Mercyhurst Modern Cinema Club

Elizabeth Shewan, Staff writer

Everyone enjoys a good movie, but for movie lovers looking to enjoy films with fellow enthusiasts, the Mercyhurst Modern Cinema Club is just the place.

Modern Cinema Club is about much more than just watching movies.

“We do a lot more than people think we do,” vice president Kallie Olear, a senior Communication major said. “We do trivia and parties and we discuss movies.”

The club aims to provide an inclusive atmosphere and bring movie lovers together as friends.

Katherine Summers, a senior Fashion Merchandising major, is in her first year as president but has been involved with the Modern Cinema Club since she was a freshman.

“I love going to trivia and now I love being on the other side of it, planning events,” Summers said.

Modern Cinema Clubs hosts monthly events, open to all. Movie themed trivia, written by advisor Kris Gossett, is usually the star of these events, with teams competing over the course of the year to be the ultimate trivia winners and earn prizes. They also do one-off trivia nights for special events.

Another key event for the club is the yearly trip to Toronto for the Toronto International Film Festival, which happened this year for the third year in a row, Sept.
6-8. Festival goers get to spend the weekend in Toronto attending world premieres, seeing celebrities, attending question-and-answer sessions and exploring the city. Past attendees have taken advantage of being in Toronto by attending baseball games or concerts.

“The film festival is a once-in-a lifetime experience,” said Olear.

“The whole atmosphere is just mind-blowing, and
you get to be on your own and experience the different culture and people that appreciate movies just as much as I do.”

Planning for next year’s trip to the film festival has already begun, and students as well as alumni are welcome to attend.

This fall, the club also hosted a world premiere event for “The Joker,” in which students viewed the movie before it was released to the public in a theater MMCC rented out.

Mercyhurst Modern Cinema Club typically hosts one such event per semester. Last semester’s premier was “Avengers: End Game.”

In the coming months, the club will be hosting an event around the time of Thanksgiving and will co-host a Christmas party along with the Business Club, themed around The Office, with trivia and prizes.

In addition, they hope to host Movies Tuesdays, in which club members will be able to see movies in theaters at a discounted price.

Summers encourages curious movie lovers and especially underclassmen to come check out the club.

“I always loved movies, my entire life…so the fact that there was a club on campus for that, especially when I was a freshman and barely knew anybody, it was a good way to make new friends but also do something that I enjoy,” Summers said.

Those interested in the Toronto Film Festival trip and other Modern Cinema Club events can email moderncinemacub@gmail.com, or keep an eye out for posters and flyers around campus to stay informed.