News Release from Northwestern Michigan College 1701 E. Front St., Traverse City MI 49686 Contact: Paul Heaton, 231 995-1019, email: pheaton@nmc.edu Date: June 2, 2008 News Archive

NMC to sponsor free student movies at State Theatre

TRAVERSE CITY -- Northwestern Michigan College in June will begin sponsoring a free movie screening for students one night a month at the State Theatre.

The first free screening will be “Son of Rambow,” a British comedy that was an official selection at both the Sundance and Toronto film festivals this year. The story takes place in the 1980s and features a boy raised in an environment that forbids music and television. When the boy sees a bootleg copy of “Rambo: First Blood,” he teams up with the school bully to make their own “action epic.” It is rated PG-13.

The first NMC Free Student Film will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 19.

“Collaboration is a hallmark of our community, so it’s appropriate that we work with our area’s newest cultural destination to benefit students of all ages,” said NMC President Tim Nelson. “In addition to education, one of NMC’s purposes is cultural and personal enrichment, so this is a perfect fit.”

“One of the State Theatre’s goals is to be more accessible to younger audiences,” said Michael Moore, Founder of the Traverse City Film Festival. “We are thrilled that NMC stepped forward to help make that possible.”

NMC faculty and staff will introduce the films, and student ambassadors will assist as ushers. When possible and appropriate, NMC instructors will lead post-movie discussions.

NMC Instructor Mark Howell this fall will teach “Film as Literature,” and he hopes to incorporate discussion of some titles from NMC Free Student Film Night into his class.

“Film offers a great opportunity for students to learn about critique and literary analysis,” Howell said. “Regardless of the movie or theme, a healthy discussion helps with understanding and interpretation. I hope the NMC sponsorship inspires many invigorating conversations and new connections among students throughout our community.”

The free screenings will be open to students of any grade level (as appropriate for the individual movie rating), and seating is on a first-come first-serve basis. The general public is welcome to attend the same screening by paying the regular admission price.

The NMC Free Film Movie selection will be announced each month at www.statetheatretc.org.