Bottle Works, State Theater of Johnstown to host The Molok Film Festival

Kelly Urban, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Sep. 8—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Calling all film buffs.

Bottle Works, in collaboration with the State Theater of Johnstown, will present The Molok Film Festival, a three-day event, which will show "The Molok" short film and cinematic classics that have directly inspired the exhibit and short.

Movie screenings will be hosted Friday through Sunday at the State Theater of Johnstown, 336 Main St., downtown.

For "The Molok" exhibition, New York City-based creatives Samuel Wilson and Xander Chauncey, along with the help of Camp BW students, transformed Bottle Works' ArtWorks main galleries into the Molok's dwelling place. The 13-foot kinetic sculpture was built out of forsaken and discarded objects from the community and beyond.

" 'The Molok' experience is coming to an end, but before this troublesome beast travels to another city, we are excited to present three days of movie magic with creators Xander Chauncey and Samuel Wilson," said Melody Tisinger, Bottle Works' director of operations and advancement.

The opening night of the festival on Friday will be geared toward an adult audience and aspiring filmmakers.

At 7 p.m., there will be a showing of the short film "The Molok," followed by a question-and-answer session with with Chauncey and Wilson.

The evening also will present the 1927 black-and-white film classic "Metropolis." In the sci-fi drama, a futuristic city is sharply divided between the working class and the city planners. The son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.

" 'Metropolis' was the first film in history to use the concept of Moloch as the embodiment of unchecked industry, oppressing people and communities," said Wilson, artist and director of "The Molok."

"Our Molok uses a similar idea for today's world, so we wanted to tap into the zeitgeist of the 1920s to show that."

At 7 p.m. Saturday, the pop culture classic "The NeverEnding Story" will be screened.

The story follows a troubled boy who dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.

"Where the Wild Things Are" will be shown at 3 p.m. Sunday.

The adaptation is based on the popular children's book by author Maurice Sendak. Yearning for escape and adventure, a young boy runs away from home and sails to an island filled with creatures that take him in as their king.

Each night, the festival will begin with "The Molok" short film.

Concessions will be available for purchase.

Event sponsors include 1st Summit Bank, Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Magellan Healthcare.

Admission is $5 per person or $12 for the three-day movie pass.

Tickets are available online at www.statetheaterofjohnstown.com and can be purchased at the door the day of the event.