The Christian Science Monitor

For fledgling filmmakers, ‘open screen’ cracks open the Hollywood dream

A man buys a ticket for an open screen event at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, Mass., on June 12. Throughout much of the year, the Coolidge Corner Theater holds open screen nights every month, during which several movies, each under 10 minutes, are aired.

Of all the ingredients that go into a movie – actors, lighting, costumes – one isn’t guaranteed: an audience.  

But a concept called open screen is changing that by inviting up-and-coming filmmakers to screen their short films to test audiences at independent theaters across the country. Consider it an open mic night for filmmakers. Directors are guaranteed an audience, and with it, feedback that can help them hone their craft. 

How Main Street does open screen

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Christian Science Monitor

The Christian Science Monitor5 min read
College Class Of 2024: Shaped By Crisis, Seeking Community
The class of 2024 began its college years as virtual students, arriving on once-vibrant campuses muffled by COVID-19. Most had missed out on high school graduations and proms. Now they’re graduating from college during another season of turmoil, this
The Christian Science Monitor4 min readCrime & Violence
Sudan War’s Rape Survivors Flout Taboos To Help Each Other Recover
For more than a month after she was tortured and gang-raped by seven Sudanese paramilitary fighters last July, Rania said nothing to anyone. Whenever she even thought about the attack, her body flooded with guilt and shame. “[I] felt like I was a dis
The Christian Science Monitor3 min read
Audubon’s Exquisite Bird Paintings Owe A Debt To Classical European Art
When John James Audubon immigrated to the United States from France in 1803, his timing was fortuitous. That same year, the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of U.S. territory, deepening national curiosity about what lay in the vastness. Audubon (1

Related