First, we're so pleased to be able to bring to the big screen the gorgeous Fabulous Fleischer Cartoons Restored, a wonderful 1-hour family-friendly program of ingeniously delightful cartoons from Fleischer Studios and featuring several Superman shorts. 

It's a rare chance to interact with such a rich media and film history: "Max Fleischer is one of the most renowned pioneers in animation since the dawn of the industry. From 1919 to 1942, he and his company, Fleischer Studios, produced nearly 700 cartoons. Among his many achievements, he invented the Rotoscope which revolutionized animation, developed the 'Stereo-optical Process' giving scenes a 3-D appearance, and created the 'bouncing ball' for sing-alongs. His studio was the first to animate both Popeye and Superman. And he created the iconic Betty Boop, who remains an emblem of American culture to this day." 

Fleischer Cartoons Restored was founded in 2021 by Max Reid, Mauricio Alvarado, and Jane Fleischer Reid, the granddaughter of Max Fleischer, and you can read a bit more about their mission here and about their invaluable efforts to preserve the cartoons and make them available to theaters. 

The cartoons program will be playing on Saturday, July 5; Sunday, July 6; and, finally, on Thursday, July 10, directly prior to our sneak-peek preview screening of the brand new Superman, directed by James Gunn (The Guardians of the Galaxy). Superman as a superhero figure has a long and wonderful history in pop culture, and while I think my favorite version is still Richard Donner's 1978 film with Christopher Reeve in the titular role, this chance to see the evolution of Superman over the course of 84 years--from Paramount and Fleischer Studios in 1941 to Warner Bros and James Gunn in 2025--is a really special one. We hope to see you there! 

We're also delighted to be kicking off our summer Truth-tellers and Whistleblowers miniseries with the new film Words of War, screening on Saturday at 1:30 pm. 

This new series was prompted by the situation we find ourselves in as a country:  "At a time when the democratic institutions we've trusted in and relied on -- and perhaps have taken for granted -- seem to be either crumbling or under threat, many of us may be looking for sources of hope and inspiration, those voices and stories that remind us that in the face of difficulty and darkness, there are always people among us who are willing to speak truth to power. And while the movies can offer us so many things, ranging from the most escapist fantasies to the bleakest of horror, they can also offer us the true stories of real people whose commitment to their values and to the truth shines hopefulness into the darkest of circumstances. So this summer, with "Truth-tellers and Whistleblowers," we are celebrating the real life truth-tellers among us, specifically, the journalists and whistleblowers who, in spite of the personal risks and in spite of fierce resistance from those in power, were doggedly determined to share important truths with the world and in so doing made history." 

Beginning the series, Words of War stars a transcendent Maxine Peak and a terrific ensemble cast, including Jason Isaacs and Ciaran Hinds, and tells the awe-inspiring and courageous story of Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian human rights activist and journalist who lost her life in her fight to tell the truth about Putin and the brutality and human rights abuses of the Chechen War. I was not myself previously familiar with Politkovskaya, and I am deeply grateful for a film like this that documents her incredible work and bravery. I think you will be as riveted as I was by her story.

We are also very pleased to note that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Committee to Protect Journalists (NY), the National Press Club Freedom Center (DC), and the International Women's Media Foundation (DC), who honored Anna Politkovskaya in 2001 with their Courage in Journalism award, and we are also immensely grateful to the Salish Current, our own local beacon of independent journalism, who is co-presenting this series. 

Be sure to mark your calendars, too, for all the films in our series: All the President's Men (July 26), Silkwood (Aug. 2), The Insider (Aug. 23), and Erin Brockovich (Aug. 30). 

Additionally, as a part of our new ongoing Doctober Presents series, where we spotlight special documentaries throughout the year, we are screening There Is Another Way. 

The film is a follow-up to the 2016 documentary Disturbing the Peace, which tells the story of Combatants for Peace, a group of Jewish-Israelis and Palestinians -- former soldiers and enemy combatants -- who decide to refuse to continue participating in the violence and to become activists for peace. There Is Another Way continues their moving and potent story, especially as they are confronted by the events of October 7, 2023 and the new devastation that followed. It's an incredible, powerful film, not to be missed. 

For this showing, there is also a unique 13-minute pre-recorded Q&A with the filmmakers and the Combatants for Peace that will follow the film. Join us on Sunday at 1:00 pm!

Finally, we are happy for the opportunity to collaborate with our dear friends at  CASCADIA International Women's Film Festival in co-presenting Summer Qamp, a wonderful, buoyant documentary by filmmaker Jen Markowitz. Bellingham Queer Collective also joins us as partners on this film. Summer Qamp tells the story of "a group of LGBTQ+ youth while they attend Camp fYrefly, a summer retreat in rural Alberta, Canada. During the five-day camp, Markowitz, who identifies as they/them, captured queer, non-binary and trans teens in an environment they weren't used to: A place that was free from judgment. Removed from bullies and uncomfortable family situations, the handful of campers featured in Summer Qamp quickly gain confidence and build resilience" (Variety). 

As Addie Morfoot notes in her interview with Markowitz, "Given the unprecedented wave of anti-LGBQT+ legislation being enacted in the U.S. as well as the global increase in LGBTQ+ intolerance, Markowitz was eager to make an uplifting doc about LGBQT+ kids who are not only being accepted, but also celebrated. 'There is a lot of anti-trans and anti-queer rhetoric that these kids are seeing in the news cycles,' says Markowitz. 'For me, coming from a time when I didn't have a community to affirm me, I know how powerful it is to see a reflection of yourself in the community that you absorb.'"

Join us for this affirming, inspiring film on Thursday, July 10 at 6:00 pm. Jen Markowitz will be on hand after the film for a live, virtual Q&A.  

See you at the movies, friends!

Melissa