GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For the second year running Wealthy Theatre, in collaboration with the Pickle Fort Film Collective, will be screening the classic Christmas film It's A Wonderful Life (Capra 1946) on an original 16mm film print.
A format that may bring back some memories.
"If you're over the age of I'm gonna say mid-40s, you probably watched some early grade school film that was 16 millimeter. A kid today is not probably gonna have seen a film projector," says Picklefort Film Collective Founder Sean Kenny.
16mm film was traditionally used in schools and in the home, with theatrical exhibitions seeing 35mm to 70mm film formats, the latter of which received renewed attention as Oppenheimer (Nolan 2023) exploded into cinemas in the summer of 2023.
"70 millimeter is meant to be like seeing it in IMAX with a huge crowd. 16 millimeter was made to have this home theatrical experience with your friends and family as well. It's kind of like bringing that back into the theater with people that you love to watch a classic film," said Wealthy Theatre's Film Coordinator Nicholas Hartman.
After finding the film in the basement of the theatre, Hartman and other Grand Rapids Community Media Center staff got projectors whirring in 2022, and are just as excited this year to make it a tradition to screen the film.
"There's something about It's A Wonderful Life that really kind of captures the aspect of being human, It's knowing your faults (and) it's one of those films that just makes you feel grateful for what you have," Hartman said.
The film print itself isn't without faults, however, which Hartman reflects on.
"Hearing the projector in the background, the lights, that slight tick that you hear, the crackling of the audio when they speak, the imperfections of the film. There's something special about that to me," said a starry-eyed Hartman.
This format however is an artifact of its time, meaning experiences like these may not be around forever.
"It's getting very difficult to find people who know how to service the projectors," Kenny said. "We should think twice before abandoning old technology, because we should always remember how we got here."
A classic film in a classic format, stepping into a theatrical time capsule with friends, family and loved ones.
"If you can see the film in its original print, it really feels like you're back in the day," said Kenny ready to turn his attention to the film ahead.
You can watch the one-time screening on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. at Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy St. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506.
"You can watch all these holiday films at home in the comfort of your own home. That's nice. But there's something special about watching films with people in a theater in that setting," Hartman said.
"Let's go back in time, and just be together in this beautiful room."
General admission is $10, and children can get in for $5 a ticket. You can RSVP here.
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