The Ligonier Valley Cinema Association is a voluntary organization growing out of a project to determine the Fifty Best Films of the Third Millenium’s First Decade Available On Region One DVD. From this project, a core group of eight children and five adults coalesced. These thirteen individuals chose from among several options the above identification, which outpolled rivals. Thus the association began with eight junior and five senior members.
But what is it?
The first function of the organization was to complete the 50 Best Films of the Third Millennium’s First Decade Project.
Its second, an ongoing one, is to identify and make available to DVD viewers in the Ligonier Valley the best children’s, family, animated, documentary, short, foreign and silent films on Region 1 DVD. These are currently being added to the Hugh Stouppe Memorial Library DVD Collection of the Heritage United Methodist Church and the Classic Cinema Collection of the Ligonier Valley Library.
Third, the Ligonier Valley Cinema Association tries to provide free film screenings of estimable films at area locations with film site licenses.
Fourth, the Association operates its own web site, featuring film awards information, dvd reviews, monthly dvd release highlights, and an annual list of forty recent films on dvd recommended by one or more of its members.
Ken Orme, librarian at the Heritage United Methodist Church, is the Association’s acquisitions chief, responsible for previewing, obtaining, critiquing, and publicizing dvd donations to Ligonier libraries.
A current ten-year program assures each library gets at least a dozen targeted new dvd titles annually. These are instrumental in developing Regional and National collections, as well as subgroups of LVCA Recommended Performances, Cinematography, Film Scores, Production Designs,
Sound Recording Achievements, Directing Achievements, Editing Achievements, Film Stories, Lighting Achievements, Special Visual Effects Achievements, Costume Design Achievements, Family Films, Short Films, Children’s Films, Musicals, Animations, Silents, and Documentaries.
Additionally, the Association is creating a Genre Gallery consisting of five exemplary films in each of twelve genres: Westerns, Screwball Comedies, Coming of Age Dramas, Crime Dramas, Satires, Film Noirs, Horror films, War dramas, Romances, Film Biographies, Sports Films, and Experimental Features.
Ultimately, the Ligonier Valley Library will receive upwards of one hundred and twenty dvds courtesy of the LVCA. These include many foreign-language titles not otherwise available for patrons to borrow. The Ligonier Valley Library’s Director aids in developing and structuring this program by suggesting desired titles and approving all candidate films.
More than two dozen feature silents and at least one dozen sound films / decade are being identified, obtained on dvd, and donated by the Ligonier Valley Cinema Association to either the Hugh Stouppe Memorial Library of the Heritage United Methodist Church of Ligonier or the Ligonier Valley Library.
LIGONIER VALLEY CINEMA ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP:
There are two possible ways to join the LVCA. One is to donate six or more approved dvds to one of two recipient libraries. The other is to watch and evaluate, using an appropriate LVCA evaluation form, at least six feature films (or six shorts if screener is less than nine years of age).
LIMITS: Senior Association Membership will not exceed a maximum of thirty people.
Junior Association Membership will not exceed a
maximum of twenty people.
AGE RESTRICTIONS: Junior Association Members must be at least 9 years old and no older than 20.
Senior Association Members must be at least 21 years of age.
GEOGRAPHICAL RESTRICTIONS: Association Members must be resident in the Ligonier Valley area and patrons of at least one participating library.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: Each participating library uses its customary processing and rating procedures on new DVD accessions of LVCA donations.
Association DVDs donated to the Hugh Stouppe Memorial Library are clearly designated as such.
Existing checkout procedures of respective libraries, return dates due, and stipulations for renewal follow established library policies.
The Ligonier Valley Library treats overdue Association DVDs in the same manner as others, collecting per diem fines on them. Money collected from such fines can be used for repair / purchase of Association DVDs.
Any library card holder may check out Association dvds from the Ligonier Valley Library. However, only Association members and Heritage Church members / affiliates may check out Association DVDs from the Hugh Stouppe Memorial Library.
Each library is responsible for advertising, updating, and promoting Association DVDs within its own holdings.