by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
Film buffs bored with predictable plots and Hollywood hype can get some relief at the Florida Theatre or the SeaWalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach, which host their own film series featuring American classics.
But how about those who have in interest in contemporary movies, indies or foreign flicks?
Tom Blakely, vice president of Open Systems & Networks, thinks he has the answer.
A certified movie aficionado, Blakely wants to create a dynamic cinema atmosphere in Jacksonville by fusing culture with downtown revitalization.
“For me, there’s not much opportunity to see anything except mainstream Hollywood,” said Blakely, head of the Downtown Film Series initiative. “I want to provide a place to see them. You can rent a video, but we want to create a shared experience and encourage interaction afterwards.”
The “we” he refers to includes himself, Amy Crockett of Downtown Vision, Inc. and a handful of other volunteers. According to Blakely, the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Council are also lending their support, and partnering with the City’s film department or Old Arlington, Inc. — once a silent film studio— are other options.
Blakely’s first hurdle is finding a location to screen the films. He discussed the idea with Capital Partners, the company that manages Independent Square, but decided the 340-seat auditorium was too large.
“I’m looking for a small venue because we prefer to have something cozy,” said Blakely. “I’ve talked to downtown hotels for a crowd of about 100. There’s potential for this to be a win-win situation. Hotels have bars and restaurants. If we bring 100 people, some would stick around to use the amenities. I think the same group that is moving into downtown living space would be interested — young professionals, sophisticated empty nesters. We want to give them options. I think there’s a lot of interest in cinema in Jacksonville that is not met by local theaters.”
Blakely plans to host a trial run, possibly June 24 at the Brooklyn Center for Art & Design.
“We’ve roped in some people from the Hard Hat Tour to help because we know they can pull off an event successfully,” said Blakely, adding the series may be partnered with DVI’s FridayFest celebration.
Plans for the future include a spring and fall series with eight biweekly showings, an annual event featuring notable speakers, openings for locally-made films or screening films of limited availability. Organizers also want to establish a film festival and find a permanent venue at some point.
For now, Blakely is keeping his fingers crossed that his idea is well-received.
“We’re looking for more serious cinema than Subterranean [Cinema, the roving theater for avant-garde pictures that frequented Riverside],” he said.
“Their’s were more campy ‘B’ films. Our focus is on foreign language films, independent American films and classic films that have expanded the art form.”
After the trial run later this month, Blakely anticipates starting the series in August. Two main distributors, New Yorker Films and Kino International, are already on board. The lineup so far includes a number of foreign language films such as the French sex odyssey “Sitcom,” the German political drama “The Legend of Rita,” the philosophical “After Life” from Japan and the Iranian drama “The Silence” about the life of a blind boy. Selections in English include the Australian thriller “The Interview,” the American coming-of-age story “L.I.E.” and the Holocaust account of homosexuals in “Paragraph 175.” A collection of 10 short films from The Brothers Quay are also on the agenda.
Films receiving good reviews, critical acclaim or little exposure in this market top Blakely’s list.
“I think we’ll succeed because this group wants it to succeed,” said Blakely. “It takes people who are not discouraged and who’ll keep pushing. I think having a place like this is part of what makes a city a desirable place to live.”
Although he hasn’t received anything other than moral support so far, Blakely is willing to make a go of it even if he has to dip into his own pocket.
“We don’t need a lot of lead time,” he said. “We’re ready to go. We just need a place to do it.”