February 2016

And the winner (of our Oscar Pool) is…

Posted on February 29, 2016

Congratulations to Jessica Taylor Erwin, winner of our first-ever Des Moines Film Society Oscar Pool. Jessica correctly picked 18 of the 24 categories from last night's Academy Awards, and is the winner of a pair of tickets to both the Fleur Cinema and Varsity Theater. Among the picks that put Jessica's ballot over the top, she was one of the few to correctly pick Spotlight as the Best Picture winner, and also correctly guessed one of...

Open Screen Filmmakers Announced

Posted on February 18, 2016

by Ben Godar

We were thrilled at the outpouring of submissions we received for our first Open Screen Night, both in terms of quantity and quality. The program will feature a diverse blend of drama and comedy, animation, documentary and more. The program will include: Emily Harmon Growing up Black in Iowa Wes Worthing Safe Place Patrick Gannon Black Spade / Nobody's Fool Alex Holland Bird for Thought Dan Welk Gloom Balloon / You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Disaster Bruce James Bales Night Shine Greg Best Teen Cop 3: The Ninja...

2016 DMFS Oscar Pool

Posted on February 12, 2016

by Ben Godar

Think you know who will win at the 2016 Academy Awards? Compete in the Des Moines Film Society Oscar Pool and you can win fabulous prizes. What will those fabulous prizes be? Why, free movie tickets of course. The winner will receive two free passes to Fleur Cinema and two free passes to Varsity Theater. Simply (and clearly) mark your ballot, predicting the winner in each category. The entrant who selects the most correct winners will be...

Goodnight Mommy: DMFS Best of 2015

Posted on February 9, 2016

by Christian Powell

Des Moines Film Society asked some of our favorite local writers and film fanatics to pick their favorite film of 2015. You can read them all at DMFS: Best of 2015. Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s Goodnight Mommy is a film that came out of, seemingly, nowhere. I went into it cold. Hadn’t heard a thing about it, hadn’t seen a trailer. I knew it existed and, for some reason, that I had to see it....

Mad Max: Fury Road – DMFS Best of 2015

Posted on February 3, 2016

by Nick Renkoski

Des Moines Film Society asked some of our favorite local writers and film fanatics to pick their favorite film of 2015. You can read them all at DMFS: Best of 2015. What am I to make of the fact that George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road is the best film of the year? This is virtually the definition of a popcorn movie--a big, loud, spectacle which isn’t so much about something as it is about how...

Iowa Filmmaker Nicolaas Bertelsen on working with James Franco and Yosemite

Posted on February 3, 2016

by Ben Godar

When Ames native and former Des Moines-based filmmaker Nicolaas Bertelsen presents Yosemite, a film he produced, Thursday night at Fleur Cinema, it will bring him full circle on a journey that began eight years ago when he left Iowa to further his filmmaking career in Los Angeles. "I didn't just go off to California to chase a dream and go broke," he said. "I mean, I did all those things, but I did this too." Bertelsen -...

One day left to RSVP for The Great Alone documentary

Posted on February 1, 2016

by Ben Godar

The Great Alone is a documentary which follows a three-time Iditarod sled-dog racing champion, Lance Mackey, as he battles to complete the race and earn a fourth title. The film is premiering Feb. 9 at theaters across the country, including (potentially) at Southridge 12. However, each screening needs at least 31 reservations in order for the film to screen, and as of right now, the Southridge screening has only 23. If you'd like to see the...