International Film Festival Tour Expands to 25+ Cities

"Hey, what's been happening with the Monarch Theatre documentary and when can we see it?" I've probably been asked this question more than any other this year. With the last festival schedules now being finalized, here's a brief (and overdue) update about the international film festival tour for "Your Cinema Needs You" directed by Luke Fandrich.

Needless to say, there have been no shortage of surprises throughout this entire experience. Since the premiere run ended back in February 2024, "Your Cinema Needs You" has been on an ambitious international film festival tour which quickly surpassed expectations for what this release would look like.

In the last 8 months, the indie doc about Canada's oldest cinema has gone on to screen in over 25 cities across 11 countries. From Los Angeles to Montreal to Berlin to Istanbul to Tokyo, the movie continued to pick up official selections in new venues that further pushed the release down the road as we built momentum.

These were all really good problems to have.

Where are we now? The notifications about final festival selections for 2024 are expected in the next few weeks. Regardless of the outcomes, this will see the festival run conclude this December and should fast-track public viewing options soon after. This means the long-teased wide release is finally on the horizon.

I'll get into more of the behind the scenes about this entire chapter in a future post.

Once again, thank you for the continued interest, patience, and support through all of this. I wouldn't have even pursued this detour had all the premiere shows in the Monarch Theatre not been such a huge success. It's been a life-changing ride.

More details to come.

Pont Alexandre III in Paris, France

The Pont Alexandre III is one of the most elegant and ornate bridges in Paris, renowned for its Beaux-Arts architecture and lavish decoration. Spanning the Seine River, it connects the Champs-Élysées area on the right bank with the Invalides and Eiffel Tower on the left bank. The bridge was inaugurated in 1900 as part of the Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair), symbolizing the friendship between France and Russia.

Named after Tsar Alexander III of Russia, the bridge was intended to commemorate the Franco-Russian Alliance of 1892. Its construction was a technical marvel of the time, designed to be low and gently arched to avoid obstructing the view of nearby monuments. The engineers were Jean Résal and Amédée d'Alby, while the extravagant decoration was created by a team of sculptors.

Pont Alexandre III is celebrated for its ornamental features, including gilded sculptures, nymphs, cherubs, and winged horses perched atop tall granite pillars at each end. These statues symbolize the arts, sciences, industry, and commerce, reflecting the cultural grandeur of the Belle Époque.

The bridge is especially stunning at night, when it is illuminated and its golden statues glow against the Paris skyline. It is a favorite location for photographers, filmmakers, and tourists due to its beauty and its views of iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais.

More than just a means of crossing the Seine, Pont Alexandre III stands as a symbol of elegance, diplomacy, and the artistic spirit of Paris at the turn of the 20th century.

 

Twin Pines Mall: Back to the Future Location

Located in City of Industry, California, the Puente Hills Mall served as the location for the Twin Pines Mall (and Lone Pine Mall) in the 1985 film, Back to the Future. This is the parking lot where Doc Brown first performs the time travel experiments with his custom DeLorean. As such, the mall has long been a popular site for fans of the iconic trilogy.

We visited before news broke about the sale of the mall and its intended closure. The full plans are yet to be revealed, but with much of the Puente Hills Mall already vacant it's expected that the site will be completely redeveloped, likely destroying the lot where the movie was filmed.

One of the few remaining attractions here was a replica of the Twin Pines Mall sign located inside. A small collector's shop was also the perfect spot to pick up a few Back to the Future souvenirs. I'm just glad we had the opportunity to see it before it disappeared for good.