TUNKHANNOCK, Pa. — Starting Friday night, the seats inside the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock will be filled with film buffs.
"35 Oscar nominations in this lineup. Opening night, we have 10 Oscar nominations," said Erica Rogler, the Dietrich's executive director.
It's definitely a moviegoer's dream. Rogler says the Winter Film Festival at the Dietrich is billed as a preview for the biggest night in Hollywood.
"21 films in 21 days, the best foreign, independent, and art films on the market today. There's something for everyone, from documentaries to dramas."
And for the regular moviegoers here, it's no joke.
"It's like a March Madness kind of thing. People come from all around, and they see all 21 movies within that three-week period, and that's even hard for me to do," said Ronnie Harvey.
Harvey is the Dietrich's general manager and resident film expert. He was in charge of designing the lineup for the film festival.
"I go through a list of what movies are available to me, and I just kind of have this innate ability to understand my audience now after doing it for so many years. I know what they want to see, and these movies are probably the best of the best we've shown."
The festival brings people from bigger cities like New York or Philadelphia seeking that small, local theater experience.
"There's nothing like seeing a movie in a theater with others. You laugh together, you cry together," Rogler said.
This is what keeps people coming back to the theater, not just for film festivals but in general. The staff at the Dietrich hope the nostalgia for the movie theater experience means a comeback for the big screen.
"I think there is just something so special about sitting down, getting your popcorn, having the lights go down, hearing the music, play and just immersing yourself in a movie," Harvey said. "And then we have this great thing where people actually talk to each other when they're leaving the theater!"
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