Written by volunteer writer David McConnell
Most people like pleasant surprises. The Bookshelf Cinema, a wonderful companion to the Bookshelf itself for decades, has done that with its Sunday Cinema series, now about to enter its sixth season. Since 2016, minus the pandemic black hole that saw theatre in general ripped away from film enthusiasts, the main organizers of this undertaking, Cort Egan and Peter Henderson, have kept this small gem reeling along. Although initially causing concern as to whether or not this idea would succeed, both Peter and Cort were convinced that it was worth a try and their conviction has paid off.
Inspired by a similarly structured event initiated by the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which was a huge hit, Cort wondered why it couldn’t work in a city like Guelph where the Arts community has burgeoned. Peter wholeheartedly agreed and after discussing the idea with Barb, Doug, Ben and Hannah Minett, decided to test the waters. And so Sunday Secret Cinema was born.
For a set price on the first Sunday of each month running from October to April, patrons viewed a specific “surprise” movie which would then be followed by a moderated discussion with a guest or panel of guests who would provide insight into the movie and, afterwards, entertain comments and questions from the audience. But organization for this was not easy. Behind the scenes efforts by Peter and Cort to procure interesting films for Guelph’s discerning viewers, as well as to secure appropriate panelists, demanded serious time commitments from them both. For the first series though, they managed to entice Karen Gordon, a well=known CBC film reviewer, to moderate all of the seven film offerings in what was initially just a morning series. At the end of this series in April, the sold out success meant that, for season two, a second afternoon time slot had to be added to help soak up the overflow of interest.
And the rest, as they say, has been history. While the 33 movies shown to date are too numerous to list for this short article, a few of the guest panelists who regaled audiences with their expertise should be mentioned. Well-known author and arts media critic Geoff Pevere, honoured Canadian actress Sheila McCarthy and national award-winning journalist and broadcaster Peter Mansbridge, have been only three of many who graced the cinema with their presence.
Anticipation only grows for this season. Over the years, it has not been unusual for Cort to be recognized on the street with shouts of “hey, you’re the film guy” or Peter to be cornered for hints as to what the next series of films might include. These good-natured interactions are sure to continue. People have been known to line up an hour or two before the cinema opens to get that “favourite seat”. This likely won’t change. Recent panelist, Johanna Schneller, summed up her experience for many by saying, “I love coming here; the audience is so engaged.” It seems Guelph was ready and still is.
So there you have it. If people would like more information about the upcoming season, subscribe to the Bookshelf newsletter because when tickets go on sale, they are snapped up fast. Secrets will be revealed.
