On Wednesday, Dec. 4, and Friday, Dec. 6, Munson will host the regional premier of the film “Benji’s Hour,” directed by Gabriel Kahane and filmed entirely in Utica and the surrounding communities. The film will be shown as part of the Munson Film Series at 2 and 7:30 p.m. on each day in the Sinnott Family – Bank of Utica Auditorium.
Tickets are $9 for the general public, $7 for members, and $5 for students and can be purchased by calling 315-797-0055, stopping in person to Munson’s welcome desk, or visiting munson.art/benjishour.
The film, Kahane’s deeply personal feature debut, chronicles a lawbreaking teenager (Justin Mark) forced to work at a wig shop for cancer patients owned by the warm-hearted Susan (Catherine Curtin), where he befriends a guarded woman (Holly Heiser) who irreversibly alters the course of his life. It’s a film that gives an honest peek into the often bleak (albeit exceedingly human) existence of Benji; his drug-addicted, alcoholic mother; absentee father; and the others in his orbit. The film world premiered in competition at the Calgary International Film Festival.
“This film has been many years in the making, and it brings me so much joy to be screening it in Utica, where the majority of the production was shot,” said director Gabriel Kahane. “The people of Utica banded together in so many different ways to help bring this piece of cinema to life, and so it’s a very special, full-circle moment to be able to share it here, and I look forward to interacting with audience members.”
Select members of the cast and production team will be in attendance, including Kahane, who will be travelling in from NYC. Special thanks to our promotional partner, Film Utica, for their assistance.
Munson’s Film Series is sponsored by M&T Bank and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
