“I am especially excited about the Winter Fest films this year, thanks to the wonderful choices our Film Booker Ronnie Harvey and our film buyer Jeffrey Jacobs have booked for us. 21 foreign and independent films in 21 days with so many award winners. Included this winter are several biopics such as Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Green Book, Collette, Mary, Queen of Scots; films from Denmark (“Becoming Astrid,” “The Guilty”), Japan (“Shoplifters”), South Africa (“Liyana”),” observes Erica Rogler, Dietrich Theater executive director.

All 21 Winter Fest films will be screened multiple times beginning Friday, Feb. 15 though Thursday, March 7. Tickets are available at the door or they can be reserved at www.dietrichtheater.com.

The Opening Night Gala at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15 is the only time reservations are needed. This festive evening features two movies, beer, wine, cheese and crackers, fruit, and popcorn. Between the movies, the Dietrich Theater’s signature brownie dessert is made to your liking. The first movie is “Green Book,” Golden Globes Best Picture winner. It is the story of a world-class black pianist and the Green Book listing places where he can stay on his travel from Manhattan to the Deep South for his concert tour. The second movie is “The Old Man and the Gun,” with legendary stars Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek. It is a crime caper based on a true story.

Tickets for Opening Night are $25. Reservations are available by calling the Dietrich at 570-996-1500.

Three special extra added features during Winter Fest are:

• A special discount at Tunkhannock’s bookshop up and across the street from the Dietrich called Just One Page. One of the festival movies is called “The Bookshop,” making this a perfect perk for festival-goers. At least four of the movies are based on books, so Just One Page will give a 10% discount to anyone who brings in a festival movie ticket. Everyone needs a good story, so help us support our wonderful hometown bookshop just a few doors away.

• The Dietrich and WVIA are collaborating again – this time because we are showing the movie “Tea with the Dames,” starring Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Eileen Atkins, and Dame Joan Plowright. At one of the showings of the movie, WVIA will be there with something special. The date is 4:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16.

• We know the date for a special added feature after the showing of “Beautiful Boy.” It will be March 1 at 7 p.m. After the movie, Katie Wisnosky and Cammie Anderson, Drug and Alcohol Prevention Education Coordinator, both with the Tunkhannock Area School District, will conduct a discussion for those under 21 related to the movie.

Those who wish to discuss movies with fellow film enthusiasts should plan to attend a Post Festival Film Discussion on Friday, March 8 at 1 p.m. Ronnie Harvey, film booker, gives everyone a chance to talk about favorite movies, guaranteed to inspire a lively discussion.

For information about Winter Fest or reservations for Opening Night Gala tickets, call 570-996-1500. Or better yet, you are invited to come to the free Preview Day at the Dietrich Theater on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at noon and 6 p.m. and see all 21 of the trailers for yourself. Excluding Opening Night, tickets to films included in Winter Fest are $8.50 each.

The following are synopses and showtimes of the 21 films featured in the Dietrich’s Winter Fest 2019:

BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY

Show times:

Feb. 19 — Noon

Feb. 25 — 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 28 at 2:30 p.m.

March 5 — 2:15 p.m.

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 87 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Dava Whisenant

“Bathtubs Over Broadway” is the feel good, charming and often times goofy documentary about a long forgotten and discarded artform. Steve Young, a comedy writer for “The Late Show with David Letterman,” stumbled onto a few vintage record albums that would change his life forever. Bizarre cast recordings — marked “internal use only” — revealed Broadway-style musical shows about some of the most iconic brands in America: General Electric, McDonald’s, Ford, and many more. These recordings delighted him in a way that nothing ever had. While tracking down rare albums, unseen footage, and performers, he forms unlikely friendships and discovers that this musical genre was at one time bigger than Broadway.

BEAUTIFUL BOY

Show times:

Feb. 18 — Noon

Feb. 21 — 2:30 p.m.

March 1 — 7 p.m. – film followed by discussion for those age 21 and under

March 4 — 2:15 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 120 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Felix van Groeningen

Starring: Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney

Starring Academy Award nominees Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet and based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, “Beautiful Boy” chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years. “Beautiful Boy” is a timely portrayal of what drug addiction does to not only the addict but how it affects the entire family.

BECOMING ASTRID

Show times:

Feb. 18 — 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 23 — 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 27 — Noon

March 4 — Noon

Rated: Not rated

Runtime: 123 minutes

Language: Danish and Swedish with English subtitles

Directed by: Pernille Fischer Christensen

Starring: Alba August, Trine Dyrholm, Maria Bonnevie

“Becoming Astrid” is a timelessly engaging look at the power and resilience of women both real and fictional. Restless to break free from the confines of her conservative upbringing, Astrid accepts an internship at a local newspaper where she attracts the attention of its editor. When Astrid becomes pregnant, she leaves her childhood home and gives birth to a son, whom she reluctantly leaves in the care of a foster mother. Astrid uses her imagination and flair for storytelling to reconnect with her son, and she emerges with a newfound courage that will later form the foundation of a vast and beloved body of work, including the legendary Pippi Longstocking series.

THE BOOKSHOP

Show times:

Feb. 17 — Noon

Feb. 22 — 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 27 — 5 p.m.

March 3 — 7 p.m.

March 7 — Noon

Rated: PG

Runtime: 113

Language: English

Directed by: Isabel Coixet

Starring: Emily Mortimer, Bill Nighy, Patricia Clarkson

“The Bookshop” follows a free-spirited widow who risks everything to open a bookshop in a conservative coastal town. While bringing about a surprising cultural awakening through the works of eclectic authors, she earns the polite but ruthless opposition of a local grand dame and the support and affection of a reclusive book loving widower. As obstacles amass and bear suspicious signs of a local power struggle, she is forced to ask: is there a place for a bookshop in a town that may not want one?

BOY ERASED

Show times:

Feb. 16 — 9:30 p.m.

Feb. 19 — 5 p.m.

Feb. 22 — 7 p.m.

Feb. 25 — Noon

March 2 — 9:30 p.m.

March 4 — 5 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 115 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Joel Edgerton

Starring: Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Lucas Hedges

Directed by Joel Edgerton and starring Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, and a Golden Globe nominated role from Lucas Hedges, “Boy Erased” is the true story of one young man’s struggle to find himself while being forced to question every aspect of his identity. When the son of a Baptist pastor is outed to his parents at age 19, he is faced with an ultimatum: attend a conversion therapy program or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends, and faith. “Boy Erased” is an intimate journey of selfdiscovery, faith and the bonds of family.

CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?

Show times:

Feb. 17 — 5 p.m.

Feb. 24 — Noon

Feb. 26 — 7 p.m.

March 1 — 4:30 p.m.

March 3 — 4:30 p.m.

March 7 — 4:30 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 106 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Marielle Heller

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells

Starring Melissa McCarthy in a Golden Globe nominated role, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” follows Lee Israel, the best-selling celebrity biographer who made her living in the 1970s and 80s profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn and Estée Lauder. When Lee finds herself unable to get published because she has fallen out of step with the marketplace, she turns her art form to deception. “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” is a portrait of a talented writer who has lost sight of herself in the words of others.

COLETTE

Show times:

Feb. 18 — 7 p.m.

Feb. 21 — Noon

Feb. 24 — 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 27 — 2:30 p.m.

March 1 — 9:30 p.m.

March 5 — 4:30 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 111 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Wash Westmoreland

Starring: Keira Knightley, Fiona Shaw, Dominic West

Starring Academy Award nominated Keira Knightley, “Colette” is an entertaining biopic about a young, talented woman who marries a successful Parisian writer and is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to Paris. Her husband convinces her to ghostwrite for him and she pens a semi-autobiographical novel about a witty and brazen country girl, sparking a bestseller and a cultural sensation. After its success, the couple becomes the talk of Paris and their adventures inspire additional novels under his name and not hers. Colette’s fight over creative ownership and gender roles drives her to overcome societal constraints, revolutionizing literature, fashion and sexual expression.

FREE SOLO

Show times:

Feb. 16 — 2:15 p.m.

Feb. 21 — 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 28 — 2:30 p.m.

March 1 — Noon

March 5 — 7 p.m.

Rated: PG-13

100 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

From world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin and National Geographic, “Free Solo” is a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of a free soloist climber as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock … the 3,000 foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park … without a rope. “Free Solo” is both an edge-of-your seat thriller and an inspiring portrait of an athlete who exceeded our current understanding of human physical and mental potential.

GREEN BOOK

Show times:

Feb. 15 — Opening Night

Feb. 17 — 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 20 — 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 22 — Noon

Feb. 24 — 5 p.m.

Feb. 27 — 7:30 p.m.

March 2 — 4:30 p.m.

March 5 — Noon

March 7 — 7 p.m.

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 130 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Peter Farrelly

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini

Winner of three Golden Globes including Best Picture, “Green Book” follows a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx who is hired to drive a world-class Black pianis, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South. They must rely on “The Green Book” to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger-as well as unexpected humanity and humor,they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.

THE GUILTY

Show times:

Feb. 23 — 9:30 p.m.

Feb. 28 — 7 p.m.

March 2 — 2:30 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 85 minutes

Language: Danish with English subtitles

Directed by: Gustav Möller

Starring: Jakob Cedergren, Jessica Dinnage, Omar Shargawi

“The Guilty” is a high-concept thriller that wrings maximum impact out of a handful of basic and effective ingredients. When police officer Asger Holms is demoted to desk work, he expects a sleepy beat as an emergency dispatcher. All of that changes when he answers a panicked phone call from a kidnapped woman who then disconnects abruptly. Confined to the police station, he is forced to use others as his eyes and ears as the severity of the crime slowly become clearer. The search to find the missing woman and her assailant will take every bit of his intuition and skill, as a ticking clock and his own personal demons conspire against him.

LIYANA

Show times:

Feb. 21 — Noon

Feb. 26 — 2:15 p.m.

March 1 — 2:30 p.m.

March 6 — Noon

Rated: Not rated

Runtime: 77 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp

“Liyana” is an innovative documentary that uses animation to tell a moving story of resiliency. A Swazi girl embarks on a dangerous quest to rescue her young twin brothers. This animated African tale is born in the imaginations of five orphaned children in Swaziland who collaborate to tell a story of perseverance drawn from their darkest memories and brightest dreams. Their fictional characters’ journey is interwoven with poetic and observational documentary scenes to create a genre-defying celebration of collective storytelling.

MARIA BY CALLAS

Show times:

Feb. 18 — 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 21 — 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 23 — 5 p.m.

March 2 — Noon

March 6 — 7:15 p.m.

Rated: PG

Runtime: 113 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Tom Volf

“Maria by Callas” offers an intimate look at the life of a brilliantly talented artist whose absorbing story matches the operatic heights reached by her work. Told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs, nearly all of which have never been shown to the public, the film reveals the essence of Maria Callas who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS

Show times:

Feb. 16 — 7 p.m.

Feb. 21 — 5 p.m.

Feb. 23 — noon

Feb. 25 — 7 p.m.

March 1 — 2:30 p.m.

March 4 — 2:30 p.m.

March 6 — 4:30 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 124 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Josie Rourke

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden

Starring Academy Award nominated actress Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, “Mary, Queen of Scots” is a beautiful period piece exploring the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart. Mary defies pressure to remarry and returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I. Rivals in power and in love, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones — and change the course of history.

THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN

Show times:

Feb. 15 – Opening Night

Feb. 17 — 7:15 p.m.

Feb. 19 — 2:15 p.m.

Feb. 20 — Noon

Feb. 22 — Noon

Feb. 24 — 7:30 p.m.

March 3 — 2:15 p.m.

March 5 — 2:30 p.m.

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 93 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: David Lowery

Starring: Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck

Starring screen legends Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek and nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Globes, “The Old Man and the Gun” is a compelling crime caper based on the true story of Forrest Tucker, from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are a detective who becomes captivated with Forrest’s commitment to his craft, and a woman, who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.

A PRIVATE WAR

Show times:

Feb. 19 — 2:15 p.m.

Feb. 23 — 7:15 p.m.

Feb. 25 — 2:15 p.m.

March 1 — Noon

March 4 — 7:30 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 110 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Matthew Heineman

Starring: Rosamund Pike, Tom Hollander, Jamie Dornan

Starring Rosamind Pike, in a Golden Globe nominated role and based on the incredible true story of Marie Colvin, one of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time, “A Private War” is an account of the high risk and real world consequences of journalism on the front lines. After being hit by a grenade in Sri Lanka, she wears a distinctive eye patch and is still as comfortable sipping martinis with London’s elite as she is confronting dictators. Colvin sacrifices loving relationships, and over time, her personal life starts to unravel as the trauma she has witnessed takes its toll.

SCIENCE FAIR

Show times:

Feb. 18 — 5 p.m.

Feb. 25 — Noon

March 5 — Noon

Rated: PG

Runtime: 90 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster

Winner of the audience award at Sundance and SXSW, National Geographic Documentary Films’ “Science Fair” follows nine high school students from around the globe as they navigate rivalries, setbacks and, of course, hormones, on their journey to compete at The International Science and Engineering Fair. As 1,700 of the smartest, quirkiest teens from 78 different countries face off, only one will be named Best in Fair. “Science Fair” offers a front seat to the victories, defeats and motivations of an incredible group of young men and women who are on a path to change their lives, and the world, through science.

SHOPLIFTERS

Show times:

Feb. 20 — 7:15 p.m.

Feb. 25 — 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 28 — Noon

March 6 — 2 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 121 minutes

Language: Japanese with English subtitles

Directed by: Hirokazu Koreeda

Starring: Lily Franky, Sakura Andô, Mayu Matsuoka

Nominated for Best Foreign Language film at the Golden Globes, “Shoplifters” is a deeply affecting story of family love and perseverance on the margins of society. After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, barely making enough money to survive through petty crime, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them.

STUDIO 54

Show times:

Feb. 22 — 9:30 p.m.

Feb. 26 — Noon

March 4 — Noon

Rated: Not rated

Runtime: 98 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Matt Tyrnauer

“Studio 54” is an engrossing close-up look at an emblem of a decade’s decadence — as well as its sobering aftermath. Studio 54 was the epicenter of 70s hedonism — a place that not only redefined the nightclub, but also came to symbolize an entire era. Its co-owners, two friends from Brooklyn, seemed to come out of nowhere to suddenly preside over a new kind of New York society. Now, 39 years after the velvet rope was first slung across the club’s hallowed threshold, this feature documentary tells the real story behind the greatest club of all time.

SWIMMING WITH MEN

Show times:

Feb. 18 — Noon

Feb. 20 — 2:15 p.m.

Feb. 26 — 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 28 — Noon

March 2 — 7:15 p.m.

March 7 — 2:30 p.m.

Rated: Not rated

Runtime: 96 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Oliver Parker

Starring: Rob Brydon, Rupert Graves, Thomas Turgoose

“Swimming with Men” is a big-hearted, delightfully offbeat ode to answering your calling, no matter where you are in life. The film follows Eric who believes he is simply treading water in his life until he discovers a newfound sense of purpose, thanks to an unexpected source: a group of similarly stuck-in-a-rut guys who have found camaraderie and self-worth through synchronized swimming. They may be a bit paunchy, but they’re determined to prove they have what it takes to be a whirling, twirling, scissorkicking aquatic dream team. And they have set their sights on the ultimate prize: the world championship.

TEA WITH THE DAMES

Feb. 16 — at 4:15 p.m. – WVIA Special Event

Feb. 19 — Noon

Feb. 22 — 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 26 — 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 28 — 4:30 p.m.

March 7 — Noon

Rated: Not rated

Runtime: 84 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Roger Michell

Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Eileen Atkins, and Dame Joan Plowright are among the most celebrated actresses of our time, with scores of iconic performances, decades of wisdom, and innumerable awards between them. They are also longtime friends who invite you to join them for a weekend in the country as they reminisce and share their candid, delightfully irreverent thoughts on everything from art to aging to a life lived in the spotlight. Bursting with devilish wit and whip-smart insights, “Tea with The Dames” is a remarkable opportunity to spend time in the company of four all-time greats—up close and unfiltered.

THE WIFE

Show times:

Feb. 16 — Noon

Feb. 19 — 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 22 — 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 26 — Noon

March 3 — Noon

March 7 — 2:15 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime:100 minutes

Language: English

Directed by: Björn Runge

Starring: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Max Irons

Starring the incomparable Glenn Close, winner of the Golden Globe for Best Actress, “The Wife” is a poignant and powerful story of a couple after nearly 40 years of marriage. Joe’s literary star has blazed since he and Joan first met in the late 1950s and Joan must balance her love with her personal ambition. “The Wife” interweaves the story of the couple’s youthful passion and ambition with a portrait of a marriage, 30-plus years later — a lifetime’s shared compromises, secrets, betrayals, and mutual love.

Winner of three Golden Globes including Best Picture, ‘Green Book; follows a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx who is hired to drive a world-class Black pianis, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South.
https://www.theabingtonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Green-Book-adj.jpg.optimal.jpgWinner of three Golden Globes including Best Picture, ‘Green Book; follows a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx who is hired to drive a world-class Black pianis, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South. Submitted photo

Starring screen legends Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek and nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Globes, ‘The Old Man and the Gun’ is a compelling crime caper based on the true story of Forrest Tucker, from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public.
https://www.theabingtonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Old-Man-and-the-Gun-Adj.jpg.optimal.jpgStarring screen legends Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek and nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Globes, ‘The Old Man and the Gun’ is a compelling crime caper based on the true story of Forrest Tucker, from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Submitted photo
Event at Dietrich Theater offers 21 films