Cincinnati World Cinema will be open at 50% occupancy Saturday in Garfield Theatre downtown for two films about women in peril, Nina Wu and The Columnist.
"We can bounce up to 100 percent at any time, but we are taking it in stages," says Tim Swallow, Cincinnati World Cinema CEO. "Our people are intelligent and considerate of others, and many remain reluctant to attend an indoor movie theater that might be crowded." He's being extra cautious because most of his international film fans are over 55, and some have health issues.
"It’s more about respecting their level of comfort regarding personal safety than rushing to adopt a political dictum saying you’re at risk one day but not at risk a few days later," he says.
The Columnist(4 p.m. Saturday, June 12) stars Katja Herbers in a dark comedic revenge thriller about an Amsterdam newspaper columnist who goes after the men trolling her on the internet.
Nina Wu(7 p.m. June 12) co-screenwriter Wu Ke-xi stars in the psychological thriller as a struggling Taiwanese actress whose physical and mental well-being is imperiled by a bullying, sexual predator director.
After each screening, Swallow and Sosena Erco from the Sogeti/Capgemini Group will discuss the films at the theater, 719 Race St.
Tickets are $10 for each screening or $16 for the double feature. They can be purchased onlineor by calling 859-957-3456.
"We do request that in-person attendees have completed the vaccine process and also request the use of masks in common areas," Swallow says. "While Ohio is jumping into high gear full-open, we will continue to keep patron comfort level and safety as our top priority."
Closed for 13 months, the CWC reopened the Garfield Theatre on April 9 on weekends for the 20th annual Oscar shorts. They were also screened online in the CWC Virtual Cinema, which has operated through the pandemic. There are 56 films in the CWC Virtual Cinema archive, says Swallow, who founded the CWC with his wife Margaret in 2002.
