Association for the Colonial Theatre Announces Participation in Fourth Annual National Evening of Science on Screen®

Phoenixville, PA – March 13, 2017 – The Colonial Theatre announced today it will take part in the second annual National Evening of Science on Screen on Tuesday, March 28. Twenty-eight independent theaters in cities across the country will participate in this event, which will feature a short introductory video, followed by a unique film and speaker presentation at each venue as part of its Science on Screen program. The Colonial Theatre will screen Run Lola Run with an introduction by and post-screening discussion with Ursinus College professor and Physicist, Dr. Casey Minna Schwarz beginning at 7:30 PM. 

 

Program details and much more can be found on the national website, scienceonscreen.org, which also features archival program info, videos, venue information, and grant guidelines. 

 

Through Science on Screen, theaters creatively pair screenings of classic, cult, science fiction, and documentary films with lively presentations by notable experts from the world of science and technology. Each film serves as a jumping-off point for the expert speaker to explore a related scientific or technological topic in a way that engages general audiences – from the dangers of climate change (The Grapes of Wrath) to the search for extraterrestrial life (Contact). This program began in 2005 at Coolidge Corner Theatre in Boston, MA, and has since expanded to other independent cinemas through a national grant initiative funded by the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and administered by the Coolidge. The Colonial Theatre was among 35 cinemas to receive a Science on Screen grant in 2016. 

 

“We’re delighted to join with the Coolidge in celebrating a National Science on Screen evening in 28 cities across America,” said Doron Weber, Vice President and Program Director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. “With the success of Oscar-nominated box office hits such as Hidden Figures and The Martian, it’s clear that mainstream audiences are starting to embrace science-themed films. Science on Screen goes one step further and shows that just about any popular film—be it epic, comic, satiric, horrific, biographic, dramatic or thrillerific–can lead to an exhilarating discussion of science and technology and add a little salt to your popcorn.” 

 

The National Evening of Science on Screen aims to highlight the rich and varied connections between science and film. This year, movie-and-speaker pairings will address such diverse concepts as the chaos theory, deep-sea exploration, the science and history of musical instruments, and wildlife preservation. 

 

Each participating theater will present a different program, with audiences nationwide experiencing the excitement of discovery as they enjoy some scientific enlightenment along with their popcorn. 

 

Casey Schwarz, an assistant professor of physics at Ursinus College, will kick-off the series run at the Colonial Theatre on the 28th at the screening of the cult classic Run Lola Run with her presentation Chaos Theory: Butterflies and Drug Lords. A reception for Colonial members and Ursinus alumni will precede the screening. 

 

Prof. Schwarz earned her doctoral degree in physics from the University of Central Florida in 2012. Her research interests include 3D laser writing of novel materials, development and design of optical devices, and optical characterization. 

 

To purchase tickets for the Run Lola Run screening, visit https://thecolonialtheatre.com/programs/sos-run-lola-run/ or call (610) 917-1228. Ticket prices are $9 for adults, $7 for students and seniors, and $5 for Members and children under thirteen. Attend Prof. Schwarz’s 20-minute talk Chaos Theory: Butterflies and Drug Lords at 7:30. The film will begin immediately after the talk, with time for a Q&A after the film. 

 

The 28 cinemas participating in the National Evening of Science on Screen are as follows: Amherst Cinema, Amherst, MA; Athena Cinema, Athens, OH; Athens Ciné, Athens, GA; Austin Film Society, Austin, TX; Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, TN; California Film Institute/San Rafael Film Center, San Rafael, CA; Cameo Cinema, St. Helena, CA; Capri Theatre, Montgomery, AL; Cinema Arts Center, Huntington, NY; Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville, PA; Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA; Egyptian Theatre, Coos Bay, OR; Enzian Theater, Maitland, FL; Film Society of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN; Film Streams, Inc., Omaha, NE; Friends of the Juneau Public Libraries/Juneau Public Libraries/Gold Town Theater, Juneau, AK; Grand Cinema, Tacoma, WA; Indiana University Cinema, Bloomington, IN; Loft Cinema, Tucson, AZ; Maine Film Center, Waterville, ME; Martha’s Vineyard Film Society, Vineyard Haven, MA; Michigan Theater Foundation, Ann Arbor, MI; Moxie Cinema, Springfield, MO; Oregon Museum of Science on Industry, Portland, OR; Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT; Robinson Film Center, Shreveport, LA; Salina Art Center, Salina, KS; Wilmette Theatre, Wilmette, IL. 

 

 

About the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation 

The New York based Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, founded in 1934, makes grants in science, technology, and economic performance. Sloan’s program in Public Understanding of Science, Technology & Economics, directed by Doron Weber, supports books, radio, film, television, theater and new media to reach a wide, non-specialized audience. 

Sloan’s Film Program encourages filmmakers to create more realistic and compelling stories about science and technology and to challenge existing stereotypes about scientists and engineers in the popular imagination. Over the past 15 years, Sloan has partnered with some of the top film schools in the country — including AFI, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, NYU, UCLA, and USC — and established annual awards in screenwriting and film production, along with an annual best-of-the-best Student Grand Jury Prize administered by the Tribeca Film Institute. The Foundation also supports screenplay development programs with the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, the San Francisco Film Society, the Black 

List, and Film Independent’s Producing Lab and Fast Track program and has helped develop such film projects as Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game, Mathew Brown’s The Man Who Knew Infinity, Michael Almereyda’s Experimenter, Rob Meyer’s A Birder’s Guide to Everything, Musa Syeed’s Valley of Saints, and Andrew Bujalski’s Computer Chess. 

The Foundation also has an active theater program and commissions about twenty science plays each year from the Ensemble Studio Theater and Manhattan Theatre Club as well as supporting select productions across the country. Recent grants have supported Nick Payne’s Incognito, Frank Basloe’s Please Continue, Deborah Zoe Laufer’sInformed Consent, Lucas Hnath’s Isaac’s Eye, and Anna Ziegle’s Photograph 51, recently on London’s West End and coming to Broadway in January 2018. The Foundation’s book program includes support for Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, adapted into a major motion picture, which premiered in January 2017. 

 

For more information about the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, visit www.sloan.org. 

 

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Contact: 

Ben Austin, ben@benaustin.com 

 

Coolidge Corner Theatre Contact: 

Beth Gilligan, beth@coolidge.org 

Amherst Cinema • Amherst, MA amherstcinema.org 

Star Men (2015) —Four retired astronomers reunite in a journey across the American Southwest. Dr. Suzan Edwards, professor of astronomy at Smith College, will take a closer look at the four pioneering astronomers featured in the film and discuss their profound influence over the past 50 years. 

Athena Cinema • Athens, OH athenacinema.com 

The Shining (1980) — In this Stanley Kubrick-directed horror classic based on the novel by Stephen King, a family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil presence slowly drives the father (Jack Nicholson) insane, while his psychic son (Danny Lloyd) experiences horrific visions from the past and future. Dr. Kimberly Rios, associate professor and director of experimental training in the Department of Psychology at Ohio University, will lead a discussion on the different forms of threat people can face (e.g., being in an isolated environment, feeling one’s physical safety and/or resources are in jeopardy), and their psychological consequences. 

Athens Ciné • Athens, GA athenscine.com 

Zero Days (2016) — A black ops cyber attack launched by the US and Israel on an Iranian nuclear facility unleashed malware with unforeseen consequences. For the first time, this documentary tells the complete story of Stuxnet, a virus that infiltrated its pre-determined target only to spread its infection outward, exposing systemic vulnerabilities that threatened the safety of the planet. This screening will be accompanied by a ‘Safety Bazaar,’ featuring local representatives from Athens, who will present the city’s ‘disaster plan,’ as well as speaker Beth Burgess, the emergency management coordinator for Athens. 

Austin Film Society • Austin, TX austinfilm.org 

Songcatcher (2000) — In 1907, Dr. Lily Penleric (Janet McTeer), a professor of musicology, visits her sister (Jane Adams), who runs a struggling rural school in Appalachia. There, she stumbles upon the discovery a lifetime. As part of the screening, there will be a presentation on the science, technology, and history of musical instruments. 

Belcourt Theatre • Nashville, TN belcourt.org 

Contact (1997) — In this Robert Zemeckis-directed adaptation of the Carl Sagan novel, Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) is a headstrong scientist who races to interpret a signal originating from the Vega star system, and finds herself in a battle against inflexible government officials and religious fanatics bent on containing the implications of such an event. Dr. Steve Howell, project scientist on the Kepler Mission at the NASA Ames Research Center, will lead a discussion on the search for extraterrestrial life, moderated byDr. Tracie Prater, an aerospace engineer at NASA. 

California Film Institute/Smith Rafael Film Center • San Rafael, CA cafilm.org 

Ponyo (2008) — This animated adventure follows a five-year-old boy (Hiroki Doi) and his relationship with Ponyo (voiced by Yuria Nara), a goldfish princess who longs to become human after falling in love with him. Will Travis, the executive director of the Bay Conservation and 

Development Commission, will discuss the rising sea level and the ongoing threat of climate change. 

Cameo Cinema • St. Helena, CA cameocinema.com 

The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) — A tiny teen (voiced by Bridgit Mendler) and her family live under a house’s floorboards and survive by borrowing items from the home’s human inhabitants. Dr. Alej Garcia, professor of physics at San Jose State University and a consultant at DreamWorks Animation, will lead a discussion on the science of scale in animated films. 

Capri Theatre • Montgomery, AL capritheatre.org 

The Imitation Game (2014) — During World War II, mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians. In conjunction with this screening, Dr. Richard R. Muller, professor of military history and dean of academics at the United States Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, will give a talk on the Enigma Machine, Bletchley Park, and where the film and the real history intersect. 

Cinema Art Center • Huntington, NY cinemaartscentre.org 

Experimenter (2015) — Based on a true story, the film follows famed social psychologist Stanley Milgram (Peter Sarsgaard), who in 1961 conducted a series of radical behavior experiments that tested ordinary humans’ willingness to obey authority. Dr. Howard Ehrlichman, professor emeritus at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, will discuss the significance of this research from both perspectives, as well as a number of his other ground-breaking studies. Because Dr. Ehrlichman knew Milgram well as a colleague at the Graduate Center, he will also discuss his sense of him as a person, a teacher, and a colleague. 

Colonial Theatre • Phoenixville, PA thecolonialtheatre.com 

Run Lola Run (1998) — In three alternative timelines, Lola (Franka Potente) races against the clock to save her boyfriend, Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), after he loses a bag of cash belonging to his dangerous boss (Heino Ferch). In each version of Lola’s 20-minute run, small differences produce vastly different outcomes. Dr. Casey M. Schwarz, assistant professor of physics at Ursinus College, will present a program entitled “Chaos Theory: Butterflies and Drug Lords.” 

Coolidge Corner Theatre • Brookline, MA coolidge.org 

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) — Director John Ford’s Academy Award®-winning drama follows the Joad Family as dust storms, crop failures, and new agricultural methods force them to leave their farm and make the long, arduous journey to California. Bill McKibben, Pulitzer Prize-winning environmentalist, author, and journalist, will speak about the dangers of climate change. 

Egyptian Theatre • Coos Bay, OR egyptiantheatreoregon.com 

The Abyss (1989) — When the USS Montana, a submarine carrying nuclear warheads, inexplicably collides into a sea wall and sinks to the bottom of the ocean, a deep-sea oil operation team is called upon to assist with the search and rescue. Led by Virgil “Bud” Brigman (Ed Harris), the drill team is partnered with a squad of Navy S.E.A.L.S. whose orders may not be as transparent as they seem. As part of this screening, speakers from the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Oregon will discuss deep-sea exploration. 

Enzian Theater • Maitland, FL enzian.org 

Pi (1998) — A paranoid mathematician (Sean Gullette) searches for a key number that will unlock the universal patterns found in nature in Darren Aronofsky’s cult horror classic. Rabbi Sholom Dubov, the founder and director of Chabad of Greater Orlando, and Dr. Barry Griffiths, associate instructor of mathematics at the University of Central Florida, will discuss how math and mysticism may be driving our lives. 

Film Society of Minneapolis/St. Paul • Minneapolis, MN mspfilm.org 

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) — In the third film in the Godzilla franchise, the monster ape and dinosaur slug it out on Mount Fuji. Five-ton sloths, sharks larger than buses, and birds with the wingspan of a plane! What were these mind-boggling, magnificent creatures, and where have they gone? As part of this screening, the guest paleontologist will answer these questions and explore the ecosystems and environmental conditions that led to the rise of megafauna and discover what caused their decline. 

Film Streams, Inc. • Omaha, NE filmstreams.org 

Tampopo (1985) — An enigmatic band of ramen ronin (Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken Watanabe) guide the widow of a noodle shop owner (Nobuko Miyamoto) on her quest for the perfect recipe. Dr. Pamea Runestad, a medical anthropologist at Creighton University, Dr. James Blair, director of the neurobehavioral research center at Boys Town National Research Hospital, and A.J. Swanda, head chef at Omaha-based Ugly Duck Ramen, will lead a discussion on food science and culture. 

Friends of the Juneau Public Libraries / Juneau Public Libraries / Gold Town Nickelodeon • Juneau, AK goldtownnick.com 

The Abyss (1989) — When the USS Montana, a submarine carrying nuclear warheads, inexplicably collides into a sea wall and sinks to the bottom of the ocean, a deep-sea oil operation team is called upon to assist with the search and rescue. Led by Virgil “Bud” Brigman (Ed Harris), the drill team is partnered with a squad of Navy S.E.A.L.S. whose orders may not be as transparent as they seem. As part of this screening, Alaskan marine ecologist Michelle Ridgway will present a program entitled “Going off the Deep End: Marine Research Explorations under Alaskan Seas.” 

Grand Cinema • Tacoma, WA grandcinema.com 

Jaws (1975) — When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief (Roy Scheider), a marine scientist (Richard Dreyfuss), and grizzled fisherman (Robert Shaw) set out to stop it. Karen Povey, from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, will discuss the danger of plastics in the ocean. 

Indiana University Cinema • Bloomington, IN cinema.indiana.edu 

Alien (1979) — In this Ridley Scott-directed sci-fi/horror classic, the commercial vessel Nostromo receives a distress call from an unexplored planet. After searching for survivors, the crew heads home only to realize that a deadly bioform has joined them. Before the screening, Dr. Richard H. Durisen, professor emeritus in the Department of Astronomy at Indiana University, will discuss science as it is depicted in sci-fi films. 

The Loft Cinema • Tucson, AZ loftcinema.org 

Forbidden Planet (1956) — In this sci-fi classic, loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, a spacecraft travels to the distant planet Altair IV to discover the fate of a group of scientists sent there decades earlier. When Commander John J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen) and his crew arrive, they discover only two people: Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter, Altaira (Anne Francis). Gradually, Adams uncovers the mystery of what happened on Altair IV, and why Morbius and Altaira are the sole survivors. Following the screening, Dr. Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy and associate dean in the College of Science at the University of Arizona, will lead a discussion on the reality of establishing human colonies on other planets and our future among the stars. 

Maine Film Center • Waterville, ME railroadsquarecinema.com 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) — Joel (Jim Carrey) is stunned to discover that his girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet), has had their tumultuous relationship erased from her mind. Out of desperation, he contacts the inventor of the process, Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson), to get the same treatment. But as his memories of Clementine begin to fade, Joel suddenly realizes how much he still loves her. Dr. Erika Nyhus, professor in the Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience at Bowdoin College, will present on the neural processes involved in episodic memory. 

Martha’s Vineyard Film Society • Vineyard Haven, MA mvfilmsociety.com 

Robot & Frank (2012) — Set in the near future, an ex-jewel thief (Frank Langella) receives a gift from his son (James Marsden): a robot butler programmed to look after him (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard). But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team. In conjunction with the screening, Michael Chuah, PhD candidate in the Biometrics Robotics Lab at MIT, will lead a discussion of advances in the field of robotics, what the robots of the future will look like, and a hopeful reimagining of man-machine relations. 

Michigan Theater • Ann Arbor, MI michtheater.org 

The Red Violin (1998) — The intricate history of a beautiful antique violin is traced from its creation in Cremona, Italy, in 1681, where a legendary violin maker (Carlo Cecchi) paints it with his dead wife’s blood to keep her memory alive, to an auction house in modern-day Montreal, where it draws the eye of an expert appraiser (Samuel L. Jackson).Dr. Sile O’Modhrain, associate professor of performing arts technology at the University of Michigan School of Music, will present on violin acoustics and the making of violins. 

Moxie Cinema • Springfield, MO moxiecinema.com 

The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015) — In this tense, psychological thriller based on the notorious true story, Billy Crudup stars as Stanford University professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo, who, in 1971, cast 24 student volunteers as prisoners and guards in a simulated jail to examine the source of abusive behavior in the prison system. Dr. Christie L. Cathey, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Missouri State University, leads a discussion on the cultural underpinnings of how positions of power (or powerlessness) affect individuals decision making. 

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry • Portland, OR omsi.edu 

The Imitation Game (2014) — During World War II, mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.Erik L. Arneson, amateur cryptologist, software developer, author, and technologist, will lead a discussion on computers and the dawn of modern cryptography. 

Real Art Ways • Hartford, CT realartways.org 

My Love Affair with the Brain: The Life and Science of Dr. Marian Diamond (2016) — The true story of a woman whose paradigm-changing research helped launch modern neuroscience and redefined our understanding of the brain. As part of this screening, Dr. Wendy Suzuki, professor of neural science and psychology at New York University, will lead a discussion on the effects of exercise on the brain, followed by a Skype Q&A with the film’s co-director Catherine Ryan. 

Robinson Film Center • Shreveport, LA robinsonfilmcenter.org 

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) — After an encounter with U.F.O.s, a line worker (Richard Dreyfuss) feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen. As part of the screening, Dr. Lee Sawyer, director of chemistry and physics at Louisiana Tech University will present a program entitled “Is There Anyone Out There?: Humankind’s Quest to Discover Extraterrestrials,” which will focus on questions such as: How close are we to discovering alien life forms? Where are we looking? What do scientists believe they will be like? 

Salina Art Center • Salina, KS salinaartcenter.org 

Twister (1996) — As a powerful storm approaches, university professor Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) and an underfunded team of students prepare the prototype for DOROTHY, a groundbreaking tornado data-gathering device conceived by her soon-to-be ex-husband, Bill (Bill Paxton). Brad Ketcham, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in the Wichita, KS, field office, and Ron Fent, producer/director of the upcoming documentary That Seventies Storm: Chasing Tornadoes Through Time, will present a program entitled “Twister? It’s Not a Game in Kansas.” 

Wilmette Theatre • Wilmette, IL wilmettetheatre.com Anaconda (1997) — A National Geographic film crew is taken hostage by an insane hunter (Jon Voight), who takes them along on his quest to capture the world’s largest — and deadliest — snake. In conjunction with this screening, conservation biologist Lesley de Souza will lead a discussion on wildlife preservation. 

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