Our film screenings highlight underground, avant-garde and independent cinema. When we can, we host the filmmaker for an introduction and post screening Q&A. We have shown thousands of films ranging from structural classics like Tony Conrad's "The Flicker" on 16mm, to music films such as Bjork's "Biophilia Live" and Sigur Ros' "Heima". We strive to bring classic films to be screened on 16mm but also new films by emerging independent filmmakers.
The Moviate Underground Film Festival presents a wild variety of shorts, pulling from the best entries in our 2020-2022 festivals.
Including:
"Wilderness Days" - Jason Younkman "Lumen" - Sarah Seené "Press Pound to Connect" - Alexander Fingrutd "My Parent Neal" - Hannah Saidiner "Because the Sky is Blue" - Wenhua Shi "Mountains Meet the Sea" - Kathleen Rugh "Whisper, Rustle" - Maureen Zent "Winter Island" - Peaches Goodrich "In the Mountains" - Wally Chung "Deep Learning Death" - Thorsten Fleisch "Enjoying a Nice Life" - Rainbow Timothy "First Months of Freedom" - Kristin Li "How Do They Do It?" - A. Moon "Wind" - Dana Sink
"Out of Time: The Material Issue Story" examines the tragic story of a rock band on the cusp of superstardom cut short by front man Jim Ellison's suicide. The film tells the story of Material Issue, a power pop trio from Chicago that was literally out of time, sandwiched between the post-punk era of the 80's and the alternative rock movement of the 90's searching for its identity in the gritty world of rock and roll.
Material Issue were a prominent power pop trio from Chicago in the early 1990's, andwere most notable for their debut album International Pop Overthrow and singles: "Valerie Loves Me", "Diane", "What Girls Want", and "Kim the Waitress". They were contemporaries of some of rock's biggest bands, including the Smashing Pumpkins,Weezer, the Pretenders, Liz Phair, and INXS.
The film features original band members Mike Zelenko and Ted Ansani with the first interviews of the family of Jim Ellison since his passing along with others that helped shape the world of the band including Jeff Murphy, Joe Shanahan, Jay O'Rourke, Jeff Kwatinetz, Matt Pinfield, Steve Albini and more.
Come see the Cult Classic about The Rapture and End Times!
Shown on 16mm Film w/ bonus short film
The story of Patty, a young woman living for the present with little concern for the future. She meets and marries a young man and her life seems great, until one morning she awakens to find her husband gone and the radio reporting that millions of people have mysteriously disappeared. As dramatic, earth-shaking events unfold around her, Patty realizes that she is living in the end times spoken of in biblical prophecy. Adventure and suspense build to a thought-provoking climax in this powerfully gripping film.
Post screening, Q&A (via video) with film restorers Thorbjorg Jónsdóttir and Lee Lynch!
Synopsis: Set in the 18th century, Sóley focuses on a young farmer’s resistance to Danish colonial oppression with the help of supernatural forces, including titular elf-maiden Sóley.
About: "SOLEY: The Hidden People of the Shadowy Rocks" is the only feature film by Icelandic avant-garde artist Róska (Ragnhildur Óskarsdóttir, 1940–1996), made in collaboration with her husband Manrico Pavolettoni.
Educated in Prague and Rome, Róska was known for her radical leftist political views which are often evident in her art. A founder of the The Living Art Museum in Reykjavík and a member of diverse artist collective SÚM, Róska made waves in a male-dominated field, and indeed, the situation of women was a primary theme of her work.
Thanks to an untimely demise via drowning, a young couple end up as poltergeists in their New England farmhouse, where they fail to meet the challenge of scaring away the insufferable new owners, who want to make drastic changes. -Letterboxd
Come join us for some Halloween Fun! We'll be showing the newly restored American Genre Film Archive DCP of the 1995 Horror Cult Classic JACK-O! Starring Linnea Quigley and Gary Doles! Plus opening things up with our 16mm print of HALLOWEEN SAFETY! Come have fun and celebrate the season with us at the Midtown Cinema!
"A campfire tale brought to life." —Annie Choi, BLEEDING SKULL
JACK-O is the Halloween mash-up between TROLL 2, ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, and FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V that you've been dreaming of. It's Halloween night in the small town of Oakmoor Crossing. And all is not well. Armed with a scythe and a literal pumpkin for a head, Mister Jack has risen from his tomb to seek revenge against a warlock's descendants and their babysitter (Linnea Quigley, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD). Why? We're not sure. But we are sure that JACK-O is resplendent in its Halloween vibes, autumn landscapes, and surrealist visuals. Newly restored from the original 16mm camera negative, JACK-O is a gloriously fun 1990s slasher that deserves a spot in your heart as a Halloween tradition.
Working from a script by Colin Higgins, Ashby tells the story of the emotional and romantic bond between a death-obsessed young man (Bud Cort) from a wealthy family and a devil-may-care, bohemian octogenarian (Ruth Gordon). Equal parts gallows humor and romantic innocence, Harold and Maude dissolves the line between darkness and light along with the ones that separate people by class, gender, and age, and it features indelible performances and a remarkable soundtrack by Cat Stevens. -Criterion.com
"Orpheus" is a Greek myth about a musician who descends into the underworld to reclaim his dead wife, and so enchants the gods with the music of his lyre that they permit her to return to the land of the living--on the condition that he never look at her. Jean Cocteau set his 1949 film of the story in modern-day Paris, and added twists that would have startled the Greeks, especially a romantic triangle with Death as the third partner.
"Orpheus" shows Cocteau's taste for magic and enchantment; he uses simple but dramatic special effects and trick shots to show his characters passing into the world of death by stepping through mirrors, and when he wants a character to spring back to life, he simply runs the film backward. He weaves his effects so lightly into the story that after a time they aren't tricks at all, but simply the conditions of his mythical world. -Roger Ebert:
Synopsis: With a plan to exact revenge on a mythical shark that killed his partner, Oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) rallies a crew that includes his estranged wife, a journalist, and a man who may or may not be his son.
Come see the classic end of the school year movie, "DAZED AND CONFUSED" (1993), starring Parker Posey, Rory Cochrane, Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, and Milla Jovovich, on the Rooftop at The Millworks!
Synopsis: A group of friends and their siblings each have different experiences on the last day of school in 1976, all culminating in a party in the woods. Rated R
Come see this amazing documentary on the big screen! Homage of one of the most influential bands on the American East Coast, which inspired the rock scene - an emotional, tragically funny and sometimes noisy roller-coaster ride by a dysfunctional family - Dinosaur Jr. Featuring: Kim Gordon, Lou Barlow, Bob Mould, J Mascis, Henry Rollins, Thurston Moore, Murph, and More!!! This film is only being released theatrically across the country at select cinemas for this one night and we are excited to be bringing it to Central Pennsylvania audiences!
Lots of fun educational films about Stranger Danger, Drivers Education, Sex Education and Drug Use. These were 16mm films that used to be shown in High Schools, usually as scare tactics, but also as Education! Come see the fun, old school educational films at the Millworks.
Example:
"60s safety scare film "Red Light Green Light" (16mm)
In the late 1950's a french company, Cameca, started to build music juke-boxes for 16mm films! The result: SCOPITONES! Kitschy, campy, fun, odd music films made in the 1960's to promote modern pop music.
Come to the Millworks to see a full program of 16mm films with booming magnetic sound!
Come see a film about a genuine/emphatic/empathetic community which surrounds the band IDLES. A community screening for the Harrisburg area.
"DON'T GO GENTLE"
A film about finding strength in vulnerability. This raucous, uncompromising journey through determination, friendship and adversity follows Bristol-born rock outfit IDLES as they fight for a place in a divided socio-political environment - and unexpectedly inspire and unify an international community along the way. In a time when the ground is shifting beneath our feet, where open communication and truthful reflection are more vital than ever, we accompany lead singer Joe Talbot and the band as they tear across stages, knock down stereotypes and empower fans to face down uncomfortable realities and talk about mental health.
VENUE: Virtual Screening With Live Q&A / Discussion Live Streaming
ADMISSION: FREE (Tips to the filmmaker appreciated)
Join us for a selection of short documentary films and narratives by filmmaker Brad Abrahams. We were happy to show Brad's feature film LOVE & SAUCERS a few years back and are excited to show some of his short subjects and have a virtual discussion after the screening.
Come see the following films and maybe even a special surprise short film that is in post production at the moment!
DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? A short documentary about the unofficial artist of conspiracy theory culture, the controversial and recently departed David Dees. An artist for Sesame Street for 13 years, Dees was on the track to a lucrative career as a commercial artist in Los Angeles. Then, 9/11 happened, and he forever went down the conspiracy theory rabbit-hole. But is there a way out of the darkness
CONSPIRACY CRUISE First the Macarena, then MKULTRA. The partly real story of a cruise ship vacation for conspiracy theorists that takes a turn for the surreal when their most outlandish theories come true on board.
KEEP FOLKLORE ALIVE A docu-series in development about bizarre folklore, created with Kai Wada Roath and Matt Ralston. Beneath our modern world lies a nearly forgotten one, easily overlooked by the common eye. “Keep Folklore Alive!”, an episodic documentary series, opens the portal into this world, revealing little known astounding stories, the real people who believe in them, and the places they manifest in.
SWAN SONG OF THE SKUNK APE “It exists…” Maybe. A short-form documentary on South Florida's strangest bipedal resident, as told by the rare few who claim they've encountered the creature. At over 1.5 million acres, the 'Glades are the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi, with thousands of acres untouched by man. If indeed something this strange could exist, it would surely be here
DATE: Sunday, March 28, 2021 at 7 PM EDT – 8 PM EDT
VENUE: Virtual Screening With Live Q&A / Discussion Live Streaming
ADMISSION: FREE
Skizz Cyzyk has been making films and music for decades. His passion for film and music cross into each other across many projects including his own bands Go Pills, The Jennifers, Berzerk and more. Join us for a short program of films by Skizz Cyzyk along with a live Q&A/Interview with Skizz.
Come see the John Waters hit movie, "HAIRSPRAY" (1988), starring Divine, Ricki Lake, Sonny Bono, Debby Harry, and Jerry Stiller on the Rooftop at The Millworks!
Synopsis: An unpopular but optimistic high-school teen in early 1960s Baltimore gets onto a local dance program, which she eventually integrates, causing a scandal in the whole city.
Directed by Danny Garcia (The Rise and Fall of The Clash/Looking for Johnny/Sad Vacation/STIV), ‘Rolling Stone: Life and Death Of Brian Jones’ is the first feature length documentary to be produced about the founder and original leader of The Rolling Stones. In the mid 60’s, Brian Jones emerged as 'the face' and poster boy of the Bohemian Swingin’ London scene, topping the charts with The Rolling Stones and dating model/actress Anita Pallenberg. However, his excessive lifestyle and his reputation as 'the original bad boy of Rock & Roll' was to cost him dearly.
As the scene descended into the acid ridden year of 1967 so did Brian. Targeted by the authorities and media, he spiralled out of control losing both Anita and the respect of the Stones. Two years later, Brian was found at the bottom of his swimming pool, the verdict: death by misadventure. During the last 50 years many theories have emerged, claiming that Brian was murdered and that it was covered up at high level, as ‘Rolling Stone: Life and Death Of Brian Jones’ discovers- the evidence for this is extremely compelling.
Long before films like LOVE, SIMON and CALL ME BY YOUR NAME became common fare at the multiplex, the only places gay men could see their lives and lusts depicted on screen with any degree of honesty was at their local all-male adult cinema. From coming out stories to romances, melodramas to camp comedies, the hundreds of films churned out by the gay adult film industry throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s were a driving force behind the spread of gay culture and constitute a largely forgotten cinematic document of the era — films that were often shot in actual queer spaces, starred the people who frequented them, and then played back in movie theaters that doubled as safe communal spaces for members of the community.
ASK ANY BUDDY is a feature-length video companion to the Artforum ‘Best of 2018’ Instagram feed of the same name. The piece uses fragments from 126 theatrical feature films spanning the years 1968-1986 to create a kaleidoscopic snapshot of urban gay life in the era — or at least how it looked in the movies.
From casual tearoom cruising to actual police raids, ASK ANY BUDDY uses rare footage shot at dozens of real bathhouses, bars, movie theaters, pride parades and legendary hotspots like New York’s West Side Piers to explore both the sex film genre’s unique blend of fantasy and reality and its role in documenting a subculture that was just starting to come into visibility in the years immediately following the Stonewall Riots. The piece uses explicit (but not gratuitous!) footage to accurately depict the social practices of the time and the types of activities that actually went on at these locations.
ASK ANY BUDDY was created by Evan Purchell, a film historian whose work on the subject has led to collaborations with Dark Entries Records, Dirty Looks, and Vinegar Syndrome. He is currently conducting research for an upcoming book on the history of the gay adult film industry.
"Purchell has compiled the ultimate photo album, full of moving snapshots of what gay culture—from cruising to cuddling, from smoking to sucking, from letter writing to leather wearing—looked like in the 60s, 70s, and 80s." - Juan Barquin, Dim the House Lights
"Moviate is a volunteer operated, not for profit organization, dedicated to bringing independent, underground, and avant-garde Cinema and Sound events to the Harrisburg, PA area."
DATE: Sunday, April 16th, 2023 @ 7:00pm
