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…

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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…

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Harvesting Change: Our Food Supply in Pandemic Times

Now online: a recording of the Crandell’s live panel event, Harvesting Change: Our Food Supply in Pandemic Times joins some of the region’s leading lights in sustainable food and farming in a discussion about the state of sustenance in these strange times. Sponsored by Hawthorne Valley Association.   Covid-19 has disrupted our food supply in profound ways, both locally and globally. Much of this change has been painful, exposing the many vulnerabilities and inequalities in our food system. Yet at the same time, there have been positive shifts as food suppliers and buyers nimbly adapt to the necessity of social distancing. While being literally driven apart by Covid-19, we are nonetheless sharing its historic shakedown of our food choices and behavior. Join panelists Ruth Reichl (former editor of Gourmet Magazine, memoirist and cookbook editor), Kate Arding (co-founder of Talbott & Arding…

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Small Business Administration’s PPP Loan Awarded

On May 12, 2020, the Crandell Theatre received a loan as part of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Paycheck Protection Program is designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses and nonprofit organizations to keep their workers on the payroll. The Crandell anticipates that 100% of these funds will be federally forgiven, thus turning the loan into a grant.

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Chatham Crandell Theatre Marquee

The News For Now

A note from Lydia Kukoff, President, Board of Directors Crandell Theatre

Dear members of our Crandell community,

Welcome to “Behind the Screen”, our way of keeping in touch with you.

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still from Agnes Varda's Black Panthers
still from Agnes Varda's Black Panthers

Black Cinema & America

A slight change of pace from the Crandell’s weekly Kanopy recommendations. In response to the continuing civil unrest occurring around the country, several major filmmakers and cinema gatekeepers are sharing important cinematic landmarks on race in America, absolutely free. 13th (2016) The title of Ava DuVernay’s extraordinary and galvanizing documentary refers to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. With a potent mixture of archival footage and testimony from a dazzling array of activists, politicians, historians, and formerly incarcerated women and men, DuVernay creates a work of grand historical synthesis about the horrors of mass criminalization and the sprawling American prison industry. Whether or not you’re a Netflix subscriber, the streamer is now presenting 13th in its entirety on YouTube for free. “Dense with information, and it moves fast. But it’s also a story told in images, and the ones DuVernay has chosen…

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James Baldwin against green
James Baldwin against green

For The Times We Live In

This week, the Crandell presents films for better understanding, all of which are now stream-able for free via Kanopy.  Positive change begins with knowledge, compassion, and sometimes, the recognition of uncomfortable truths.

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In Case You Missed It

Kanopy’s catalogue is so heavy with cinematic landmarks, it’s sometimes a little daunting. This week, we look back on a few of the gems in contemporary cinema that the Crandell has hosted in the theatre over past year or so, all of which are now stream-able via Kanopy.

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