Akron Film+Pixel has announced that the new downtown Akron venue, The Nightlight Cinema, will be open to the public starting on July 1, 2014. The one-screen theater, made possible by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, will show five films during its first weeks, including Cuyahoga Falls native Jim Jarmusch’s “Only Lovers Left Alive,” a brand new restoration of the 1964 Beatles classic “A Hard Day’s Night,” and “Life Itself,” a new documentary about the life of the late film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert.
“We are very excited to open The Nightlight with a movie by one of [this area’s] most prominent natives,” said Steve Felix, director of Akron Film+Pixel. “Together, these films represent the programming planned for the future of the theater: independent works by modern filmmakers and retro classics restored for the big screen.”
About The Nightlight
The Nightlight is a 50-seat cinema located at 30 North High Street, just a few doors down from Rubber City Clothing. It will be open year-round from Tuesday to Sunday each week, with two showings each day.
The cinema boasts a brand-new Christie digital cinema projector and an 8.1 surround sound system that has been installed and calibrated by audio professionals.
The concession bar will serve traditional movie snacks, such as popcorn and soda, but will also include local treats such as pastries from The Blue Door restaurant in Cuyahoga Falls and Cupcake Binge in Munroe Falls. The Nightlight is in the process of obtaining a liquor license and will serve regional craft beers and cocktails during all showings.
The Nightlight was constructed with a key grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Additional funding was granted by GAR Foundation, the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, and the Akron-Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau. The community contributed through a Kickstarter campaign. The theater will be operated by the non-profit organization Akron Film+Pixel, which previously organized the Akron Film+Pixel Festival and over a hundred other film-related events in the Akron area.
Opening Films
“Only Lovers Left Alive” – July 1-3 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., July 4-5 at 12 a.m.
Director Jim Jarmusch’s most recent effort stars Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston as two modern-day vampires who reunite after several centuries of separation. The film was praised by The Village Voice as “the director’s most emotionally direct film since ‘Dead Man,’ and maybe his finest, period.”
“A Hard Days Night” – July 4-6 and July 8-10 at 7 p.m.
“A Hard Day’s Night” has been remastered for a brief national theatrical run just in time for its 50th anniversary. The picture has been digitally restored from the original camera negative and approved by director Richard Lester. The sound has been remixed and remastered at Abbey Road Studios. The film is a fictional account of the Fab Four as they are mobbed by fans, lose Ringo in London, and make their way to a landmark television performance.
“Night Moves” – July 4-6 and July 8-10 at 9 p.m., July 11-13 and July 15-17 at 7 p.m.
Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard star in this Hitchcockian thriller about a group of activists who plot to blow up a dam.
“Snowpiercer” – July 11-13 at 12 a.m.
Based on the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige,” “Snowpiercer” is a post-apocalyptic story about the last surviving humans on a perpetually traveling train and the class warfare that takes place on board. It is the first English-language film by Korean director Bong Joon-ho and stars Chris Evans, John Hurt, and Tilda Swinton.
“Life Itself” – July 13 and July 15-17 at 9:15 p.m., July 18-24 at 7 p.m.
“Life Itself” is both a critical biography and a personal history of Roger Ebert. The film’s spine is the last four months of Roger’s life when the filmmakers had exclusive access as he heroically battled – and ultimately failed – to overcome a hip fracture that turned out to be cancer. The film digs beyond the public perception of Roger as Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic and star of Siskel & Ebert, revealing his ribald sense of humor and his passions for politics and justice.
Tickets
Regular admission is $8.50, and tickets can be purchased at The Nightlight prior to screenings. Seating is limited and will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Arriving early is advised. An online ticket booking system will be available at www.nightlightcinema.com starting in late July 2014. A schedule of all upcoming movies and showtimes will be found on the website as well.
Parking
Free parking after 6 p.m. is available at meters along North High Street in front of The Nightlight as well the High Street municipal garage directly across the street from the entrance of the Akron Art Museum.
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