showcase May 16
Pittsburgh City Paper's "Best Filmmaker" of 2023, Steve Rudzinski, will screen his indie horror sensation, CarousHELL Trilogy, at The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center's next Emerging Filmmakers Showcase, Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m.
Rudzinski, of Coraopolis, has garnered numerous awards from the indie horror community, including a Lifetime Achievement Award for directing from Grossfest, a horror convention; Best Feature Film of 2021 at the LA Indie Horror Fest, and the 2023 Fangoria Chainsaw Award. His work is also a hit in Prague, where a theater licensed the first CarousHELL film for six months of theatrical screening, and found fan reaction so positive that it has also licensed parts 2 and 3.
Emerging Filmmakers Showcase events, a staple at The Lindsay, were developed to accelerate filmmakers' exposure and encourage exchanges between local artists and the public.
Described as "equal parts hilarious, heartwarming and bloody," the CarousHELL Trilogy"the story of a sentient carousel unicorn trying to raise his half-human son"will be screening in its entirety for the first time in the U.S.
Rudzinski, a horror fan since seeing Nightmare on Elm Street at age 3, says he hopes to inspire younger creatives who are considering a career in filmmaking. "It really is possible to make movies yourself and get them into the public eye!"
Rudzinski serves as writer, director and co-producer of the trilogy. Other regional cast and crew members include co-writer and co-producer Aleen Isley, also of Coraopolis; director of photography and editor Scott Lewis of Mount Oliver; SFX designer Cody Ruch of Emsworth; and South Fayette Township native Rob Steinbock, producer/co-producer of the first film.
Total running time is 220 minutes and includes brief intermissions between films. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Rudzinski and others involved in the project.
Big Spring Spirits, a community-centric craft distillery based in Bellefonte, Pa., will also be on hand with "CarousHELL-inspired" signature cocktails available for purchase.
While the event is free, RSVPs are requested to ensure seating for all.
The Lindsay Theater, an independent, film-driven arts nonprofit, is located at 418 Walnut St. in Sewickley.
May 9
Stephanie Waite
SewickleyHerald-UGC