This summer, Hollywood Suite wants to take you to the movies with The Movie Man himself, Keith Stata of Kinmount, Ontario’s Highlands Cinemas. Following a critically acclaimed tour of the festival circuit in Canada and the U.S., The Movie Man from director Matt Finlin will premiere on Hollywood Suite On Demand on August 1, and air on the HS2000s channel August 7, at 9pm ET.
The Movie Man introduces the colourful entrepreneur and his unique multiplex and museum set deep in the forest of small-town Ontario. After 40 years in business, Keith is forced to confront his shrinking movie business, declining health, feeding 40 cats, keeping a bear at bay, and a global pandemic. The future of his visionary cinema complex becomes more and more uncertain as the film unfolds.
The feature documentary has been lauded by critics who call it “a Canadian Cinema Paradiso” (Deadline) that manages to be “genuine without slipping into easy sentimentality” (The Globe & Mail). To quote Pat Mullen’s review for POV Magazine, “Better than the adventure of Top Gun: Maverick, the bombast of Oppenheimer, or the dazzling effects of Avatar, no film has better articulated the power of seeing a movie in a theatre.”
“The Movie Man reminds us of all of the magic of cinema,” said Sharon Stevens, Vice President, Programming, Hollywood Suite. “Keith’s unwavering love of the silver screen and his perseverance to keep the moviegoing experience alive amongst the challenges of owning an independent cinema in Canada make this doc truly remarkable. “
The Movie Man is the feature directorial debut of Matt Finlin, who also served as Director of Photography on the film. It was produced by Karen Barzilay who, along with Finlin, runs Door Knocker Media. The Movie Man was edited by James Yates with Kevin Drew composing the film’s original music. The executive producers are Ed Robertson and Paul Atkinson. The film is distributed by Mongrel Media in Canada.
