Two pieces of information concerning audiences, ideal for smokers and nonsmokers alike. And then a video, just because I like you.
- One 2009 event that closely missed the top 10 list in this week’s column was a strong return to film screenings by The Paramount Theater. The Downtown theater gave us a Coen brothers series, rock docs by the Maysles brothers and Jonathan Demme, and Sigourney Weaver. Yesterday, the Paramount announced that it will partner with the Virginia Film Festival to host regular screenings each month, under different themes. January is "Blockbuster Movie Month," which means Gandhi and The Wizard of Oz; February is "Black History Movie Month," which means Akeelah and the Bee and The Wiz. For March, may I suggest "Nicolas Cage Movie Month"? Hey, that would score us another Wizard of Oz riff…
- The Piedmont Council of the Arts announced that it received a $30,000 grant from Altria Group, Inc. PCA plans to use to "foster new arts audiences in low-income neighborhoods through an expansion of the Arts Access Project," a program that coordinated community trips to local arts events. Altria Group gives pretty deeply each year to the areas of arts, education, environment and "positive youth development." Then again, it’s also the parent company for Philip Morris. Choose your habits wisely, art lovers.
- Feedback celebrates a birthday today—one he shares with this person, this person, this local filmmaker and this cartoon creation. Here’s a video to commemorate the occasion:
Free news is good news!
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