Crandell Theatre, the nearly 100-year-old movie house in Chatham, New York, reopens July 1-4, 2021, with a new program format and thorough cleaning following the 15-month closing caused by the Covid-19 virus. Each week eight screenings of four curated commercial and independent films are shown from Thursday through Sunday. The sale of concessions is delayed until the theatre is able to accommodate health requirements. Tickets are sold on line at the Crandell website, crandelltheatre.org, and at the box office. Admission is $8 members, $9 nonmembers, and $7 for children 12 and under. A festive reopening is planned for the first weekend. On Saturday evening and Sunday, July 3-4, the featured film is The Climb, produced by Noah Lang, who has family ties to Columbia County. Directed by Michael Angelo Covino, the film was recognized at the Cannes Film Festival in…
Making History – Marking the 50th Anniversary of the 1971 May Day Protests as Recorded by Videofreex, “Mayday 1971 Raw”
The Crandell Theatre hosted a virtual community event, “Making History – Marking the 50th Anniversary of the 1971 May Day Protests as Recorded by Videofreex, ‘Mayday 1971 Raw’” on Saturday, May 1. Over 40 participants enjoyed the lively and engaging panel discussion via Zoom. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the 1971 May Day peace protests that made history, with record-setting civil disobedience arrests and leading to the end of the Vietnam War. The event featured access to a 66-minute, 21st century edit of the original video compilation by pioneering collective Videofreex, from the historic 1971 May Day protest. Participants were invited to watch in advance of the event, and then tune in to the fascinating panel discussion that followed. The discussion focused on Mayday 1971 Raw, local community members who were present in Washington D.C. that day, and the…
Making History – Marking the 50th Anniversary of the 1971 May Day Protests as Recorded by Videofreex, “Mayday 1971 Raw”
Crandell Theatre proudly presents Mayday 1971 Raw, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1971 May Day peace protests that made history, with record-setting civil disobedience arrests and leading to the end of the Vietnam War. The protestors’ slogan: “If the government won’t stop the war, we’ll stop the government.” The early video documentary was recorded by Mayday Video, an ad hoc group of pioneer video makers, including Videofreex, who lived and had a pirate TV station in the Catskills during the 1970s. This virtual community event features access to a 66-minute, 21st century edit of the original video compilation from the historic 1971 May Day protest. Participants are invited to view the film in advance of the event, and tune in to a panel discussion on May 1st at 5 p.m. To gain access to the film, please register for the event…
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…
FilmColumbia named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World
Chatham, NY Aug. 10, 2020 In a very strange year for film festivals, and everyone, FilmColumbia was named Monday to MovieMaker Magazine‘s annual list of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World. To compile the list, MovieMaker‘s panelists scanned the globe looking for events with forward-thinking programming, unique locations, and well-executed events. “Obviously a lot of New Yorkers are now discovering the beautiful small communities just a short drive from New York City, and we think they’ll be delighted to learn more about FilmColumbia, a fest that blends a gorgeous location, local color (both people and leaves) and Oscar-calibre films, lovingly programmed by a revered team with exquisite taste,” said Tim Molloy, editor-in-chief of MovieMaker. “These festivals made many sacrifices for the greater good this year because of COVID-19, from postponements to pivots online. But the stellar reputations they’ve built for being…
FilmColumbia 2020 Cancelled
FilmColumbia is the Crandell’s signature event, and rather than make-do with a pared down festival, we have decided to bite the bullet and cancel this year’s festival.
We look toward to returning bigger and better next year to kick off the second decade of FilmColumbia.
A Note On Reopening the Crandell
To Our Crandell Community:
As guidelines continue to evolve around the persistent health crisis, we want to update you about some of the issues on our minds as we work toward the eventual reopening of the Crandell Theatre.
Crandell Theatre Elects New President at Annual Meeting
The Crandell Theatre’s Board of Directors elected a new president and other officers at their annual meeting on January 27. Lydia Kukoff, elected as President, will take over for Fred Ulrich, who steps down from that role after five years but remains on the board. Other officers elected by the board include Sara McWilliams as Vice President for Theater Operations; Peter Biskind as Vice President for Programming; Lael Locke as Secretary; and Viki Sand as Treasurer. A member of the Crandell Theatre board since January 2016, Lydia Kukoff is past president and a founder of The Chatham Synagogue-Netivot Torah. Author of Choosing Judaism, she created the Reform Movement’s Outreach program, the first national program for intermarried couples and Jews-by-Choice. She has served on various boards including the Spencertown Academy Arts Center, where she cochaired the Hidden Gardens tour for three…
Purchase your movie tickets online
Crandell Theatre is now accepting payments for movie tickets both at the box office and online. Select your movie from any of the ones listed on the Crandell Theatre website, click “Buy Tickets.” enter the information requested, and print out your ticket receipt. Saving paper? You can also show your ticket receipt to box office staff on your smart phone! All major credit cards are accepted: American Express, Mastercard, Visa, and Discover.