"Dunkirk" is shown Jan. 15 and 16.
Virginia Highlands Community College kicks off the Spring 2018 Arts Array Film Series Jan. 15. Show times are Monday and Tuesday evenings at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Abingdon Cinemall, unless otherwise noted. Admission is free for all students and staff members of Virginia Highlands Community College, Emory & Henry College, King University, East Tennessee State University and Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, including participants in the College of Older Adults who purchase an Arts Array pass. Community admission is $7.75.
VHCC's partnering sponsors for the Arts Array Film Series include the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, King University and Emory & Henry College.
"Dunkirk" is shown Jan. 15 and 16. Acclaimed auteur Christopher Nolan ("Memento," "The Prestige" and "The Dark Knight") wrote and directed this historical thriller about the Dunkirk evacuation during the early days of World War II. When 400,000 British and Allied troops end up trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, France, following a catastrophic defeat, a number of civilian boats set out to rescue them before they are decimated by the approaching Nazi forces. Fionn Whitehead, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy star. Rated PG-13.
"Victoria and Abdul" comes to the screen Jan. 22 and 23. An Indian clerk named Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal) travels to London to present Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) with a ceremonial coin for her Golden Jubilee. The pair form an unexpected bond upon meeting, but the lifelong friendship that develops is threatened by the disapproval of Victoria's inner circle. As the Queen contemplates what her life of service has meant and the restrictions it has placed on her, Abdul brings her joy as he indulges her fascination with the country she rules over from half a world away. Directed by Stephen Frears. Rated PG-13.
"Loving Vincent" is shown Jan. 29 and 30. The film brings the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh to life to tell his remarkable story. Every one of the 65,000 frames of the film is an oil painting, hand-painted by 125 professional oil painters who travelled across the world to the Loving Vincent studios in Poland and Greece to be a part of the production. First shot as a live action film with actors, it was then hand-painted over frame-by-frame in oils. The final effect is the interaction of the performance of the actors playing Vincent's famous portraits, and the performance of the painting animators, bringing these characters into the medium of paint. Rated PG-13.
The remaining movies in the series are "Detroit" Feb. 5 and 6; "Mudbound, Feb. 12 and 13, "Battle of the Sexes" Feb. 19 and 20, "The Florida Project" Feb. 26 and 27, "All the Money in the World" March 12 and 13, "Lady Bird" March 19 and 20, "Darkest Hour" March 26 and 27, "The Shape of Water" April 2 and 3, "Permanent" April 9 and 10, "The Post" April 16 and 17, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" April 23 and 24 and "Phantom Threat" April 30 and May 1.
With a selection of pictures that includes predicted award nominees and instant classics from across all genres, this line-up will delight film-viewers of all tastes. For additional information about the Arts Array Film Series, contact program coordinator Phil Ferguson, pferguson@vhcc.edu.
