Deep Focus: An Online Seminar Series What is DEEP FOCUS? Deep Focus is our online educational program. Join us online to discuss great movies and to increase your appreciation of film. DEEP FOCUS is designed for a general audience – from the casual film lover to the hardcore cineaste. There is something for everyone.
More infoDeep Focus is a seminar only series. The films discussed are not included in the scheduled seminars. Be sure to watch the films ahead of time. You can catch some titles at screenings in person at our theaters – for that, you’ll have to check your local theater to see if and when it is showing the film. We’ll also provide guidance as to where you can stream the films online. See below in each film description under the heading "Where to Watch."
Free registration. While Deep Focus is free for anyone, we recommend a small donation from non-members to your local theater to support the series. You can donate to the County, Ambler, Garden, Hiway, or Majestic.
Archive of past seminars. Seminars are recorded and will be available on YouTube at a later date.
This psychological noir places Marilyn Monroe in her first starring role, granting her the chance to show off her dramatic acting chops in a way that would not be possible just a few years later after she was boxed into sexy comedic roles by the studio. A newly single pilot plans to rebound with the alluring stranger across the courtyard of his hotel. She seems like a perfect catch, until he learns that her beautiful exterior only thinly masks her unpredictable psychosis. Featuring an on-brand cool performance from Richard Widmark and the big screen debut of Anne Bancroft.
Watch at Home Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube, Google Play
Beautiful and successful Laura Hunt has been murdered. As a police detective investigates, he finds that everyone seems to be in love with her and he, too, soon falls under her spell, but things aren’t always as they seem. Featuring marvelous lead performances by Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, LAURA is a classic noir with great supporting performances and a legendary score by David Raksin.
Watch at Home Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube, Google Play
This heartwarming screwball comedy tells the story of two homeless men, a drifter and an unemployed veteran, who move into a rich businessman’s New York City mansion while away wintering in the South. When the daughter of the businessman shows up, romantic sparks fly. IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE is an underrated holiday classic that features charming performances from its ensemble cast.
Watch at Home Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube, Google Play
More About Deep FocusSeries offered under the Deep Focus umbrella will use different lenses to examine a variety of film genres while also creating opportunities for sustained conversations built around certain topics and themes. We generally offer different series, each consisting of events led by expert speakers, ranging from professors, to film critics, to members of the industry. While the format will vary slightly depending on the speaker, audience members will always be invited to ask questions and share their opinions. Events will be run in an online format, allowing us to partner with other local independent art house cinemas and to reach an even broader audience.
Deep Focus is the successor to our Film 101 series. It has same great programming but is rebranded as we expand the scope of the series.
Free for Members
All events are free to members of our theaters (Ambler, County, Princeton Garden, Hiway, and Majestic). A $5 donation is suggested for non-members. Seminars will also be recorded and available via YouTube at a later day.
Renew Theaters operates four Pennsylvania/New Jersey movie theaters: the County Theater in Doylestown, PA, the Ambler Theater in Ambler, PA, the Hiway Theater in Jenkintown, PA, and the Princeton Garden Theatre in Princeton, NJ. Renew manages each theater according to each individual mission to: Exhibit art, independent and world films that offer the community an opportunity to experience a broad range of artistic and alternative expressions; Educate the community about the film and media arts through a diverse program of educational activities that seek to develop a lifelong involvement with the arts; Serve as a community and charitable resource for the arts, and to promote and effect access to the arts for all members of the community; and Preserve the theaters as cultural resources.
Gettysburg College’s Majestic Theater at the LeVan Performing Arts Center features an 800-seat theater, two cinemas with stadium seating, an art gallery, café, and a 20,000-square-foot backstage production facility with dressing rooms and rehearsal hall. The theater is open 358 days annually with daily programming including live performances of Broadway shows, classical and popular music, dance, comedy, children’s shows, first-run independent films and cinema classics. The center serves as the rehearsal and performance venue for Gettysburg College’s Sunderman Conservatory of Music.
Deep Focus is supported by a generous grant from the Vesta Fund. The series develops further on earlier Renew Theaters initiatives like “Film 101” and “Prof. Picks." Majestic Theater in Gettysburg is our first regional collaborator Looking forward to the spring and beyond, we plan to make even more offerings available, including a crash-course on film appreciation.