FRIENDS OF KENTUCKY THEATRE

2024 was an enormously busy year for the Kentucky Theatre. We sold more than 51,000 tickets to 266 independent, foreign, documentary, and regional films of artistic and/or cultural merit. Supported local nonprofit organizations through donations and rental discounts. Partnered with ten community organizations on film events. Organized four special film/live music events. Presented eight unique screenings with director Q&As and/or panel discussions. Continued seven original curated film series or festivals, including Central Kentucky's first competitive international film festival. SUPPORTING LOCAL NONPROFITS: Each year, The Kentucky Theatre joins forces with local nonprofits to help them raise money for their efforts. We may provide the venue rent-free, discount our rental fees, split ticket proceeds from a special event, or donate a portion of ticket proceeds from regularly scheduled films. For example: For CatVideoFest 2024 we donated a portion of ticket sales to Halfway Home Rescue, Inc [a 501(c)(3) organization] to support their animal rescue efforts. We also hosted their feline adoption fair in our lobby during the film screening. During the Special Screenings of the Oscar-winning Animated Film Flow we donated a portion of each ticket sale to the Woodford Humane Society [a 501(c)(3) organization]. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: The Kentucky Theatre places great emphasis on forging partnerships with community organizations. Here is a brief list of some of the partner events that took place in 2024. For THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY an event featuring Fellini: Four Films, which is a four-film retrospective of the work of the great Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini planned in coordination with and hosted by University of Kentucky film scholars Raymond De Luca and Matteo Benassi. We sold 440 tickets to this series. Additionally, we featured The Best of Billy: Four Classic Films by Billy Wilder, which was a four-film retrospective of the work of the legendary filmmaker Billy Wilder planned in coordination with and hosted by University of Kentucky film scholar Jordan Brower. We sold 334 tickets to this series. With the UK ART MUSEUM we hosted ART ON SCREEN, which seeks to broaden an interest in the arts through the creative pairing of films about art and artists with entertaining discussions by notable speakers from the world of art and art history. For BCTC we hosted a Screening of Student Films. We partnered with the Bluegrass Community and Technical College and the University of Kentucky to showcase short films by student filmmakers at these two institutions. LIVE EVENTS: In addition to movies we provided the venue for many local orgs. ORIGINS JAZZ: The Origins Jazz Series was founded to fulfill the role that jazz clubs play in many American cities. Origins is a hub for audiences and performers to come together and celebrate the art, culture, and community of jazz. Origins Jazz is dedicated to high quality performances in compelling venues, jazz literacy, and uniting our community through music. The Kentucky Theatre was proud to partner with Origins Jazz to bring nationally prominent jazz performers to our venue in 2024. This partnership continues in 2025. THE LEXINGTON URBAN LEAGUE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS: We teamed up with this community-based organization to present a screening of Hoodlum in celebration of Black History Month. GET HAAPI KY: The Kentucky Theatre partnered to host three films in celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. VALVOLINE, INC. AFRICAN AMERICAN AND BLACK EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP: We teamed up with this organization to present a free screening of the film 42: The Jackie Robinson Story, in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. SPECIAL FILM AND LIVE MUSIC EVENTS: These events featured music from our historic 1920s pipe organ, as well as local choirs, and techno audio-visual special effects. For example, we presented Silent Film Classic The Freshman with Live Organ Accompaniment. We screened this classic 1925 silent film with live organ accompaniment by Andrew E. Simpson. Simpson is one of America's foremost silent-film musicians. He has performed across the US, Europe, and South America. He is the resident film accompanist at the National Gallery of Art and a resident accompanist at the Library of Congress. Diva: A Special Screening and Tribute to Wilhelmenia Fernandez: We partnered with the University of Kentucky Opera Program and the Kentucky State Choir to salute the life and musical career of the late Wilhelmenia Fernandez with this concert and special screening of Diva. A famed opera singer, Fernandez starred In Diva and spent many years in Lexington after retiring from the world of opera. Silent Film Classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with Live Organ Accompaniment. Filmed in 1920, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a masterpiece of German expressionism and arguably the first true horror film. Internationally renowned theater organist Tedde Gibson provided live accompaniment for this classic of the silent era. Negativland + SUE-C with a Special Live Double-Feature Legendary sound-collage group Negativland and "real-time cinema" visual artist SUE-C collaborated to stage their latest audio-visual performance about our minds, our realities, and the evolving forms of media and technology that orchestrate our perceptions. The evening included a screening of Stand by for Failure: A Documentary About Negativland. We partnered with local orgs to offer several Q&A PANEL DISCUSSION EVENTS. Under the Southern Cross: The Art and Legacy of Henry L. Faulkner + Q&A with Filmmaker Jean Donahue: Much has been said about Henry Faulkner's life as a colorful Lexington character, artist, and lifelong friend of Tennessee Williams. Yet are we appreciating Faulkner for what is most important? With recent research, we're finding that Faulkner may be a much more important figure in the larger gay historical narrative. Under the Southern Cross will find Faulkner's place in this narrative. This film premiere and Q&A was attended by 626 people. The Outsiders + Q&A with Actor C. Thomas Howell: A one-time-only screening of the classic film, The Outsiders, with special guest and film star C. Thomas Howell. This screening and Q&A was attended by 310 people. Wildcat + Q&A with Filmmaker Ethan Hawke: Filmed in Kentucky and directed and co-written by four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke, Wildcat invites the audience to weave in and out of celebrated Southern Gothic writer Flannery O'Connor's mind as she ponders the great questions of her writing: Can scandalous art still serve God? Does suffering precede all greatness? Can illness be a blessing? This pre-release screening and director Q&A was attended by 811 people. The Philadelphia Eleven Film Screening + Panel Discussion: This documentary explores the pioneering women who helped transform the Episcopalian church and pave the wave for women in the priesthood. We partnered with The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington to host this screening and panel discussion. Remembering the Future with Herb Greene + Q&A with the Filmmakers A young architect questioning her career decision takes an intimate look at the intricate legacy of her great-uncle Herb Greene and the overlooked, groundbreaking Organic Architecture movement he ignited from the heart of the US in the 1950s. Lila Cohen investigates the trajectory of Greene's life from his Jewish upbringing in depression-era New York to becoming a pioneer in Oklahoma under a changed name. A free screening of a portion of a feature-length documentary in production along with a Q&A with the filmmaker. Ghostlight Film Screening + Q&A with Director and Lexington Native Alex Thompson. The First Omen + Q&A with Director and Lexington Native Arkasha Stevenson. And Small Things Like These + An Introduction by and Q&A with New York Times Best-selling Author and Kentucky Poet Laureate Silas House. We offered four CURATED FILM SERIES in 2024. Twelve Lions Film Festival: Lexington's first competitive international film festival, Twelve Lions is a four-day event showcasing quality independent film from around the world. Through film premieres, retrospectives, workshops, panels, meet-and-greets, and other networking events, we aim to further the careers of emerging filmmakers and to deepen the film lover's appreciation of cinema in all its richness and diversity. In 2024 more than 1,000 people attended 64 film screenings. The Rosa Goddard International Film Series: An annual celebration of cinema classics from around the world. Psychedelic Cinema: This series explores the world of psychedelic music concert film. The series is a partnership between The Kentucky Theatre and Expansion: Lexington's Psychedelic Experience & Music Festival. ART ON SCREEN seeks to broaden an interest in the arts through the creative pairing of films about art and artists with entertaining discussions by notable speakers from the world of art and art history. Freaky Frid