MVCMA - Summer Movie Series with MV Film Society

A Special Series of Six Films

Movie Night
at the
Tabernacle

Presented in Association with
the Martha's Vineyard Film Society

Admission $8
($5 for members of MV Film Society and for children under 12)
Tickets at the Door

ZEB - SCHOONER LIFE

Tuesday, July 15, 8:00 p.m.

Featuring a Q & A with Vineyard filmmaker Gordon Massingham

Zeb Tilton was Martha's Vineyard's Paul Bunyan, its John Henry, and Casanova. Zeb was Captain of the Alice S. Wentworth, the sweetest schooner along the coast. She was a working vessel, but with Zeb at the wheel, she could outsail America's Cup yachts, slip into coves, navigate up rivers. Zeb Tilton, they said, could reach Chicago on a heavy dew. As he moved cargoes along the coast, he became a legend, and in the early days of the mass media- a national celebrity. This is Zeb's story, the place he came from, the way he lived, the legacy he left. His great strength, his loves, his work ethic, his wit, his skill at handling a vessel under sail made him a genuine American folk hero. .

NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND (GREEN SCREEN MV)

Tuesday, July 22, 8:00 p.m.

Followed by a special presentation by local environmental agencies to show what kids can do to help

Hayao iyazaki's epic, environmentally conscious anime, takes viewers on a voyage through time and space to the magical and dreamlike Valley of the Wind, where good battles evil for the future of the human race. Faced with almost certain destruction of her planet's natural resources, the warrior Princess Nausicaa must rally her people against an evil queen's army to bring a new life to her homeland. Reminiscent of works by J.R.R. Tolkien, this story of environmental responsibility, coming of age, peace, and redemption has proven to be one of the legendary Miyazaki's most enduring works.

RARE BIRD

Tuesday, July 29, 8:00 p.m.

Featuring a Q & A with noted bird watcher, Vern Laux and a Bonus short film, Bird Quest, a 9 minute film by Vern Laux and Bob Shriber

Imagine finding a pterodactyl alive and nesting on an obscure island. Rare Bird is the true story of a 15-year-old boy who helped find a bird believed extinct and solve the mystery of its existence. Like the myth of the phoenix, the Cahow bird is resurrected on the island paradise of Bermuda at the dawn of its development, returning to teach humanity an important lesson in perseverance.

This against all odds story about a man, a ghost bird and a struggle for survival takes a dramatic turn, when the bird faces a greater threat: global warming. Ravaged by a recent hurricane what will David and his successor Jeremy do to save the species once again from oblivion? Rare Bird is their tale of hope, inspiration and commitment to the future of all species.

Silent film version of
20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

Tuesday, August 5, 8:00 p.m.

Screened with live musical accompaniment by Bradford Reed, performing on the pencilina and cellist Jane Scarpantoni

The 1916 silent version of Jules Vernes' classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" was promoted on the basis of its advanced underwater photography, the handiwork of the legendary Williamson Brothers. The film's storyline combines elements from both 20,000 Leagues and another Verne novel, Mysterious Island. Towards the end of the film the power-mad Captain Nemo, whose futuristic submarine is the film's centerpiece, explains why he has come to hate mankind--which segues into an elaborate flashback sequence set in India, which seems to have been concocted by Rudyard Kipling. The cost of this film was so astronomical that it could not possibly make a profit, putting the kibosh on any subsequent Verne adaptations for the next 12 years.

WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY?

Tuesday, August 12, 8:00 p.m.

Featuring a live guest appearance by Reverend Billy and Savitri

From producer Morgan Spurlock (SUPER SIZE ME) and director Rob VanAlkemade comes a serious docu-comedy about the commercialization of Christmas. Bill Talen (aka Reverend Billy) was a lost idealist who hitchhiked to New York City only to find that Times Square was becoming a mall. Spurred on by the loss of his neighborhood and inspired by the sidewalk preachers around him, Bill bought a collar to match his white caterer's jacket, bleached his hair and became the Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping. Since 1999, Reverend Billy has gone from being a lone preacher with a portable pulpit preaching on subways, to the leader of a congregation and a movement whose numbers are well into the thousands.

CHOPS

Tuesday, August 19, 8:00 p.m.

Documentary

Each year the best high school jazz bands from across the United States compete at the prestigious Essentially Ellington Festival. Hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis, this high-profile event offers an impressive preview of emerging jazz talents.

Reminiscent of Mad Hot Ballroom, Chops will make audiences admire the dedication of these young people as they proudly watch the culmination of their hard work: a festival performance where the students realize that no matter how much one prepares, sometimes life, like jazz, calls for improvisation.