Bringing Light to Springfield with Big-Screen Movies
Many of you know my team at Exciting Windows! for bringing you custom window treatments to dress up your home. But you might not know that I LOVE going to the movies on the big screen! Combine that with my passion for the arts, and you will see why we are the Premier Sponsor for the Molly Schlich Film Series, the best International and Independent Film Series in central Illinois. If you love movies, this is a great way to get through the gray weeks of winter.
The 34th annual Molly Schlich International/Independent Film Series is brought to you by the Springfield Art Association (SAA) in support of the Michael Victor II Art Library. Each year, the SAA chooses eight award-winning international or independent films that have not yet been shown on the big screen in Springfield. The series runs from Sunday, January 12 through Tuesday, March 4 with a different film showing each week at the AMC Classic Springfield 12 Theater.
This series is a wonderful way to experience foreign lands and gain understanding of different cultures. Although you may be able to find these films on streaming platforms, there is no viewing experience quite like a dark theater with no distractions and like-minded viewers.
Each week, a film is shown three times. Sunday screenings are at 1pm and 4pm, and Tuesday evening movies are at 7pm. Series passes are $60 for members ($65 for nonmembers) for all eight films. Individual tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.
Who is Molly Schlich? Before settling in Springfield, Molly lived all over the world and closely followed film reviews. She was always passionate about international films. She read the New York Times every day.
When she moved to Springfield three decades ago and discovered that no international films were being shown, she took it upon herself to bring them to our community. She teamed up with the SAA and its art library. All films for this series must be critically acclaimed and watched by the review committee, never chosen based just on trailers.
A Kick-Off Party will be held at the SAA campus on Wednesday, January 14 at 7pm. Come by to purchase your pass and watch the trailers for all the films. For complete information visit springfieldart.org.
Schedule of Films
Mark your calendar to see these films on the big screen!
January 18 & 20
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, France 2024. An aspiring writer employed at Shakespeare & Company in Paris is selected for a writer’s retreat in England. The question is whether romantic, Austen-like complications will free her from writer’s block.
January 25 & 27
There’s Still Tomorrow, Italy 2023. This is the story of Delia, a mother of three, the caretaker of a crusty bedridden father-in-law and wife of an abusive husband in post-war Italy in 1946.
February 1 & 3
Lee, USA. Kate Winslet portrays the photo-journalist Lee Miller as she reflects on her career during the second world war.
February 8 & 10
Santosh, India 2024. The widow of an Indian police constable is appointed to her husband’s job and learns she has unknown strength and ability to confront moral complications of authority and prejudice.
February 15 & 17
How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, Thailand 2024. A school drop-out volunteers to care for his terminally ill grandmother while hoping to be rewarded with an inheritance.
February 22 & 24
Terrestrial Verses, Iran 2023. Nine short distinctive stories shot in a single take as ordinary fictional Iranians interact with an unseen authority figure.
March 1 & 3
Night Call, Belgium 2024. A locksmith is called to help open an apartment because the renter has lost her key. It turns out that the apartment is the hiding place for stolen money, and the innocent locksmith is pursued by the criminals all night.
March 8 & 10
The Ballad of Wallis Island, UK 2025. A tired musician arrives at a remote island where he has been hired for a concert. His heyday as a folkie is in the past so he needs money and an audience. But it’s not a straightforward gig.
