The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival returns for a week of “Brooklyn‐born, Brooklyn-based and Brooklyn-centric films,” with many screened at Brooklyn Heights Cinema and St Francis College’s Founder’s Hall. Highlights include Bodies in Irreversible Detriment, starring Breaking Bad‘s Mark Margolis, and New York Dolls’ David Johansen; Balance, starring Stephen Baldwin; and Spoke: A Short Film About NYC Bikes by BHB’s Heather Quinlan. There will also be midnight screenings at Brooklyn Heights Cinema of PAN, described as “a sexy take on Peter Pan,” and Lapsus, “a creepy psychological thriller set in a Brooklyn laundromat.”

Tickets and schedules are available here, and you can watch a trailer here. See you at the movies!

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/66994

The New York Daily News covers the Brooklyn Heights Cinema’s successful Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for digital projection. Owner Kenn Lowy addresses the question on everyone’s mind – will the theater have to move soon as its landlord is looking to sell (for $7.5 million) or lease (for $30K/month) the building.

NYDN: The theater has operated under a month-to-month agreement ever since the lease expired nearly two years ago, and the cost of moving the digital equipment would be “manageable.”
Not that he’s eager to go anywhere else.

“The location is so good,” Lowy said. “I’m not leaving until I have to.”

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/66557

Brooklyn Heights Cinema’s Kenn Lowy has set up an Indiegogo campaign to help save the theater. No, it’s not to buy the building, it’s to help the theater convert from 35mm film projection to digital. “If we don’t make the transition to digital,” Lowy warns, “we lose the opportunity to show some exciting films. In fact, every new film.” The upgrade in technology is juxtaposed against the Mom and Pop-ness of the cinema. “I’m at the theater almost every day, and if someone has a problem with the temperature … or maybe even the sound, all they have to do is come out and talk to me or a member of my staff, and we’ll have it fixed right away. Try that at your neighborhood multiplex.”

Lowy hopes to raise $30,000 by the end of March, and has perks/rewards set up for donations starting at $25. $150 gets you a date night package; and $1,000 gets you a private screening for you and 150 of your closest friends. But any amount is appreciated. “We hope you’ll donate whatever you can, so we can keep showing great films digitally.”

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/65847

Kenn Lowy, owner of the Brooklyn Heights Cinema, 70 Henry Street (corner of Orange) says he is offering a discount for furloughed federal government employees for the duration of the present government shutdown. If you show your federal employee ID, admission is $10. (The discount doesn’t apply to Friday afternoon matinee showings, for which the regular admission price is $7.)

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/62896

A few weeks back, the Brooklyn Heights Cinema added the phrase “Bill Murray Views 4 Free” to its marquee. This makes perfect sense considering the recent spate of sightings of the Caddyshack star in New York City. Sure there’s a site devoted to letting the interwebs know where Murray is, but the latest update was from two weeks ago (in Williamsburg btw).

Gothamist has been covering this phenomenon with as much zeal as they have the drama that is Citibike.

@BillMurray, you've got some fans in Brooklyn Heights pic.twitter.com/2RcWV3ZCUL

— Liz Daube (@lizdaube) August 18, 2013

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/61848

Developers and preservation advocates are playing tug of war as the Landmarks Preservation Committee debates whether to allow Brooklyn Heights Cinema owner Kenn Lowy to hold onto the landmarked 1895 building—or whether to replace it with a planned five-story condo.

DNAInfo.com reports that six votes are outstanding with the Landmarks Commission to approve or deny a proposal to demo the structure. At a November 27 meeting, design revisions for the new building were bandied, which Commissioner Michael Goldblum felt were “too reminiscent of the industrial Art Deco architecture, an inappropriate style for the district.”

Landmarks has not scheduled its next meeting, leaving the fate of the building hanging in the air. Meanwhile, Jane McGroarty of the Brooklyn Heights Association deems 70 Henry Street—one of the last buildings from the 1800s left standing in the area—”one of the handsomest commercial buildings in the district.” Likewise, Council Member Stephen Levin wrote to the Landmarks Commission, “70 Henry Street is a contributing building within the historic district on two levels: It is both architecturally and culturally significant to our neighborhood.”

DNAInfo reports: “To some movie-goers, the building’s muraled ceilings, stained star-patterned carpeted floors, dual entrance stairways and 150-seat sloping theaters hold historical value. The ornate cornice-covered facade and and boxy construction have survived centuries of nearby demolition which claimed most of the other buildings that were made in the same era.”

But according to Randy Gerner, architect of the proposed new building, 70 Henry has been renovated so many times over the last 75 years, including a commission-approved makeover in 1971, it has lost its historic claim. He also says the building, in its current state, is deteriorating.

Lowy says that Caruana has guaranteed the cinema would have a place on the ground floor of the new condo once it reopens, albeit with a rent hike and less space. He’s been told to expect an 18-month displacement, but is grateful to be included in plans for the new building: “I am an eternal optimist. I know we will continue to screen films whether in this building or one that is yet to be built.” (Photo: (remster_9/Flickr)

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/53119

The weather forecast is encouraging, but with so many institutions, like Bargemisic, which is in good physical shape but still lacks Con Ed power, coping with the aftermath of the Sandy/nor’easter one-two punch, what is there to do if you’re in town? There’s the penultimate Smorgasburg of the season this Sunday, November 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Tobacco Warehouse, Water Street at New Dock Street in the Fulton Ferry Historic District (I once described it as being in DUMBO and caught holy heck from the Fulton Ferry Landing Association). The final Smorgasburg of the season will be the following Sunday, November 18.

Brooklyn Heights Cinema, 70 Henry Street (corner of Orange) will be showing The Sessions and A Late Quartet. Showtimes are here.

The Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street (corner of Clinton) will have another of its tours of the Society’s historic building on Saturday, November 10, starting at 3:00 p.m. Details are here. Looking ahead to Thursday, November 15, starting at 7:00 p.m., BHS will present a lecture by independent scholar and author Andrew Coe, “Spilt Milk: the Bloody Food Rackets of 20th Century New York,” about how gangsters controlled much of food distribution in New York City in the first half of the past century. Details are here.

Know of anything else interesting happening in Brooklyn Heights or nearby this weekend or in the near future? Add a comment to this post.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/51642

Brooklyn Bridge Park is closed until further notice. The Brooklyn Historical Society will be closed through Tuesday, November 6. Fortunately, Bargemusic didn’t sustain any serious damage, but repairs to an outside sprinkler pipe will keep it closed through this weekend. However, Brooklyn Heights Cinema, 70 Henry Street (corner of Orange), which remained open through Sandy’s ravages thanks to the dedication of owner Kenn Lowy, will have its normal schedule of shows. Looking ahead to this coming Wednesday, November 7, the Cinema will present songs and a reading by Steve Witt from his new novel, The Street Singer. And there’s more…

The Troupers of St. Francis College will present three performances (Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 2:00 p.m.) of Yasmina Reza’s award winning play God of Carnage, about inter-domestic strife in Cobble Hill (image, taken from the Broadway production, from The New York Times. The performances will be at the College’s auditorium, 180 Remsen Street.

If you want to to help people who were affected badly by Sandy, our neighbors in Red Hook are taking donations of food and other essentials at 767 Hicks Street; for more information see here. Brooklyn Bridge Park may need additional cleanup help; watch the Park’s Facebook page for announcements. The Red Cross has other volunteer opportunities.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/50980

The Brooklyn Heights Cinema continues to provide refuge from the storm, as owner Ken Lowy discusses in a profile in today’s New York Observer. He tells the newspaper, “We all live in the area, I’m 10 minutes away, so why not.”

Lowy says he wasn’t about to let Hurricane Sandy shut him down: “We were open last year for Hurricane Irene and we got a lot of people in, so we figured we would do it again. People get cabin fever. It’s good to get out if you can. It’s all locals (and) everybody’s walking. If you can stay open, it’s smart because you have a captive audience.” See the full Observer story here, and the Cinema’s schedule here. (Photo: (remster_9/Flickr)

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/50627

While many, if not most, local businesses will be closed tomorrow (Monday, October 29), Brooklyn Heights Cinema owner Kenn Lowy tells us the shows will go on at the Cinema, 70 Henry Street(corner of Orange). He’s adding a special 3:00 p.m. matinee. The Master will be showing at 3:00, 5:15, and 8:00; The Other Son will show at 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, and 9:00. Pity Kenn couldn’t get Key Largo on short notice.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/50046

The non-profit cariBBeing is hosting the third-annual Flatbush Film Festival: West Indies Edition, through November 12, which comprises 11 films over seven nights, featuring classic & contemporary films from Trinidad, Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Mauritania and the U.K. Based in Flatbush, Brooklyn and founded in 1999, cariBBeing is the brainchild of Caribbean-American (Trinidadian) Shelley Vidia Worrell.

The Brooklyn Heights Cinema at 70 Henry Street is among three theaters that will screen films, all on Thursday, November 1. Details below the jump.

Thursday, November 1, 6:30 & 10:15 p.m.
“Ring di Alarm,” 2012, U.S. Premiere (Jamaica), 80 minutes
“Moving from the majestic Blue Mountains to the gritty ghetto to the stunning north coast, this is a cinematic mosaic as diverse and complex as the island that inspired it.”

Thursday, November 1, 8 p.m.
“Cabbie Chronicles,” 2012, U.S. Premiere (Jamaica), 3 minutes
“An animated series about a Jamaican taxi-driver, navigating the absurd complexities of modern Jamaican life.”

“I’m Santana, The Movie,” 2012, 52 minutes
A comedy/drama based on the popular digital puppet Santana, who battles himself and others to cope with the social ills of his community and his love for Janice.”

Doors open 30 minutes before. Admission is $10 to $15 with student and senior discounts available. For questions, email caribbeing.film@gmail.com. See the full schedule here. Tickets are here.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49844

Reminder: Tonight, Monday, October 1, at 6:45, Council Member Stephen Levin hosts a free screening of “Gasland”—Josh Fox’s documentary about the Halliburton-developed drilling technology known as “fracking,” or hydraulic fracturing—at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema, 70 Henry Street. The movie is also airing on HBO throughout 2012.

More info: “When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called ‘Gasland.’ Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown.”

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/48714

According to The Brooklyn Paper, Kenn Lowy, owner of the Brooklyn Heights Cinema, has decided to apply to convert it to not-for-profit status. This will give it the flexibility to apply for arts grants and accept tax deductible donations, which will be important given the need to install new digital projectors in order to show movies that are now being released only in that format. It will also enable the Cinema to present more works by local filmmakers as well as concerts by up-and-coming musicians.

The building now housing the Cinema is slated for demolition, although the landowner will provide space for a one screen theater in the new building to be constructed on the site. Lowy is looking for space for a one screen annex to continue presenting movies while the new building is under construction. we’ll keep you advised of developments.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/46526

Yesterday evening your correspondent took his own advice and saw Farewell My Queen at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema. Owner Kenn Lowy was at the ticket booth, and gave me the happy news that the Cinema will be occupying its present quarters at 70 Henry Street (corner of Orange) at least through October. We’ll keep you posted on his search for a temporary location to last until the new building is completed.

As for the movie, I’ll repeat here what I wrote in a comment on an earlier post: Not heavy on plot, but the acting was superb, as were the atmospherics. It conveyed a convincing impression of what it may have been like to be part of the royal court at Versailles as the Revolution inexorably built toward its climax.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/45187

Tomorrow evening (Friday, June 1) the Brooklyn Film Festival starts at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema with screenings of Brooklyn Castle (8:00 p.m., Cinema 2, sold out) and Rose (photo) (8:30 p.m., Cinema 1, tickets available through the Festival website linked above). The Festival continues through the weekend, the following week and weekend, finishing on Sunday, June 10. A complete schedule is on the linked Festival website.

Several events will be taking place at Brooklyn Bridge Park this weekend. The World Science Festival–Science on Site will be on Pier 1 Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Also on Saturday, professional and amateur astronomers will be on Pier 1 for a stargazing party from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. On Sunday afternoon, from 3:00 to 5:30, Walt Whitman fans should gather at the Granite Prospect on Pier 1 for a marathon reading of the Brooklyn Bard’s “Song of Myself”.

On Saturday afternoon, starting at 3:00 p.m., gather at the Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street (corner of Clinton) for a walking tour, “Hiding in Plain Sight: A Walk Down Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights”. Tickets ($8; $5 for BHS members) may be purchased, and there are more details, here.

Don’t forget the final two performances of Theater 2020′s production of Shakepeare’s A Comedy of Errors: Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., at the Cranberry Street Theater Space, Assumption Church, 55 Cranberry Street.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/41508