Documentary Teaser: Finale Screenings

With the final shows of Your Cinema Needs You returning to the Monarch Theatre later this month, I decided to cut a new trailer for the documentary using some previously deleted scenes. You can purchase movie tickets for these screenings from May 30 to June 2 here.

Your Cinema (Continues) to Need You

New screenings of the Monarch documentary, "Your Cinema Needs You" are returning to the Monarch Theatre at 7 PM on February 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th! Click here to purchase movie tickets to one of these newly added screenings.

In addition to an enjoyable night out and an opportunity to learn about a largely undocumented chapter of Medicine Hat's cinematic history (experienced from within the very building that it happened in) I also wanted to also point out some of the knock-on effects that your support of "Your Cinema Needs You" are having.

1. Over the course of production more than 50 headlines about this documentary (and the Monarch's story) have been generated and shared across Canada. This awareness about the new significance of the Monarch Theatre is a big step forward in this next chapter and is bringing national attention to a landmark that most people have never even heard of before.

2. The extensive research that went into this documentary is already showing potential to aid in future grants, designations, and direct supports to further the plans for the Monarch Theatre's revitalization. The popularity of the documentary has helped to reveal new clues and contacts just from people talking about the movie and spreading the word (and this is before we've even finalized plans for the Canada-wide streaming release). This is a huge bonus in the roll that this documentary can play in the future, that honestly, we hadn't even really thought much about until the premieres happened.

3. Contrary to popular belief, this documentary was not "actually" a local production. A professional, feature-length budget had to be greenlit from out of province to even be able to dedicate this much time and energy to a film that involved a cast and crew of more than 50 individuals. None of the funding to produce this was local.

The reason I want to point this out, is because deciding to tell a Medicine Hat story that we believed would resonate with a wider audience (at this scale) was seen as a risk. The success of this project, the sold out premieres, etc. are all part of a proof of concept that show that taking these risks are worth it, viable, and something that needs to happen more often. Not just because these stories are culturally significant, but because they can be just as entertaining too! You've already helped to prove this!

In short, your support of Your Cinema Needs You is having a lot of impact outside of just Medicine Hat. There is a lot more happening behind the scenes then people realize, and it's opening a lot of doors that were previously closed.

That's a lot of good coming from people just showing up - and a really good sign for the future of the Monarch Theatre stemming from the success of a single movie. I can't say it enough - thank you for being there and thank you for making this happen!

February Screenings of the Monarch Documentary

CLICK HERE to purchase movie tickets for the screenings of "Your Cinema Needs You" at the Monarch Theatre at 7 PM on February 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th.

After more than 2 years in production, this feature-length documentary about one of Canada's most underrated cinematic landmarks is back by popular demand to screen within the very cinema at the heart of this story, the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Following the 7 sold out premiere shows in Medicine Hat, these new February screenings of the documentary are an exclusive opportunity to return to the Monarch Theatre since it closed its doors, experience the largely untold history of one of Canada's last surviving cinemas of the silent era from within its auditorium, and be among the very first to see "Your Cinema Needs You" before its Canada-wide release later in 2024.

Directed by Luke Fandrich, the 2 hour and 15 minute documentary traces the origins of the Monarch Theatre, the rise and fall of its direct competitors, and the cinema's evolution over 112 years since it first opened its doors on December 21, 1911. "Your Cinema Needs You" features newly uncovered images, artifacts, and exclusive interviews from individuals spanning the Monarch's history, including former usherettes, managers, projectionists, moviegoers, and more!

Book your tickets now to experience the start of the Monarch Theatre's next chapter.

Encore Screenings of the Monarch Documentary

CLICK HERE to purchase tickets for the encore screenings of "Your Cinema Needs You" at the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta at 7 PM on January 4th, 5th, and 6th, 2024.

After more than 2 years in production, the feature-length documentary about one of Canada's most underrated cinematic landmarks is finally ready to debut within the very cinema at the heart of this story, the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta. 

Following the 3 night sold out premiere event in December 2023, the encore screenings in January are an exclusive opportunity to return to the Monarch Theatre for the first time since its closing, experience the largely untold history of one of Canada's last surviving cinemas of the silent era from within its auditorium, and be among the very first to see "Your Cinema Needs You" before its Canada-wide release later in 2024. 

Directed by Luke Fandrich, the 2 hour and 15 minute documentary traces the origins of the Monarch Theatre, the rise and fall of its direct competitors, and the cinema's evolution over 112 years since it first opened its doors on December 21, 1911. "Your Cinema Needs You" features newly uncovered images, artifacts, and exclusive interviews from individuals spanning the Monarch's history, including former usherettes, managers, projectionists, moviegoers, and more! 

This will be the final opportunity to view "Your Cinema Needs You" at the Monarch Theatre before the cinema once again goes dark for an extended time to continue with planned renovations.

Book your tickets now to experience the start of the Monarch Theatre's next chapter.

Monarch Theatre Premiere: Purchase Movie Tickets

CLICK HERE to get your movie tickets for the premiere of "Your Cinema Needs You" at the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta at 7 PM on December 28th, 29th, and 30th, 2023. 

After more than 2 years in production, the feature-length documentary about one of Canada's most underrated cinematic landmarks is finally ready to premiere within the very cinema at the heart of this story, the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta. 

This 3 day premiere event is an exclusive opportunity to return to the Monarch Theatre for the first time since its closing, experience the largely untold history of one of Canada's last surviving cinemas of the silent era from within its auditorium, and be among the very first to see "Your Cinema Needs You" before its Canada-wide release in 2024. 

Directed by Luke Fandrich, the 2 hour and 15 minute documentary traces the origins of the Monarch Theatre, the rise and fall of its direct competitors, and the cinema's evolution over 112 years since it first opened its doors on December 21, 1911. 

"Your Cinema Needs You" features newly uncovered images, artifacts, and exclusive interviews from individuals spanning the Monarch's history, including former usherettes, managers, projectionists, moviegoers, and more! 

Book your tickets now to experience the start of the Monarch Theatre's next chapter.

Monarch Documentary: Premiere Is A Go!

After last week's post about the seeming unlikelihood of Your Cinema Needs You premiering this year, I couldn't be more thrilled to announce that the Monarch documentary will officially premiere at the Monarch Theatre before the year is out! December 28, 29, and 30th to be exact. Now the real work begins to pull this together and rally the community.

Here was the teaser trailer from today's surprise announcement (see below). Tickets for the screenings will go on sale this Thursday with a direct link to the ticketing portal posted here on Editing Luke as well as on facebook.com/editingluke. I hope to see you there! 

One Last Chapter: Monarch Documentary

It has been one year and seven months to the day - 577 days to be exact - since I made an announcement about the Monarch Theatre, a signed production agreement, and the new feature-length documentary I had going into production at the start of 2022. 

Deciding to uncover the story about a potentially significant old cinema is one thing, but you can't really appreciate just how long 112 years actually is until you find yourself face to face with what a single newspaper archive spanning that timeframe looks like up close - and worse, just how sparse the clues in those archives are when the subject you've chosen to focus on is a seldom written about single screen movie house in the middle of the Canadian prairies. 

What can I say though? I do love movies and the places that show them.

It's honestly been a dream to explore, document, interview, contextualize, and uncover artifacts in connection to a cinematic landmark that (let's be honest) the vast majority of Canadians have understandably never heard of before. There's something exciting about knowing you've found your hook though, a point that only became reinforced when just a month into production the announcement about my little movie was picked up and spread nationally by the Toronto Star.

 

As the months rolled on I was continually amazed at what I was finding, who was coming forward to share their stories, and what had seemingly been hiding in plain sight after so many decades. The story got bigger, the timeline extended, and I genuinely started to wonder when I was ever going to be finished. It was overwhelming and exhilarating. Exhausting and completely engrossing. 

And, oh yeah, was the Monarch ever going to reopen again? This news hung over the production for over a year while plans shifted, promises changed, and I continued to pretend that I knew what the conclusion to my movie would eventually be. As the Calgary Herald so fittingly put it in their feature about the documentary, "true stories rarely have tidy endings".   

So, here we are. After all of the teasers, updates, sneak peeks, rumours, changes, and behind the scenes snapshots, I guess it's finally time that I break the long-awaited news (and yes, I thought I'd make a meal out of this update too) the documentary is actually done. Scored, previewed, revised, rendered, cut, locked, and now awaiting release.  

Your Cinema Needs You is finally, officially complete. 

Monarch Documentary: End Game

Post-production on my Monarch Theatre documentary has been through numerous stops and starts in 2023 in anticipation of the expected news about this historic cinema's reopening. A feature in the Calgary Herald in February highlighted this predicament and my "search for an ending" amidst the changing timelines I'd been experiencing in trying to wrap the project.

While we are still without a public announcement about the Monarch Theatre's future in Medicine Hat, Alberta, I have to admit that I'm not entirely in the dark about what's been happening behind closed doors. This hasn't made the wait any less grueling, unfortunately. So much can still happen despite things seemingly moving in the right direction, and naturally, no documentarian wants to risk the reputation of their film on well-intentioned speculation. 

If this already complicated timeline stretching back to 2021 has demonstrated anything, it's that a lot can change quickly. When production first started we were still in lockdowns, for example.

For what it's worth, this has been exhausting for everyone involved. I feel like I've been teasing this documentary for so long and disappointing people with the continued uncertainty about when they can actually watch it and what we can share. Point being, it's time to wrap this up.

I've come to realize that I need to end this story while it's still fresh in my mind and there isn't much point in waiting any longer. Whether an announcement is made a week from now or months from now, my biggest concern is in telling a good story. So, how do I strike a balance and end this documentary properly? 

I'm happy to share that I have worked out an ending that I think will satisfy both the story and my increasing anxiety. I won't spoil anything here, but this does mean that completing the final stages of Your Cinema Needs You is currently my top priority. 

I have to remind myself sometimes that I've already wrestled with just how much there was to fit into a single movie, already revised numerous times, and that a lot is going to continue to change surrounding the Monarch Theatre regardless of my efforts. Who's to say that there isn't room for a follow-up to this doc anyway? Here's to a story worth the 112 year wait. 

 

What Difference Does A Trailer Make?

A week ago I had anticipated some public response when the preview for "Your Cinema Needs You" finally dropped. What followed ... thousands of fresh eyes on what I'd been up to this year, renewed public interest, HUNDREDS of messages, media coverage, a rally of support to see the film premiere in the Monarch, and so so so many questions. 

All amazing - but also, exactly what you'd hope a solid trailer would do.

What I wasn't prepared for was the trailer for "Your Cinema Needs You" inspiring a few tip-offs about the potential future of the Monarch Theatre, and the preview convincing the only hold out interview of the entire documentary to finally request a sit down.

Earlier this week production resumed for a single day inside the Monarch, and as a result of this final interviewee's involvement even more unreleased archival material has been secured for the documentary. On what in any other year would be the sleepy haze between Christmas and New Years, I feel like I've been racing. I've just created more work for myself, but I suppose this is the hectic reality of capturing a story that's still being written. 

This new year should be very interesting.

Monarch Documentary Trailer on Chat News

My thanks to Chat News for featuring the trailer for my new documentary "Your Cinema Needs You" on their broadcast today. See the trailer featuring the Monarch Theatre below.

Monarch Documentary: Teaser Trailer

Let's go to the movies!

Opened 111 years ago today on December 21, 1911, the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta is a cinema that's been hiding an incredible story. Here's your first look at the new documentary "Your Cinema Needs You" directed by Luke Fandrich. Coming 2023.

For more updates on the release of this documentary follow @editingluke

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