The Heart Theatre Celebrating its 65th Anniversary - FREE Film Festival

posted by czweck on February 28, 2005 at 5:10 am

EFFINGHAM, IL — The Lake Land College Arts and Humanities Series and Student Activity Board will partner with The HEART Theatre to host a haunted film festival starting March 2.

The event starts with a presentation of HAUNTED ILLINOIS by Troy Taylor! Taylor is the author of 33 books about ghosts and hauntings in America, and is the editor of Ghosts of the Prairie magazine, a magazine about the history, hauntings and unsolved mysteries of America. His presentation starts March 2nd, 11 am. in the Lake Land College Theatre, Mattoon, IL.

The Film Festival kick-off begins March 2nd at 5:30 pm in the LLC theatre after Troy Taylor’s presentation, with the showing of The Black Cat. The Festival will continue with two films being shown at the HEART Theatre on Courthouse Square in Downtown in Effingham on Friday March 4th: The Silence of the Lambs at 6 PM and The Blair Witch Project at 9 PM.

On March 9th, the festival with conclude with the Student Activity Board’s presentation of The Exorcist at 11 am and 1 pm back at the LLC Theatre.

The event is free and the public is welcome.

March 2nd, 5:30 pm
LLC Theatre, Matoon
THE BLACK CAT
Starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi
Not Rated; 65 minutes; 1934

March 4th, 6:00 pm
HEART Theatre, 133 E. Jefferson Ave. Effingham
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
Starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins
Rated R; 118 minutes; 1991

March 4th, 9:00 pm
HEART Theatre, 133 E. Jefferson Ave. Effingham
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT
Starring Heather Donahue, Michael Williiams,
Joshua Leonard, and Bob Griffith
Rated R; 88 minutes; 1999

March 9, 11 am and 1 pm
LLC Theatre, Matoon
THE EXORCIST
Starring Ellen Burston and Linda Blair
Rated R; 121 minutes; 2000

Funding for the lecture series has been made possible by an award from the Lake Land College Student Activity Board, the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Illinois General Assembly.

The Heart Theatre Effingham provided programing advice and booking for the event in addition, The Heart is donating the use of its auditorium in the historic theatre on beautiful Courthouse Square: 133 E. Jefferson in downtown Effingham, IL to host two of the films.

This is just one of the many special events at The Heart. The Heart Theatre is Downstate Illinois' Art Theatre. We are the Southernmost Art Theatre in the state. In the past year the Heart debuted The Have a Heart Film Festival with 12 free films over a weekend to raise food and clothing for charity, The Callan Films Series featuring the documentaries of local filmmakers culminating in the World Premier of their new film An Uphill Climb and opens its doors for free for many TV and multimedia events.

The Heart has hosted the public FREE to watch the Oscars®, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, Cardinals & Cubs Baseball, The Major League Baseball All-Star & World Series Games, the Olympics®, Super Bowls and hosted FREE Saturday Morning Cartoon shows on its Big Screen for kids.

Art is the Theme at The Heart. We pride ourselves on the fact that “We don’t show the blockbusters or the huge money makers necessarily. We show the movies that win the awards!” You no longer have to drive to Chicago, or further, or wait for video to see the best films.

The Heart provides quality films in a wholesome environment which appeals to everyone. All are welcome at The Heart: College students, film and drama students, baby boomers, seniors…anyone who appreciates quality films presented so that “It’s not just going to the movies, it’s a movie experience!”

The experience is topped off by all the treats available at The Heart’s Concession Stand. The Heart offers scrumptious gourmet popcorn with a variety of flavours and REAL butter, juices, coffee drinks, and a large selection of huge “Movie-size” candy and soft-drinks. Being an independent theatre, The Heart doesn’t have to “take” just any movie. We hand pick the best movies (art, independent, or wide release) to show you. Actually most of these movies would never play in downstate IL, if not for The Heart. We don’t try to compete with multiplex theatres, we would rather showcase a film, the way it was meant to be seen. Come out to The Heart “Where our Heart’s Really in the Movies!”

The Heart Theatre is a Heart-Zweck theatre operated by H-Z Theatres LLC. H-Z took over operation of the Heart on the 1st of December 2003, and it reopened on December 12th to huge crowds, applauding Luther, a movie on reformer Martin Luther set in the 1660’s. 13 of the 14 Golden Globe 2005 Winners either played the Heart or are Coming Soon.

Since the opening, the list of art films showcased at The Heart continues to grow: The Human Stain, Lost in Translation, The Gospel of John, The Station Agent, Sylvia, Shattered Glass, American Splendor, Elephant, House of Sand and Fog, Calendar Girls, The Cooler, Girl with a Pearl Earring, City of God, 21 Grams, In America, Mystic River, Master & Commander, Modern Times, Touching the Void, The Passion of The Christ, This Old Cub, The Story of the Weeping Camel, Super Size Me, Delovely, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, House of Flying Daggers, Ray, Closer, A Very Long Engagement, Motorcycle Diaries, Therese, The Christmas Child, The Life Aquatic, and many more.

The Heart is available for rent for special events (meeting space accommodating 500 including handicap accessible seating, private showings, group gatherings, office parties, etc. The Heart has a state-of-the-art digital projector, creating a 4:3 image that fills the Heart’s big screen from top to bottom from your notebook computer, a DVD or VHS Video player; as well as our phenomenal 35mm and 16mm film capabilities that allow us to showcase films on our big screen like no other theatre.

If you would like to rent The Heart for a special event, e-mail for more information. H-Z Theatres LLC is owned by Charles A. Zweck. Originally of Highland, IL, Zweck now resides in the town of his alma mater, Millikin University, Decatur, IL

For more information on the festival contact:
Ron Sanderson
Special Projects Coordinator
.il.us

For information on this or other programming at The Heart Theatre contact:
Charles A. Zweck
H-Z Theatres LLC
1839 W. Hunt St.
Decatur, IL 62526

http://www.EffinghamHeart.com