Hello Everyone!

This Friday marks the start of the winner of the Sundance Film Festival's "Audience Award for Best US Dramatic Film" - TWINLESS. Ever since STRAIGHT UP played at our festival in 2019, I've been eager to see what James Sweeney would do next...and TWINLESS doesn't disappoint!

Next Thursday, Sept. 11, we'll open the final chapter of a much-loved series - DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE  (for which tickets are on sale now).

If you still need to see HIGHEST 2 LOWEST, we're able to keep it for one show per day through the weekend...but HONEY, DON'T! will have its final show this Thursday.

I'm currently on my way to the Toronto International Film Fest.  I'll see 30+ films over the next 9 days, and you can follow my adventure at dayton937.com/tag/tiff. Many thanks to our friends at Dayton937 for once again letting me use their platform to keep all my thoughts in order. (My first post - explaining a bit how the festival works and a few films I'm looking forward to seeing - is already on the site.)

This October will mark the 20th anniversary for us bringing the best in LGBTQIA+ cinema to town with OUT HERE DAYTON FILM FEST.  Read more below...festival passes go on sale tomorrow!

This week's newsletter is jam-packed with fresh details of upcoming events and engagements...like a visit from Fred Savage, classics like PRATICAL MAGIC & CARRIE and an event focusing on Black farming with a seed exchange. Plus new movies with Glenn Close, Josh O'Connell & Paul Mescal!  Keep reading and clicking for all the details.

"Open Caption Mondays" are a hit and much appreciated by many of our regulars.  On Monday, Sept. 8, our screenings of THE ROSES and TWINLESS will be presented with Open Captions (aka - captions presented on the screen). 

Synopsis for TWINLESS: "Roman returns to his hometown for the funeral of his identical twin, Rocky. Rocky was extroverted, intelligent, gay, and adored by many – Roman’s exact opposite. Untethered from his other half, Roman finds support in the form of a twin bereavement group. It’s here that he sparks an instant connection with Dennis, who reminds him of his late brother. A friendship for the ages, the chemistry between Dennis and Roman has an almost too familial quality to it." (Roadside Attractions)

Cult Movie Night - LITTLE MONSTERS

"Victor & Mal’s Cult Movie Night returns for a SAVAGE SEPTEMBER - Fred Savage that is! We are proud to host a screening of the 80’s kid monster movie, LITTLE MONSTERS, starring Howie Mandel as Maurice - the punk rock monster that lives in an underworld only accessed under the beds of children. Maurice befriends Bryan (Savage), a 12 year old boy and the two become fast friends, sharing pranks and fun between their respective worlds. (Also starring Fred’s real life brother Ben Savage of Boy Meets World fame.) LITTLE MONSTERS feels like the perfect cozy nostalgia film to lead us into October.
We are also proud to announce that the star of LITTLE MONSTERS, actor/director Fred Savage will be in attendance for this special screening!  Plus trailers & a savage short!" (press notes)

THU, SEPT 18 | 7:30

THE LAST CLASS

3rd ENCORE ADDED! American political economist, professor, author, and social media sensation Robert Reich teaches his final "Wealth and Poverty" class to 1,000 students at UC Berkeley, ending a 40-year career that reached 40,000 students. One thousand fill the biggest lecture hall on the UC Berkeley campus, the last class to receive Reich's wisdom and exhortations not to accept that the world has to stay the way it is. His belief in the next generation's ability to take on the fight is inspiring.
Our first screening was a huge success...so we added an encore.  That one sold out, too!  So we added a 2nd encore, and that sold out!  Here's one more chance for you to catch THE LAST CLASS!
Tickets are $12.50 each.

SAT, SEPT. 20 | Noon

WILLIS BING DAVIS: REACH HIGH AND REACH BACK

Tickets available now! "Few people have impacted the arts in Southwest Ohio quite like Willis 'Bing' Davis. An African American artist, educator and community activist from Dayton, Davis’ artwork is known for its incorporation of African and African American themes, as well as its focus on social justice issues...Today, in his mid-80s, Davis continues to create art, educate others and promote social justice causes in a variety of ways." (ThinkTV.org)

Join us for a special screening of REACH HIGH & REACH BACK along with Bing Davis and filmmakers Ann Rotolante and Rodney Veal. Tickets are first-come, first-serve, with tickets available for in-person pick-up at THE NEON's box office. (Limit 2 tickets per person. Tickets only available in-person during traditional operating hours.)

This screening is made possible through our friends at ThinkTV.  The event is sponsored by Twentig, Inc -"an organization of women who have committed to contributing to the greater Dayton community through volunteerism and fundraising. Its mission is to support nonprofits who serve women, youth, and elders; and to impact the needs of our community through educational and financial support."

WED, SEPT. 24 | 7:30

ANIMATION MIXTAPE

Two-time Academy Award nominee and Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner Don Hertzfeldt partners with Ink Films to release ANIMATION MIXTAPE, an 85-minute short film program personally selected by Hertzfeldt.
An exclusive collection of animated shorts by talented artists from around the world, MIXTAPE features many recent films from up-and-coming animators next to classics that originally inspired Hertzfeldt to start animating.
Flying cows, mysterious gods and lyrical pandemonium: Don Hertzfeldt has made this just for you. Including a new animated introduction from Don and never before seen work from famed underground animator Bruce Bickford.

SAT, SEPT. 27 | Noon
SUN, SEPT. 28 | Noon

FARMING WHILE BLACK

The Lavender Project’s 2-Night agriCULTURE Sunset Stories & Moonlight Markets Fest kicks off at THE NEON on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 with a film screening of FARMING WHILE BLACK (ticket prices $7). "Leah Penniman, co-founder of Soul Fire Farm, reflects on the plight of Black farmers in the United States. From the height of Black-owned farms at 14% in 1910 to less than 2% today, Leah and her Soul Fire Farm cohorts help propel a rising generation finding strength in the deep historical knowledge of African agrarianism and its potential to save the planet." 
Come early at 6:30pm to enjoy an art show and "seed social" with the opportunity to purchase original agricultural photography and take home free seeds. (The 2-day event continues on Friday, Oct. 3rd in St. Anne's Hill.)  This event is sponsored by Co-Op Dayton, Hall Hunger Initiative, Miami Valley Seed Commons, and Seven Seed Sowers Cooperative.

THU, OCT 2 | 7:30

THE ROOM & BIG SHARK

Greg Sestero is coming back to THE NEON...and you're the first to know about it!

See the cult classic THE ROOM with an auditorium full of devotees - with your host, star of the movie and author of THE DISASTER ARTIST - Greg Sestero.  Tickets $22 each.

Later that night, see the recent, final cut of BIG SHARK - Tommy Wiseau's latest action comedy about three firefighters who have to save New Orleans from a giant shark attack - introduced by Sestero. Tickets $20 each.

Tickets on sale now and going fast!

THE ROOM:
WED, OCT. 8 | 7:30
BIG SHARK:
WED, OCT. 8 | 10:00

OUT HERE DAYTON FILM FEST - 20th Anniversary

This October will mark the 20th anniversary for us bringing the best in LGBTQIA+ cinema to town with  OUT HERE DAYTON FILM FEST.  This year's fest is set for Oct. 9-12, and the line-up can be viewed on the fest's official site. Some highlights include Richard Linklater's  BLUE MOON (starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley and Andrew Scott), a documentary about librarians and book bans called  THE LIBRARIANS - which we're presenting in partnership with our friends from Dayton Metro Library, and a late Saturday horror film called  QUEENS OF THE DEAD - featuring Columbus's own drag superstar Nina West.  Passes go on sale tomorrow (Sept. 4), and single tickets go on sale Sept. 11. A scholarship portal - offering free tickets to anyone in the community - will be available starting Sept. 18.

Crafty Cinema Presents PRACTICAL MAGIC

Get ready for an afternoon of creativity, entertainment, and social activism at Crafty Cinema for a Cause at THE NEON hosted by the Savage Stitcher (Angie). This unique charity event brings together the joy of crafting with the magic of film, all while supporting Planned Parenthood of SW Ohio. Bring your own craft project that you can work on in your seat, such as crochet, knitting, embroidery, cross stitch, etc. and we will all enjoy an afternoon showing of PRACTICAL MAGIC with the lights up so you can work on a project you’ve been putting off, or start something new. This is a free event with a suggested donation of $20 that will be collected at the door and all proceeds will go to our local Planned Parenthood. There are a limited number of seats available for reservation on Eventbrite, and the rest will be offered as first-come-first-serve at the door.

SUN, OCT 19  | 12:30

Free Flo Box presents CARRIE

This one-night-only screening of Brian De Palma’s  CARRIE (1976) is presented by  The Free Flo Box, a Dayton nonprofit dedicated to fighting period poverty and ending the stigma surrounding menstruation. Chosen for its deep resonance with themes of shame, bodily autonomy, and the policing of young women’s bodies, CARRIE remains one of cinema’s most haunting explorations of the consequences of fear and repression. Adapted from Stephen King’s debut novel, the film follows Carrie White, a shy and ostracized teenager whose telekinetic powers erupt after years of bullying and cruelty—culminating in one of horror’s most iconic climaxes.
Join us at  THE NEON for an unforgettable evening where the horror of stigma—on screen and off—takes center stage. Proceeds from this screening will go directly toward The Free Flo Box, ensuring access to essential products and fighting period poverty in our community.
Tickets $12.50 each.

THU, OCT 23  | 7:30

Thank you for all of your support,
Jonathan

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 3 – THURSDAY, SEPT 11:

HIGHEST 2 LOWEST (R) 2 Hrs 13 Min
Wednesday & Thursday (Sept 3 & 4): 2:30
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: (Sept 5-7): 12:15

HONEY, DON’T! (R) 1 Hr 28 Min
Wednesday & Thursday (Sept. 3 & 4): 5:15, 7:20
FINAL DAY - Sept. 4!

THE ROSES (R) 1 Hr 45 Min
Wednesday & Thursday (Sept 3 & 4): 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Sept 5-7): 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Monday-Wednesday (Sept 8-10): 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Thursday (Sept 11): 2:50, 7:45

TWINLESS (R) 1 Hr 40 Min
Friday-Wednesday (Sept 5-10): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Thursday (Sept 11): 5:15

DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE (PG) 2 Hrs 3 Min
Thursday (Sept 11): 2:10, 4:50, 7:30