Bryn Mawr Film Institute is a non-profit, community-supported
movie theater
A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...
located in
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a town on
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
's
Main Line
Mainline, ''Main line'', or ''Main Line'' may refer to:
Transportation
Railway
* Main line (railway), the principal artery of a railway system
* Main line railway preservation, the practice of operating preserved trains on an operational railw ...
. It re-opened in March 2005, with
Ben Kingsley present, and currently has over 9,100 supporting members. BMFI shows a wide range of films, including foreign, independent and
art house
An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...
films. Film education is an integral part of the theater's mission; BMFI works with area schools and also offers film studies courses for adults.
BMFI also offers film discussions and open screen Mondays featuring films from area filmmakers, and also offers community partnerships that provide benefits to participating organizations.
History of the theater
![Seville theater entrance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Seville_theater_entrance.JPG)
The building began life as the Seville Theater. It was designed by Philadelphia architect
William Harold Lee, a designer of over 200 theaters. The Seville was built in 1926, one of six theaters built along the Main Line in the 1920s. Originally a one-screen theater, it was later split into two during the 1980s.
In 2002, after the national chain that owned the Seville Theater declared bankruptcy, Juliet Goodfriend, who became the founding president and executive director, led the effort to save the theater. After many fundraising events and zoning appeals, the theater was purchased in 2004 by the Bryn Mawr Film Institute (the name of the group founded in 2002 by academic, business and civic leaders from the area).
Goals
![Seville Theater interior](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Seville_Theater_interior.JPG)
A three-phase restoration of the theater began soon after BMFI purchased it. Phase 1 included refurbishing the lobby, installing new production and sound equipment, modernizing the electrical and heating systems and building a new
café
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...
. Phase 1 was completed in March 2006 with the installation of the new
marquee. Approximately $9 million was raised to complete the theater's transformation.
During Phase II, the Institute finished the restoration of the skylit atrium to its original state, at a cost of $2 million, in March 2009. Other upgrades include classroom space and an elevator. Phase III introduced two additional state-of-the art theaters, and the two previously existing theaters were also renovated.
On April 27, 2014, the completion of the 10 million dollar renovation project was celebrated.
Leadership
BMFI was led by its founder and president, Juliet Goodfriend, until April 2017, at which point she stepped down and assumed the role of Chair of the Board. Samuel Scott, formerly the Chairman, became Executive Director, and at present is still in that role as well as being CEO.
The Board of Directors of the BMFI is composed of film experts, influential members of the community, leaders, and philanthropists:
Board Leadership:
*Juliet J. Goodfriend · ''Founder and Board Chair'',
*Samuel R. Scott · ''Executive Director/CEO,''
*Anmiryam Budner · ''Vice-Chair,''
*John Hersker · ''Vice-Chair,''
*Marsha Perelman · ''Treasurer,''
*Alice Affleck Bullitt · ''Secretary''
Directors:
* Christopher Carey
* Jane Corrigan
* Joanne Harmelin
* Frances Ingersoll
* Francis J. Leto
* Ted Peters
* Steve Piltch
* David B. Pudlin
* Tim Rubin
* Allen C. Sabinson
* Michael A. Stein
* Lyn Wiesinger
Special Representatives and Ex Officio Members:
*Hon.
Daylin Leach
Daylin Leach (born June 23, 1961) is a former American politician and lawyer, who was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 17th senatorial district from 2009 until 2020. He was previously a member of the Pennsylvania House of Repre ...
, ''Ex Officio, Pennsylvania State Senator''
*Hon.
Greg Vitali
Gregory Vitali (born June 4, 1956) is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He has represented the 166th district since 1993. He currently serves as the Democratic Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Ener ...
, ''Ex Officio, Pennsylvania State Representative''
*Hon.
V. Scott Zelov, ''Ex Officio, Lower Merion Township Commissioner''
Honorary Members:
*Sir
Ben Kingsley, ''Actor''
*Robert Osborne, ''Film historian and host of Turner Classic Movies'' (Deceased)
References
External links
Bryn Mawr Film Institute
{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Beaux-Arts architecture in Pennsylvania
Buildings and structures in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Cinemas and movie theaters in Pennsylvania
Film organizations in the United States
Theatres completed in 1926
Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Tourist attractions in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
National Register of Historic Places in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania