It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Gary Leib, long-time member of the FilmColumbia family, and co-creator of FC favorite, “Animation for Grownups.” Gary was the animator for American Splendor, directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pucini, which was screened at FilmColumbia in 2003. A few years later, Gary took part in an animation panel at FilmColumbia. He was so taken with the Crandell Theatre and the vibe of the area that he and his wife Judy Glantzman first rented, then bought a second home nearby. After the panel that year, FilmColumbia Festival Director Calliope Nicholas proposed that Gary put together an animation program. He jumped on the opportunity enthusiastically, but with a warning – it wouldn’t be suitable for kids. His idea was to show the best and wildest of cutting edge animation shorts…
Farm Film Festival 13: March 15 – March 21, 2021
Crandell Theatre proudly presents the thirteenth annual Farm Film Festival. This year’s festival, presented in collaboration with the Chatham Agricultural Partnership and the Columbia Land Conservancy, will be held virtually via Zoom. Farm Film Festival XIII is presented with generous support from MetzWood Insurance and the Hudson River Bank & Trust Foundation. As in the past, the program is a mix of films made by professional and amateur filmmakers who respond to the call for entries; the films are selected by a panel representing the collaborating organizations. The festival showcases films that focus on farms, farming, and farming issues from local and national filmmakers. Our theme this year is “Sustainability Around the Globe.” All nine short films will be available for viewing from March 15th-21st on our Youtube channel. Virtual screening is open to the public at no charge, but…
Crandell Theatre Announces $3 Million Fundraising Plan for Renovation and Endowment
The Crandell Theatre board of directors in Chatham, New York, announced today that it has raised $2 million of its $3 million Capital Campaign to renovate the theater and establish an endowment to sustain the theater well into the future. One million dollars has been raised towards the renovation cost of $2 million, and an initial pledge of $1 million has been received for the endowment. The theater renovation will include upgrading the audio system, expansion of the lobby and concession area, additional modernized restrooms, replacement of seats, and creation of functional staff workspace and storage. The Crandell is currently closed because of the pandemic. The board anticipates reopening the Crandell in summer 2021 (based upon state health guidelines and financial feasibility) and producing the FilmColumbia Festival in the fall. Depending upon the progress of the fundraising campaign, construction is…
In Our Backyard: Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Crandell Theatre Presents Virtual Community Event In Our Backyard: Neighbors Helping NeighborsThursday, February 18th at 4pm Join us for “In Our Backyard – Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” an interactive conversation focused on how our community has been responding to new challenges presented by the pandemic. The program is presented with generous support from MetzWood Insurance. Led by Mayor of Hudson Kamal Johnson and featuring prominent community members as panelists, this one-hour Zoom program will address three areas of particular local concern – mental health, physical health, and food vulnerability. The event will take place on Thursday, February 18th at 4 pm via Zoom. Admission to the one-hour program is free and open to all. The goals are to raise awareness for the positive work happening throughout Columbia County, highlight creative solutions, and inform community members about opportunities to serve. In order…
Findings From The Crandell Theatre Members and Friends Survey
Dear Members and Friends: With the governor’s recent decision to open theaters at 25 percent capacity, the responses of Crandell members and friends to the recent survey [January 15-25] have provided helpful guidance as we consider an appropriate format and schedule for reopening in 2021. One-third of Crandell members responded to the questionnaire, with a return of all members and friends at 17 percent. There was not an appreciable difference in responses when members were isolated from the total. Based upon the information provided, we learned that Crandell viewers are overwhelmingly between 55-75 years old and live full time in Columbia County. They come to the Crandell to see movies between three and five times every three months. When people consider returning to the Crandell, they have the following priorities for health/safety: Most important: having had the COVID vaccine, limited/appropriately…
Considerations on Re-Opening the Crandell
Dear Friends: As a result of the pandemic, the Crandell has been closed since March. During that time, our staff and board have been so grateful for the support of our members and friends. Although the Crandell screen may be dark, we have been busy all the while. We have developed schematic drawings toward the long-desired renovation of our beloved theater. We used our PPP grant to do a cleanup of the theater. Our newly-created Community Programming Committee has presented two well-attended, well-received programs thus far: one about the food chain, and our Farm Film Festival. Each week, we offer several films for home viewing on various streaming platforms. And, through our collaboration with local libraries and Kanopy, 30,000 films are available for free. This week, the Governor allowed movie theaters to re-open, at up to 25% capacity. As we…
Behind the Screen: FilmColumbia
In the latest Behind The Screen — a peek behind the Crandell’s velvet curtain — FilmColumbia managing director Calliope Nicholas discusses our signature annual event. FilmColumbia celebrated its 20th anniversary last fall with thousands of film lovers attending. How the world has changed since then! All of us involved with the Crandell Theatre & FilmColumbia have been grappling with next steps throughout the pandemic and closely following the film industry in its latest evolutions. FilmColumbia was created in 1999 to a humble start of a few films over a weekend. In 2000, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon gave our audiences an early screening before going on to win the Oscar for best foreign film. At that time the 35mm projector was the only format available, with large film canisters delivered daily to the theater. It was a fascinating process to watch…
Behind The Screen: Century 35
If This Century 35mm Projector Could Talk… we’d love to hear its stories.
Behind The Screen: Community Outreach
In the latest Behind The Screen — a peek behind the Crandell’s velvet curtain — Joanne Dunne Murphy discusses some of the ways we’re working to stay engaged with you and the rest of the Crandell community during these curious times. The Crandell Community The Community Outreach committee of the Crandell Theatre was formed this year to connect our community through the medium of film. We aim to offer a variety of programs to attract both new and loyal Crandell audiences, and to spark discussion among members of our community on issues important to the Chatham area and our region. Our inaugural program on March 1, “Uprooting Addiction,” addressed the addiction crisis and featured the eponymous film. It was a collaborative event with the Crandell Theatre hosting the film’s team, addiction counselors, and Chatham’s Chief of Police Peter Volkmann. We were encouraged by the large number of…
Farm Film Festival 12
Farm Film Fest 12, the twelfth annual film festival devoted to farms and farming, was screened virtually on Sunday, September 13, beginning at 3pm. This year’s lineup of films focused on farms, farmers, and farming issues both local and national — all centered around this year’s theme: “Farming for the Future: Sustainability in a Time of Change.” Farm Film Festival 12 was a virtual event this year — free and open to all. STREAM FFF12 Made possible by the generous sponsorship of Chatham’s MetzWood Insurance, the program features a mix of films made by professional and amateur filmmakers, each handpicked by representatives of the presenting organizations: the Crandell Theatre, Chatham Agricultural Partnership, and Columbia Land Conservancy. Sponsored by Post-film discussion is moderated by botanist Daniel Franck, Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, currently Director of Science Curriculum at the Core…
Behind The Screen: So What Did You Do With The Candy?
In the latest edition of Behind The Screen — a peek behind the Crandell’s velvet curtain — Sara McWilliams fills us in on some of the latest inner-workings of the Crandell Theatre’s Operations Committee. “So what did you do with the candy?” …asked a friend and avid Crandell Theatre-goer when we closed in response to the pandemic last March. This guy has several favorite seats at the Crandell and he loves the free Member popcorn; we suspect, however, that a real high point of his movie experience is choosing between Milk Duds and peanut M&Ms as he stops at the concession counter. We were delighted to tell him that any candy or snack inventory which could not be safely returned to the supplier was donated to Stratton VA Hospital in Albany. Thanks to our Theatre Manager’s creative solution, we can…