Bay County Public Library holding free family movie screenings every month. What's showing:
PANAMA CITY — The Bay County Public Library has introduced a film series that takes place on the second Saturday of each month.
The library is growing the program, 2nd Saturday Family Film Series, and incorporating its summer reading theme, Oceans of Possibilities, with free and family-friendly films.
The screenings are held each second Saturday at 2 p.m. in the library’s meeting room, 898 W. 11th St., and are open to the public with popcorn provided by the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries.
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“At the library, we’re always looking into ideas that can be entertaining and educational for all ages,” said Pheobee Cochran, coordinator of the program. “And it's always fun to get together and share a movie while having that opportunity to discuss it with people in the community.”
In collaboration with POV (Point-of-View), PBS’s award-winning independent nonfiction film series, the library will screen filmmaker Laura Nix’s 2018 film “Inventing Tomorrow” on Saturday.
“Inventing Tomorrow” follows passionate teenage innovators from around the globe as they create cutting-edge solutions to confront the world’s environmental threats — found right in their own backyards — while navigating the doubts and insecurities that mark adolescence. These inspiring teens prepare their projects for the world's largest convening of high school scientists: the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
“We chose these films to highlight teenagers making a difference and show how films aren’t just for entertainment purposes,” Cochran said. “Hopefully, this film will inspire some families to show that even young people can help make an environmental change.”
A fairly new program at the library, Cochran said this will be the third screening since its launch in May and library officials plan to continue the screenings until at least December. She noted the success of the double premiere showing in June, which featured “Dolphin Tale” and “Dolphin Tale 2,” which led to the upcoming showings of family-friendly movies during the summer months.
The August program will feature a showing of “Street Gang: How We Got To Sesame Street” as a part of the 2nd Saturday Family Film Series. Based on the book by Michael Davis, the film explores how documentarian Marilyn Agrelo investigates one of the longest-running children's programs in American television history.
Attendees can expect film showings for all ages, and while there are no age restrictions, attendees are encouraged to visit based on what's appropriate for their viewing. In addition, Cochran said after each film ends, an open discussion follows with the opportunity to share thoughts about the movie.
“With this being a new program, we’re trying to stay nimble,” Cochran said. “We obviously want to hold these screenings that benefit the most people and we hope to show a mix of movie genres that suit both adults and kids.”
The Bay County Public Library plans to announce the next set of film showings in its next quarterly newsletter along with a new theme that will be posted on its website. For more information about library programming, visit www.nwrls.com or call 850-522-2100.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County library sets free film series for each second Saturday
