Second Saturday Cinema at the Avalon Theatre

Saturday Cinema at the Avalon, the non-profit group that brings exceptional independent and foreign films to Grand Junction each month, is pleased to present the first annual Rim Rock Documentary Film Festival. The film festival will take place over three days, October 25, 26, and 27, at the Avalon Theatre in Grand Junction.

Three documentary films will be shown at the festival: The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition, directed by George Butler and prominently featuring historic film clips shot by the expedition photographer Frank Hurley in 1914; Promises, an Oscar-nominated documentary that looks at the Arab-Israeli conflict through the eyes of children on both sides; and Dogtown and Z-Boys, a look at the group of boys from Southern California who revolutionized the craze of skateboarding into an international sport.

According to Saturday Cinema at the Avalon Executive Director Diana Robertson Woods, these three films were selected because they “are of exceptional high quality, are highly acclaimed, and will appeal to a wide audience.” Woods continues, “The documentary film festival is an extension of Saturday Cinema’s mission to bring in high-quality films that otherwise would not be shown in Grand Junction.”

Saturday Cinema at the Avalon Theatre shows a different foreign or independent film on the second Saturday of each month. Such films were shown on an occasional basis in Grand Junction for several years and proved to be very popular in the local community. Realizing the community’s desire to view independent and foreign films on a regular basis, five local film lovers, Rhea Gavry, Harry Brown, Charlie Kerr, Greg Jouflas, and Rob Washington, formed Saturday Cinema at the Avalon Theatre. Since January 2001, Saturday Cinema has shown a film each month at the historic Avalon Theatre. A variety of highly acclaimed films have screened this year including Amelie, Gosford Park, Lantana, The Deep End, Waking Life, and Monsoon Wedding. Upcoming movies include 13 Conversations About One Thing, which will be shown on October 12, and an Inuit film, The Fast Runner, which will be screened November 9.

The community has shown its support for Saturday Cinema with between 400 to 700 people attending the films at the Avalon Theatre every second Saturday. There are about 465 subscriber members who purchased tickets in advance at a reduced price for all twelve movies shown in a year. Tickets for each movie are also sold at the door: The prices for 8:00 evening showings are $7.00 for adults and $6.50 for seniors and students; the 4:00 matinee tickets are $6.00 for adults and $5.50 for seniors and students. “There are people from all age groups attending the films,” says Woods. “Everyone from college students to seniors.”

It is quite expensive to screen a film for a day, so Saturday Cinema depends on local underwriters to sponsor each movie. Local businesses and individuals have shown their support for Saturday Cinema by offering to sponsor films. “We really appreciate our underwriters,” say Woods. “Underwriters cover about three quarters of the cost of showing the film, with memberships and ticket sales covering the rest.” Underwriting for this year’s Rim Rock Documentary Film Festival has been generously provided by Cole & Company Realty, Slice O'Life Bakery, Valley Office Supply, Wildwood Landscaping, and Zumiez.

Saturday Cinema also depends on volunteers to run the movies. “We have a great group of volunteers who help us each month, selling and taking tickets,” says Woods. “We can always use more volunteers, and we are specifically looking for volunteers to assist at the documentary film festival, selling tickets and t-shirts.” In addition to the volunteers, projectionist Wayne Gardner and assistant projectionist Lew Lucas are also indispensable to Saturday Cinema, according to Woods.

Watching the movies at the Avalon Theatre is another reason to support Saturday Cinema. “You really receive the whole movie experience at the Avalon,” says Woods. “The screen is large and new, the building is historical, and the surroundings are so beautiful. It really makes it a great experience.”

The Board of Directors selects upcoming films based upon reviews, recommendations, and viewing they have previously attended; they earnestly welcome suggestions from the public. Movie suggestions, reviews, and questions can be e-mailed to saturdaycinema@aol.com and the Saturday Cinema Hot Line is 464-1404.

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Saturday Cinema at the Avalon Theatre
1st Annual Rim Rock Documentary Film Festival
Schedule of Events:

Friday, October 25
Opening Night premiere of The Endurance, 8 p.m.

Saturday, October 26
The Endurance, 1 p.m.
Promises, 4 p.m.
Dogtown and Z-Boys, 8 p.m.

Sunday, October 27
Dogtown and Z-Boys, 4 p.m.
Promises, 8 p.m.

Ticket Information:
Advance weekend passes - $15.00 (includes 1 ticket for each film)
Adult individual tickets - $7.00
Senior/student individual tickets - $6.50

Copyright © 2002, Steve & Denise Hight