The Ringling Brothers of upstate film programming
If you’ve never attended a Boondocks Film Society event, prepare to be dazzled this Friday, August 12 at South Farms in Morris. And not in a three-card monte kind of way.
The five-plus-year-old, semi-immersive pop-up film event series is venturing deeper into Litchfield County than it ever has before to present Peter Bogdanovich’s acclaimed 1973 black- and-white Depression Era road movie about a con man and an orphan swindling and squabbling their way across 1930s Kansas.
While the film will be the star of the evening, Boondocks and South Farms have much more in store—including live 1930s gypsy jazz by Echoes of France, movie-themed food by Chef Paige DeFeo of New Milford’s Bleu on Bank, and an exciting collaboration with Instagram rising star @cinemixologist that has resulted in two exquisite Paper Moon-inspired craft cocktails.
Boondocks Film Society has built a cult following over the years due in large part to its creative kitchen-sink approach to building an evening around a beloved film. Drawing from the deep well of talent in the Litchfield Hills, Berkshires and Hudson Valley, they have built one-of-a-kind moviegoing experiences that include a pre-film happy hour, complete with themed live music, film-inspired chef-created food, movie-themed craft cocktails, décor, costumes and more—as well as their signature take-home artist-designed commemorative poster.
Whether it’s Miyazaki’s Porco Rosso screened next to two Piper planes in an airplane hangar, a screening of Adventureland complete with carnival games, Frances Ha with a live dance performance involving the film’s choreographers, or the original Mad Max with a live rock score and metal sculpture exhibit, you can rest assured that this filmgoing experience is a cut above Netflix.
“From the beginning, we set out to share films we love with our friends and the larger community in a way that brings excitement and discovery back into a night out at the movies,” says Cindy Heslin, co-founder of Boondocks Film Society. “Boondocks events are a chance to experience a new venue, check out a new band, meet new like-minded people, and eat and drink well while you’re at it.”
For Paper Moon, the Boondocks crew is thrilled to be working with South Farms, one of the most striking venues in Northwest Connecticut, a fast-growing cultural presence in the area, and the ideal backdrop for a film set in the farmlands of Kansas.
“We hope that people will join the fun as we celebrate this truly remarkable and beautifully shot film in a one-of-a-kind backdrop,” says Boondocks co-producer David Ruchman.
Tickets are still available at boondocksfilmsociety.org and on the night of the event, with doors opening at 7pm August 12, and Paper Moon screening at dusk.
