The free, three month long Tambakos Film Festival & International Film Series is underway at the Rogers Center for the Arts at Merrimack College.
All film screenings are free to the public and begin at 7 p.m. People can arrive at 6:30 for refreshments and commentary on the films. The series was set to kick off last night, Wednesday, Jan. 23 with the classic science fiction adventure “Forbidden Planet,” directed by Fred McLeod Wilcox.
Future films, and descriptions of them as provided by the Rogers Center are:
Wednesday, Jan. 30
International Film Series
“In the Mood for Love”
Chow and Li-Zhen become more than friends when they realize that their spouses are having an affair. Modish costumes, lavish sets and rich moody lighting set the tone for this stylish drama that takes place in Hong Kong in the ‘60s.
Wednesday, Feb. 27
“Grandma’s Boy”
Always the mama’s boy, or in this case a grandma’s boy, Sonny joins a posse after a tramp accused of robbery and murder. He is unable to conquer his cowardice until Grandma tells him of his grandfather, also a coward, who overcame his fears with the help of a magic amulet. With new courage (and the charm), Sonny captures the fugitive and becomes the hero of the day.
Wednesday, March 6
Tambakos Film Series
“To Have and Have Not”
This Howard Hawks directed masterpiece is the film that provided Lauren Bacall with her first featured role. It is adapted from Hemingway’s daring story about a cynical Caribbean seaman who becomes deeply involved in a mission for the French resistance.
Wednesday, March 13
International Film Series
“Detained”
“Detained” follows families in the immediate aftermath of the largest workplace immigration raid in Massachusetts. The raid took place at a factory in New Bedford where undocumented immigrant workers were making military vests for soldiers in Iraq. Footage edited while still shooting the film was used by Sen. Ted Kennedy to reunite infants with mothers who were detained in the raid.
Wednesday March 27
Tambakos Film Series
“Meet Me in St. Louis”
“Meet Me in St. Louis” was Vincente Minnelli’s first color film and is a captivating evocation of family life in St. Louis at the time of the 1904 World’s Fair. “The Boy Next Door,” “Trolley Song,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” are a few of the songs featured in this lovely musical.
All events are subject to change. For more information, contact the Rogers Center Box Office at 978-837-5355. Films sponsored by the Tambakos Fund created by George Furth in memory of Merrimack alum Peter Tambakos. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Methuen, Andover, and North Andover Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
