If you’re tired of the run-of-the-mill movies Hollywood cranks out, you should attend Movies on the House at UNF, which showcases movies that are not commonly found at your local theater.
Jason Mauro, a UNF English professor and MOTH director, is excited to bring films with more depth and meaning to UNF’s Robinson Theatre.
Going to the movies these days can be expensive, with tickets and refreshments costing close to an arm and a leg. But MOTH is bringing great films and popcorn to UNF for free.
“This is not a cheap date, this is a free date,” Mauro said.
MOTH will be showing films every other Thursday for students, staff and guests are welcomed to attend.
MOTH began in 1999 when then UNF President Fretwell established a budget for a film series. The industry standard for film is .35mm — the films could not be shown on campus because proper equipment was not available. Until now, the films had been shown at Regal 18 on Beach Boulevard.
UNF recently updated Robinson Theatre to support .35mm equipment. Regal Cinemas donated a .35mm projector and equipment, so the films can be shown on campus, Mauro said.
With the huge screen and new equipment, the experience is equivalent to one at Regal.
By moving the films to UNF, moviegoers will be able to hang out after the film and discuss what they have just seen, Mauro said. Guest speakers and experts in the field will also have the opportunity to speak with the audience after screenings.
Bringing the film series to campus will also help make UNF more of a place to live, Mauro said.
“MOTH is a long-held dream of Professor Mauro, who has been presenting a film series at a local theater,” said UNF President John Delaney. “We have long wanted to move it to campus.”
“[Film is] a cultural and social phenomena,” Mauro said. “Think of film as community and culture. It’s the new novel, the new literature.”
MOTH aims to screen films that provoke thought, not the average feel-good blockbusters movie theaters usually feature.
“Most American films are designed to have audiences leave the theater feeling good,” Mauro said. “These films are about making you feel more.”
Greg Lee, a UNF civil engineering junior, began attending the MOTH screenings because they coupled well with a class he took with Mauro.
Since attending the MOTH shows, Lee has been to four mainstream movies but has attended most of the MOTH screenings.
“I love these films because they really make you sit and think,” Lee said. “Some of the movies have made me change the way I view myself, peers, life and death.”