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OMAR and BETHLEHEM: “Two Films, One Issue”

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Recently posted on the Jewish Exponent site, an excellent think piece about two films — OMAR, from Palestine, which we are currently screening, and BETHLEHEM, from Israel, which we open Friday. They are both terrific films and both tell stories with the same basic subject matter from different sides of the conflict. The piece is by Greg Salisbury:

Israeli Politics at the Oscars: Two Films, One Issue

February 26, 2014

At the 86th Academy Awards ceremonies on March 2, a film about the morally ambiguous and lethal world inhabited by Palestinian informants and their Israeli handlers will be one of the five nominees for Best Foreign Language Film. Win or lose, the evening will cap a successful year in which the film has won awards across the world.

The film in question is not Bethlehem, Israel’s entry, by first-time director Yuval Adler, which recently won six Ophirs, the Israeli equivalent of the Oscars, as well as the top prize at the 2013 Venice Film Festival. It is Omar, the Palestinian submission, directed by Hany Abu-Assad, which won the Special Jury Prize at the 2013 Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival. Abu-Assad was also nominated in 2006 for his film Paradise Now, about a pair of Palestinians preparing to become suicide bombers.
Both films, with two different viewpoints of the same controversial subject, are among the record 76 submissions from countries looking to take home a statuette. Only the voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences know why one of these films was selected and not the other — the “arts” part of the academy’s name underscores the subjective nature of judging what is best about the form.
Sahdi Marei as Sanfur in BETHLEHEM

 

BEA HUSMAN: BEATIFICA Comes to NoHo 7

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Join us for the NoHo 7’s first art gallery opening and the second installment of Laemmle’s ART IN THE ARTHOUSE program!  At select Laemmle Theatre locations, you’ll soon be enjoying fine works by visual artists in our lobbies and on your way to the auditorium.

BEA HUSMAN: BEATIFICA opens this coming Wednesday, February 26, 6-9pm.  To join us for the opening celebration, RSVP HERE.

This extraordinary exhibit uncovers the work of BEA HUSMAN (1915-2011), an iconoclast who translated her world travels into inspired artworks in a variety of media. Rarely exhibited during her lifetime, Husman produced art for the sheer pleasure of it, resulting in a legacy unsullied by the marketplace and a body of work that exudes joy and lyricism.

Husman, a fashion designer turned artist, discovered the Intaglio process in the 1970s and soon a printing press and metal plates for etching and engraving became part of her studio, alongside large easel, oil, and acrylic paints. In turn, this led to an interest in paper-making, and, circa 1980, Husman made her way to Kyoto, Japan for a paper-making class with DAVID HOCKNEY. Upon her return, she began utilizing both paper and print making disciplines to create breathtaking collage pieces that incorporated fabrics, string, torn sections of prints, found objects, and coarse, handmade papers.

As she matured as an artist, Husman exhibited an uncanny ability to weave together her myriad influences, including explorations of remote cultures, to create pieces of increasing sophistication.  She died in 2011 at 96. leaving  a treasure trove of never-before-seen work for the public to discover.

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About ART IN THE ARTHOUSE:

Art in the Arthouse is the brainchild of Laemmle president, Greg Laemmle. Switching to digital poster frames conserves both paper and wall space, creating the opportunity to extend the cultural scope of our theaters to include the visual fine arts.

By reclaiming wall space throughout our theaters for the display of fine art, patrons will have a chance to bond with notable and emerging L.A. based visual artists and their work. Proceeds from the sale of art benefit the activities of the Laemmle Charitable Foundation.

 

Climate Ride with Greg Laemmle and Win a 2014 Movie Pass

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Last year’s Ride with Greg Laemmle Climate Ride Contest was so successful we’re doing it again!

Tell us why you want to ride with Greg and you could win an Unlimited Laemmle Movie Pass for the remainder of 2014, free registration for Climate Ride California, and a $2500 contribution toward your Climate Ride fundraising goal from the Laemmle Charitable Foundation.  See the second and third prize packages, eligibility requirements, and all contest details over on the contest entry page.

An outside panel of judges will select the winners based on the quality of their entry statement so take the time to craft something that’ll really knock their cycling socks off! But don’t wait too long, the deadline for entry is Monday, February 17!

Climate Ride Wine Country 2014 is a fully-supported, four-day group ride covering 250 miles of stellar Northern California scenery starting in San Francisco and winding through the famous wine growing regions of Napa Valley and the Russian River Valley.  It culminates at the iconic state capitol building in Sacramento.  Bike fitness is recommended, but the ride caters to all levels of ability.

You can listen to Greg Laemmle talk about Climate Ride on KPFK’s Bike Talk here. He was joined by past Climate Riders, Ride Director Blake Holiday, and LA County Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Jennifer Klausner.

ENTER HERE

 

Laemmle 75th Events Raise $100K for Charity

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Wow!  Thanks to our patrons and community partners, we’re pleased to report that our 75th Anniversary activities raised approximately $100,000 for the Laemmle Charitable Foundation!  These funds will be directed to local, L.A.-based non-profits doing inspired work around the issues of poverty, the environment, and alternative transit.

With $18,000 in ticket sales, the response to the 75th Anniversary Raffle was beyond expectations.  In addition, $70,000 was raised via our commemorative book – “Not Afraid … 75 Years of Film Exhibition in L.A.”  The final $12,000 came from tickets purchased to the 75th Anniversary Gala held at the Royal Theatre on December 17th.  Additional support was provided by ticket buyers at four additional celebratory screenings at the Monica, Claremont, NoHo, and Playhouse.

Even though the 75th Anniversary events have passed, it’s not too late to participate! Your purchase of a 75th Anniversary T-shirt or the  “Not Afraid…“ book will benefit the Foundation.  The book, which features articles on Laemmle History, our Top 75 Films, classic L.A. Eateries, and more, is a great keepsake. It can be purchased at any Laemmle theatre or online. The spiffy t-shirts are also available online and at select Laemmle locations (Claremont, Encino, North Hollywood, Pasadena, and West L.A.).

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Reminder: If you purchased a raffle ticket, please visit any Laemmle location to redeem your raffle stub for a FREE COPY of the “Not Afraid…“ book.
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If you had the good fortune of attending the 75th Anniversary Gala at the Royal, you know what a fantastic evening it was.  Senior V.P. Jay Reisbaum kicked off the proceedings with some brief remarks about the Laemmle Foundation.  Then Bob Laemmle regaled attendees with memories of his father, Laemmle Theatres co-founder Max Laemmle, and talked about the bygone days of movie exhibition.

CicLAvia Co-Founder/Executive Director, Aaron Paley, is presented with check by Laemmle Charitable Foundation board members at the 75th Anniversary Gala on December 17, 2013.
Friends of the L.A. River Co-Founder, Lewis MacAdams, is presented with check by Laemmle Charitable Foundation board members at the 75th Anniversary Gala on December 17, 2013.

Tish Laemmle, wife of current company President Greg Laemmle, introduced Aaron Paley of CicLaVia, who accepted a grant of $5000 for L.A.’s preeminent bike and pedestrian street festival. Lewis MacAdams captivated everyone with a very impassioned speech on behalf of the L.A. River.  His organization, FOLAR (Friends of the L.A. River) also received $5000 from the Foundation.  Lastly, we were thrilled to honor Alyse Laemmle, wife of co-founder Kurt Laemmle, who was in attendance and, at 97 years old, still going strong!

The evening culminated with a screening of  A MAN AND A WOMAN, Claude Lelouch’s classic 1966 French romance that enjoyed a startling two-year run at the Laemmle Regent, thus kicking off the Westwood Village moviegoing boom.

The 75th Anniversary was a “coming out” party or sorts for the Laemmle Charitable Foundation. While the Foundation has been around since 2000, it had kept a low-profile. The 75th Anniversary presented a great opportunity to raise funds and bring its mission into clear focus for the community.

The Foundation is an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) private, non-profit organization, meaning your donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Without any paid staff,  the Foundation has managed to distribute more than $850,000 since its inception.  The board hopes to cross the $1M mark by the end of 2014.  As mentioned earlier, giving is directed to local organizations with the ultimate aim of making L.A. a more livable and compassionate city for all its denizens.  For more information on the Foundation, including a full list of beneficiaries, visit its website at www.laemmlefoundation.org.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t end this post with a big thank you to the entire Laemmle community, including you, our devoted patrons, friends, family, associates, and sponsors.  In most cases, these parties are one and the same – as we consider all in our purview to be, as poet Ogden Nash observed, ‘Laemmle Faemmle.’

Since 1938, we’ve been bringing great cinema to L.A.  As a result, we’ve thrived as a family owned and operated business for over three successive generations of leadership. And we couldn’t have done it without you.  So here’s to the past 75 years … and the next!

THE ACT OF KILLING Q+A’s at the Monicas with Director Joshua Oppenheimer

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Joshua Oppenheimer, director of the astonishing documentary THE ACT OF KILLING, will participate in Q&A’s after the 10:30 AM screenings Saturday and Sunday at the Monicas.

http://vimeo.com/66577653

 

 

L.A. Film Critics Association Announces 2013 Honorees

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LAFCA just announced their 2013 winners, among them many films we’ve played or are playing, and one very lovely picture we are proud to be opening very soon: Spike Jonze’s HER, which they named Best Picture (in a tie with GRAVITY). They also gave it the award for Best Production Design and the movie was runner up in three other categories: Best Screenplay, Director and Score. HER is an original, moving, funny, beautifully realized knock-out featuring Scarlett Johansson’s best-yet peformance. And you never even see her face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsQqMwacZQw#t=3

75th Anniversary Screenings Added in Claremont, NoHo, Pasadena, and Santa Monica!

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We’ve added four special film events across Los Angeles in addition to our 75th Anniversary gala in West L.A. All proceeds will benefit the Laemmle Charitable Foundation.

DERSU UZALA
Sunday, December 15 @ 10:00 AM
Monica in Santa Monica
Purchase tickets | Purchase $100 sponsorship

CONTEMPT
Sunday, December 15 @ 7:30 PM
Claremont 5 in Claremont
Purchase tickets | Purchase $100 sponsorship

WINGS OF DESIRE
Monday, December 16 @ 7:30 PM
NoHo 7 in North Hollywood
Purchase tickets | Purchase $100 sponsorship

BABETTE’S FEAST
Wednesday, December 18 @ 7:30 PM
Playhouse 7 in Pasadena
Purchase tickets | Purchase $100 sponsorship

Ticket prices:

$8 for general admission ($6 with premiere card).
$10 includes one admission, small popcorn & fountain drink ($8 with premiere card).
$25 includes one admission, small popcorn, small drink, plus a voucher for 75th anniversary t-shirt.
$100 ‘Sponsor’ package includes two of everything from the $25 level plus the option to be named as the sponsor of the event, early seating, and private reception with Bob and/or Greg Laemmle.

Help for the Holidays + Flicks Candy

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As a gesture of thanks to the community that has sustained us for seventy-five years, Laemmle Theatres is pleased to announce HELP FOR THE HOLIDAYS.  We have matched each of our theatres with a specific local charitable organization.  The funds raised from the sale of Flicks candy at each theatre during this holiday season will be passed on to the following worthy organizations:

Every time someone purchases a Flicks Candy for $2.50, Laemmle Theatres will donate $1.00 to charity. We also have special combinations:

1) small popcorn, small fountain drink + Flicks for $8.25 ($1 Off for Patron & $2 going to charity)

2) medium popcorn, medium fountain drink + Flicks for $9.00 ($1.50 Off for Patron & $2.50 going to charity)

3) large popcorn, large fountain drink + Flicks for $9.75 ($2 off for Patron & $3 going to Charity)

Claremont – HOUSE OF RUTH

Monica – OCEAN PARK COMMUNITY CENTER

NoHo – L.A. FAMILY HOUSING

Playhouse – UNION STATION HOMELESS SERVICES

Music Hall and Royal – WESTSIDE FOOD BANK

Town Center – SOVA

We don’t normally sell Flicks, but it is a delicious, old-timey candy first introduced in 1904. Try it! We’ll only be selling it through the holidays.

For more information about our charitable activities, visit http://laemmlefoundation.org/