Thursday, November 20 at 7pm

In association with our allies at the Appalachia-based Appalshop program, The Bridge is proud to present Elizabeth Barrett’s documentary Stranger with a Camera.

In 1967m Canadian filmmaker Hugh O’Connor visited the mountains of Central Appalachia to document poverty. A local landlord, who resented the presence of filmmakers on his property, shot and killed O’Connor, in part because of his anger over the media images of Appalachia that had become icons in the nation’s War on Poverty.

Filmmaker Elizabeth Barret, a native of Appalachia, uses O’Connor’s death as a lens to explore the complex relationship between those who make films to promote social change and the people whose lives are represented in such media productions. Through first-person accounts of the killing and the perspective of three decades of reflection, Stranger With a Camera leads viewers on a quest for understanding - a quest that ultimately leads Barret to examine her own role as both a maker of media and a member of the Appalachian community she portrays.

Saturday, October 11, 2008, 3:30-11pm, $5

HzCollective Presents: MegaHz Festival 2008 - a two day showcase of experimental and avant-garde performances, featuring local, regional and international artists. We invite both the Charlottesville and Richmond communities to participate and attend both days of an event that we hope will bring our cities closer together.

Participants include Graham and Cleek from Charlottesville, Big Drum in the Sky from Harrisonburg, Gerrit Roessler from Charlottesville/Germany, New Loft from Richmond, Richard Brewster, from Charlottesville, Ben Miller from New Jersey, Khate vs. Feralcatscan from Newport News, Pinko Communoids from Charlottesville, Flutter [1, 2, 3] from Charlottesville/Richmond, Matthew Burtner from Charlottesville, Doofgoblin from Charlottesville, Hal McGee + Ironing from Florida, Projexorcism from North Carolina, and Preliminary Saturation from the Netherlands.

HzCollective is a Virginia based experimental, noise & improvised music collective serving to strengthen the bond between the Richmond and Charlottesville creative arts communities. The collective fosters a local network of experimental artists and enthusiasts by organizing performances and workshops involving local and touring artists from around world.

Staged Reading | Friday and Saturday, September 26-27, 8pm; Sunday, September 28, 2pm

The Charlottesville Women’s Theatre Project is proud to present its second project, a staged reading of “Bras and Beaters” by local playwright Sally Story. Join us as we explore both the age-old relationship between men and women and the ever-evolving one with ourselves. There will be a special musical performance by guest Mariana Bell. Reading dates are Friday September 26th at 8 PM, Saturday September 27th at 8 PM, and Sunday September 28th at 2PM. Admission is pay-what-you-can at the door.

Charlottesville Women’s Theatre Project seeks to showcase local women actors, technicians, designers, directors, and playwrights. It’s theatre by women (…and in this case, men too!) that the whole community can enjoy.

Friday, Sept. 19th at 8pmSean’s at it again!! This outdoor Drive-In screening event will showcase excerpts from Samoheyl’s new DVD collection of puppet films: The Whale and Thrift Store Odyssey - Two Stories, along with an array of other fine things - including; hand sculpted cars, a one-of-kind concession stand, films by other friends and more.

Sean has expressed that “It would be cool if maybe people even wore pajamas and brought teddy bears and blankets. Maybe we could all sleep in the parking lot and tell ghost stories. ” So grab those PJ’s and a friend and get yourself down to the Bridge this Friday night!

A $5 Suggested Donation - is likely to accompany this experience.

A Public Reading & Signing | Wednesday, Sept 17th 8pm

This public reading and signing event will showcase works collected by Series Editor David Lehman and guest editor Charles Wright. Participating Contributors include poets John Casteen, Lisa Russ Sparr and Debra Nystrom. Poets will read from their own works and also selections from this years collection. A Q&A and book signing will follow.

Admission is Free to the public.

Tuesday, September 16th, 8pm

Up-and-coming dub rockers I Love You will be playing on Tuesday, in support of their new album, Drone, Drugs and Harmony. Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, ‘I Love You’ has gained considerable momentum and press since being featured on influential NYC indie music video site punkcast.com earlier this year. The spaced-out duo will be touring throughout the continental U.S. this fall in support of Drone, Drugs and Harmony’s release on tape and CD. “We are coming to melt your faces,” declares drummer Jeffrey Schlette. “I Love You is to music what crack is to cocaine.”

Likewise, Truman Sparks and Tapeworms, both being know for “melting faces”, will be playing as well.

8pm $5

Wednesday, October 22 and Thursday, October 23 at 7pm each night

A World held together by Anarchy and Chaos. A Society run by an Empire of Crime. The Inheritor of Moriarty and Fantomas, the Grandfather of Drs. No and Evil and Kaizer Soze. A master of disguise and telepathic hypnosis. A Man who aims to burn the world and rule its ashes. DR. MABUSE! A film so brazenly revealing of the hypnotic power of evil that Goebbels banned it and confiscated the prints. We await the coming of the Dawn of Darkness.

A character that Fritz Lang (M, Metropolis) came back to three times over the course of 40 years, Dr. Mabuse first appeared in this 1922 silent film. The evil puppeteer manipulating people to their will, creating a network of mayhem and chicanery through unwitting agents. This super-villain seizes on the weak and leverages their poverty and weak minds to build a society of malevolence that is often hard to see as different from present day politiccs…

The Bridge Fall Film Series continues with another seasonally-appropriate silent horror film, complete with an original score! Due to the length of the film, we’ll break this first part of the Mabuse cyle into it’s original two parts:

Mabuse the Gambler: An Image of the Time (Oct. 22)
Inferno: the People of the Time (Oct. 23)

Both evenings will feature an all-new film score, performed live by Charlottesville-based electronics/jazz musician Jonathan Zorn!

For more information about the film series posters, or to download a printable version, click here.

Thursday, October 9th at 7pm

The Fall Film Series gets off to a horrifying start with this screening of the 1925 silent film horror classic The Phantom of the Opera, featuring live accompaniment by Matt Marshall.

The Phantom of the Opera stars the legendary Lon Chaney, Sr., “Man of a Thousand Faces,” in a career-defining role. His groundbreaking, self-applied make-up shocked 1920’s audiences, reportedly causing them to scream or faint at the moment of the Phantom’s unmasking. This highly influential film paved the way for the great Universal Horror films of the 1930’s, and is a well-respected horror classic in it’s own right; it’s the perfect way to kick-off the Halloween season.

The film will have a live score performed by Matt Marshall, renowned for his regular performances at the Scottsville Victory Hall Theater; Marshall also teaches Film and Music courses for UVA’s Continuing Education School, and is the founder of the Reel Music Ensemble.

Please remember that our Fall screenings begin at 7pm rather than at 8:00; admission remains a $5 suggested donation.

For more information about the film series posters, or to download a printable version, click here.

Thursday, November 6, 2008 | 7pm | Free

In a screening co-sponsored by the Charlottesville-Albemarle Health Department, The Bridge PAI will screen a segment of the documentary Unnatural Causes this November, as part of a community awareness campaign regarding health disparities.

Unnatural Causes was produced by California Newsreel in order to draw attention to the root causes of health and illness and to help reframe the debate about health in America, particularly with regard to economic and racial issues. The seven-part documentary series criss-crosses the country, investigating findings that are shaking up our conventional understanding of health. In particular, Episode 2: When the Bough Breaks, specifically addresses how racial disparities affect birth outcomes, which is clearly relevant given recent data on racial health issues here in Charlottesville, especially concerning infant mortality.

The 30-minute video will be followed by an informative discussion, accompanied by handouts and relevant information. This event is free and open to the public.

Public Preview - Friday, Aug. 29th 6-8pm | SALE - Saturday, Aug. 30th, 10am-5pm

Allyson Mellberg and Jeremy Taylor are working artists and JMU professors who have been living in and around the Charlottesville area for the last four years. Allyson and Jeremy’s work can be found at Cinders Gallery in Brooklyn, NY, Lump Gallery in Raleigh, NC, and Cerasoli Gallery in Los Angeles. Their work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at museums and galleries including the Atlanta Contemporary Art Museum, The Rose Museum, SECCA, The Milwaukee Art Museum, The Bayly Art Museum, The Bemis Center, and Third Drawer Down in Victoria, Australia.

The installation and studio sale at the Bridge PAI will feature works on paper, paintings, sculptures, and soft sculptures made within the last five years. As Allyson and Jeremy move into a new (and empty!) studio this fall they are looking to find good homes for their work. All of the pieces will be priced far below their market value; a portion of the proceeds from this show will go to benefit The Bridge PAI. All of Jeremy and Allyson’s work is made using ecologically responsible, recycled, and non-toxic art materials.