Bryn Mawr Film Institute: Titanic, Rin Tin Tin and More in April

This month at will feature a docudrama screening about the Titanic on the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking, films celebrating Earth Day and Administrative Professionals Day and a few arts events, among other offerings.

There are also a few spaces left to travel with BMFI to the Umbria Film Festival; the trip departs Philadelphia on Monday, July 9 and returns Wednesday, July 18. To reserve your space on the trip, please contact Nicole Redman at NRedman@BrynMawrFilm.org or 610-527-4008 x107.

BMFI's Public Relations Manager Devin Wachs tells us what to expect: 

The Desert of Forbidden Art (7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 5)

This documentary is about a Russian man, Igor Savitsky, who rescues 40,000 forbidden works from a secret museum hidden from the KGB. Co-director Amanda Pope will be on hand for a Q-and-A following the screening.

2012 Summer Filmmaking Workshop Open House (6 p.m. Tuesday, April 10)

The open houses are free for prospective participants in the summer filmmaking workshop to meet the instructor and get a sense of the program. The summer filmmaking workshop is open to 12 students entering the ninth through 12th grades, who, over six weeks in the summer, collaborate to make a short film. Last summer’s group, , is still working together to make movies. 

The Return of Rin Tin Tin (7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10)

A pre-filmed talk by Susan Orlean, author of Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, will begin at 7:30 p.m. before the film screening at 8:30. For dog lovers, animal lovers and Rin Tin Tin fans, this is a chance to learn more of the history behind the animal and to get Orlean's take on what sets the Rin Tin Tin story apart. The film is family-friendly and short.

She Stoops to Conquer (7 p.m. Wednesday, April 11; 1 p.m. Sunday, April 22)

Performed at the National Theatre in London, this hit comedy is about marriage and mistaken identity, when a wealthy countryman intends to marry off his daughter to the son of a well-to-do Londoner. The show has been getting rave reviews in London.

Videodrome (11:30 p.m. Friday, April 13)

This movie in BMFI's Late Show series is about a sleazy TV producer who gets hooked on an underground channel that exhibits acts of violence and perverse sexuality. The R-rated cult classic by David Cronenberg features weird imagery, such as people getting sucked into a television.

A Night to Remember (Noon Saturday, April 14)

On the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking, this docudrama is based on Titanic expert Walter Lord's bestselling account and provides a powerfully realistic take on the final hours of those on the Titanic. The film is a black-and-white British film from 1958 and features interviews with passengers from the ship's maiden and only voyage. Attendees 21 and older will be offered complimentary champagne.

Concert for Japan (1 p.m. Sunday, April 15)

This is an encore broadcast of a benefit concert performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker for Japan in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster. Guest conductor Yutaka Sado makes his Berlin Philharmonic debut in this concert. The program features pieces by composers Toru Takemitsu and Dmitri Shostakovich.

The Last Mountain (7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 18)

Part of BMFI's Green on Screen series in honor of Earth Day, this documentary is about mountaintop removal and one community's attempt to preserve Coal River Mountain.

The City Dark (7:30 p.m. Monday, April 23)

The second of two films in BMFI's Green on Screen series, this documentary focuses on light pollution and the importance of constellations. Documentarian Ian Cheney talks to scientists and astronomers about what we get from stars and the view of the sky. Haverford senior Maya Barlev, who helps run Haverford College’s public observing program at the Strawbridge Observatory, will introduce this film.

Moguls, Mensches and Nudniks: Jews and American Cinema (10 a.m. Tuesday, April 24; Tuesday, May 1; Tuesday, May 8; Tuesday, May 15)

This course, at the Gershman Y (401 S. Broad St., Philadelphia) will be taught by BMFI Director of Education Andrew J. Douglas, Ph.D. over the course of four Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The class looks at the legacy of Jewish Americans in cinema. The class is $100 for BMFI members and $125 for non-members.

Nine to Five (7 p.m. Wednesday, April 25)

This film screening of Nine to Five celebrates Administrative Professionals Day. The 1980 movie stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton, whose characters team up to overthrow their sexist boss. The screening will include an "office party" with free coffee and cake.

Secretary (11:30 p.m. Friday, April 27)

On the theme of Administrative Professionals Day, this film in BMFI's Late Show series is a subversive romantic comedy starring Maggie Gyllenhaal in her breakout role, and James Spader as her uptight boss. The film is rated R.

Live Simulcast: The Bright Stream (11 a.m. Sunday, April 29)

This live simulcast of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow is a funny, quirky ballet first performed in 1945, about a ballet group's mission to entertain rural farmers.

For more information, visit BMFI's website