CFF: THE HISTORY OF TLA

THE CINEDELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL presents

Monday, April 15, 2013, 7:00 PM @ PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.)
For the Love of Film – The History of TLA
From Repertory Cinema to Video Stores and Beyond

Join Ray Murray, President of TLA Entertainment Group, as he recounts his work with TLA (Theater of the Living Arts), from its birth as a South Street hippie cinema in the early 1970s through its morphing into video stores and now streaming films on the internet.

Older film fans fondly remember the days of repertory and art cinema: from Germantown’s Bandbox, the Lane on Broad Street, Sansom Street’s Academy Screening Room, Market Street’s New World Cinema and many more, but arguably the most well-known and popular was TLA Cinema on South Street where, pre-instant access of film, people from all walks of life ventured to the ramshackle cinema to see all kinds of non-Hollywood film: from cult classics (THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, PINK FLAMINGOS), to international discoveries (THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE, 8 1/2, ALPHAVILLE) and even to the surreal (ERASERHEAD, EL TOPO). When the videocassette revolution changed the way people watched film, TLA also changed, by opening video stores that continued the tradition of highlighting international cinema and which happily catered to Philadelphians’ famously eclectic tastes.

Murray, as well as several long-time TLAers, will be on hand with posters and a video to walk the audience through the last 40 years of Philadelphia’s alternative cinematic history.

After the discussion, there will be a screening of John Water’s classic FEMALE TROUBLE (which had its premiere at TLA on November 6, 1974).

Advance tix are $8, no refunds or exchanges.

The Cinedelphia Film Festival is a Philly-centric celebration of Philly film running from April 4-27, 2013.
http://www.cinedelphiafilmfestival.com

(via CFF: THE HISTORY OF TLA)