Majestic Theater Announces DEEP FOCUS: An Online Film Discussion Series

Gettysburg College's Majestic Theater has partnered with historic art house cinemas near Philadelphia and in New Jersey to launch a new online film discussion series, Deep Focus. Numerous live online discussions with film experts and leaders in the industry are scheduled throughout the next few months, with more events planned well into 2022. The series is funded by a grant from The Vesta Fund.

Deep Focus provides an engaging environment for cinema fans to expand their film knowledge and interact with other fans and film scholars, cultivating a strong community rooted in the love of movie watching and discussion as a social, artistic, and intellectual activity.

This fall, several thematic series are offered, each consisting of four different online events. These series are Middle Eastern Cinema, the Asian-American Identity Series, and Wes on Wednesdays, a retrospective of Wes Anderson films in preparation for the release of The French Dispatch in October. The popular and ongoing Hollywood Classics series also continues this fall, and includes a discussion about Cecil B. DeMille's Oscar-winning film about the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus, The Greatest Show on Earth, led by Majestic Theater Founding Executive Director Jeffrey Gabel on Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Gabel, a retired professional circus clown, will share his stories from the big top.

"Since the Majestic reopened in 2005 following its renovation, we have built a large and loyal audience for classic films and first-run independent films. The Deep Focus partnership with Renew Theaters will give our Majestic patrons access to a much wider world of film fans and cinema scholars to deepen their appreciation of cinema," explained Gabel.

Access to each discussion is $5, and a full schedule as well as registration is available at the website deepfocus.film. Access to Deep Focus is free to Majestic members. Members may contact majestictheaternews@gettysburg.edu for assistance with member passes. The schedule is updated regularly as new discussions are organized. Films to be discussed are not included in the virtual event - discussion participants are asked to view films prior to live discussions. Suggestions on how to do so are offered on the website.

The Majestic Theater has partnered with Renew Theatres, which includes County Theater in Doylestown, Pa., Ambler Theater in Ambler, Pa., Hiway Theater in Jenkintown, Pa., and Princeton Garden Theater in Princeton, N.J., to present Deep Focus. The series is underwritten by The Vesta Fund, which was established by a 1991 graduate of Gettysburg College who champions the community contributions of historic, local movie theaters.

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