Crandell Theatre, Columbia County’s oldest and largest movie house, in Chatham, New York, presents the new critically acclaimed documentary Hello, Bookstore on Friday, June 24, at 7 pm. After the screening, film subject and owner of The Bookstore Matt Tannenbaum will be in conversation with filmmaker A.B. Zax. Sharon Weinberg, owner of Chatham Bookstore, will moderate the discussion and Q&A.
In Hello, Bookstore, a small town rallies to protect a beloved local bookstore in its hour of need. A landmark in Lenox, Massachusetts, The Bookstore is a magical, beatnik gem thanks to its owner, Matt Tannenbaum, whose passion for stories runs deep. Presiding at The Bookstore for over forty years, Tannenbaum is a true bard of the Berkshires and his shop is the kind of place to get lost in. This intimate portrait of The Bookstore and the family at its heart offers a journey through good times, hard times and the stories hidden on the shelves. Hello, Bookstore had its debut at New York City’s Film Forum in April 2022.
After visiting The Bookstore and feeling compelled to tell Tannenbaum’s story, Zax began filming a “day-in-the-life-of” documentary in 2019. When the pandemic began in March 2020, filming stopped and the documentary changed course, telling the story of how a community saved its beloved bookstore.
Matt Tannenbaum has owned and operated The Bookstore in Lenox, Massachusetts since 1976. He also authored the memoir My Years at the Gotham Book Mart with Frances Steloff, Proprietor.
A.B. Zax is a filmmaker who studied film and creative writing at Emerson College before embarking on a career through the worlds of film production, film programming, and writing. Hello, Bookstore is his first feature. After living in New York and Los Angeles, he currently resides in the Berkshires.
Sharon Weinberg is currently the proud owner of Chatham Bookstore. Prior to purchasing the bookstore in March 2021, she was an early stage-investor in women entrepreneurs, with a focus on women’s health initiatives and female founders. She has also worked as a lawyer and banker, though not at the same time. She has two daughters, one of whom, Amy, works alongside her at the bookstore, which is a source of great joy and satisfaction to her.
“A tribute to the love of reading and the pleasures of a smartly stocked bookstore. Tannenbaum’s fondness for his store and its wares is a beautiful thing to behold.” – Lisa Kennedy, The New York Times
“Richly moving and almost transcendental. A salute to the sacramental qualities of art that are threaded through everyday life.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Tickets are sold online at the Crandell website, crandelltheatre.org, and at the box office. Admission is $11 nonmembers, $8 members, and $7 for children 12 and under.
Crandell Theatre, Inc., owns and operates the historic theater on Main Street in Chatham, NY, one of the few remaining single screen theaters in the United States and listed on the national and state registers of historic buildings. The Crandell is supported through earned revenue, memberships, individual contributions, foundations, and grants. It receives general operating support from the New York State Council on the Arts. For information concerning the Crandell, visit the www.crandelltheatre.org or contact the Crandell Office at 518-392-3445.