Sept. 27, 2006
 
First Friday Filmfest Begins Oct. 6 at the Cinema
 
By HNN Staff
 
Huntington, WV (HNN) -- First Friday Filmfest, a series that is bringing first-run, independent films to the Cinema Theatre in downtown Huntington, begins at 7:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, 2006 with the showing of The Proposition.
 
Funded through Marshall University’s Student Affairs, the films are free to members of the Marshall community with ID and $5 for all non-MU patrons. Tickets are available in advance from the Student Activities Programming Board office, which is located in room 2w29 of the Memorial Student Center on the Huntington campus.
 
Admission at the door is on a space-available basis. Advance tickets are strongly encouraged.
 
Dr. Janet Badia, associate professor of English at Marshall, has been working with Student Affairs to organize the Filmfest.
 
“I am very excited about the first film, and I hope it’s the start of something big in Huntington,” Badia said. “We would love to see the concept of First Friday snowball into a larger town-and-gown affair, complete with everything from art exhibits, to food and wine tastings, to music and literary events.”
 
The Proposition, directed by John Hillcoat and written by Nick Cave, stars Guy Pearce, Danny Huston, and Emily Watson. The London Guardian described the film as “a horribly brutal outback western ... but a very stylish, arresting piece of movie-making, throbbing with heat and fear and violence and with fiercely uncompromising lead performances.”
 
“The idea was to give students and faculty something to do over the weekend in Huntington,” Dr. George Davis, assistant professor of political science who has also been helping with the project, said of the Filmfest. “This could potentially make a better cultural relationship between Huntington and Marshall.”
 
Rounding out the series for fall semester are the films Mini’s First Time on Nov. 3 and The Heart of the Game on Dec. 1. Showtime for each film is 7:15 p.m. All films will be shown at the Cinema Theatre, located at 1021 4th Ave. Depending on the success of the first film, more showtimes may be added later.