FilmScene Eye Opener event celebrates community support

IOWA CITY - Andy Brodie has learned he can do a lot with only one screen.

Brodie, director of FilmScene, a not-for-profit art house cinema, and his staff have shown more than 200 films in the one-screen facility over the last year.

'Which is an astounding amount of programming,” Brodie said.

But Brodie and Andrew Sherburne, co-founder and associate director, know their success comes with community support. So to celebrate FilmScene's first year in a physical location tucked along the Ped Mall, the organization is hosting its first Eye Opener, part birthday celebration, part end-of-year thank-you to donors, FilmScene members and the community.

The event will begin at 11 a.m. today with a brunch at the Sheraton Hotel's Amos Dean Ballroom. The event includes a brief awards ceremony with remarks, a short film premiere and a silent auction poster sale.

'We thought brunch was a fun thing to do that was a little different than other evening stuff that was going on,” Brodie said.

Brodie said about 100 people have RSVP'd to today's event, but the public is welcome to pay at the door to attend. Cost for the public is $35. A child's ticket price is $10.

Brodie said FilmScene has sold more than 30,000 tickets for its 65-seat theater in the past year and about 900 people have memberships.

Sherburne said it would be hard to support the mission - to operate a full-time cinema that shows an array of quality films - without the support of the Iowa City community.

Wesley Beary, an Iowa City resident and FilmScene member who will be at today's event, is glad to support the non-profit and appreciates its 'top-notch curation.”

'I love film and having access to different stuff from all over the world. So I jumped at the chance to help diversify our local options and hope I can continue to do so this year and in the years to come,” the 31-year-old said in an email.

Looking ahead, Brodie said he hopes as FilmScene continues to grow the organization can delve into more educational opportunities on film and for aspiring filmmakers.

But for now, FilmScene is focused not only growing but keeping its annual members.

'It's an important time for everyone to renew their memberships and reinvest in FilmScene. And people are doing that, which I think, for us, is encouraging that we've done a good job so far,” Sherburne said.