There’s nothing like a great review!

From Bob Butler:

I’ve known John Shipp for more than 30 years, but it took this lighthearted, utterly charming documentary for me to truly appreciate the guy.

In recent years Shipp has been known as a film booker and as a moving force in Kansas City FilmFest, the Film Society of Greater Kansas City and CinemaKC.

But this film, made by his nephews, Devin and Shannon Kelley (their first effort, and it’s a keeper), opened my eyes to Shipp’s wildly colorful backstory.

You’ll definitely want to read the whole thing. And then you’re absolutely want to come to the screening playing at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 22, at the Screenland Crown Center. Click that link to get tickets!

CinemaKC, a not-for-profit organization connecting film related groups in Kansas and Missouri, is hosting a premiere of “The Film Peddler” on Friday, July 22nd at the Screenland Crown Center. The premiere is a benefit for the Women of the Motion Picture Industry of Kansas City (WOMPI). There will be a mixer starting at 6pm followed by the screening at 7:30 p.m.

The film is brought to you by Distant Thunder Filmwerks, LLC, and The Brothers Kelley. The star of the film, John Shipp and co-stars Butch Rigby, Jack Poessiger, Devin and Shannon Kelley will be available for a Q&A following the screening. “The Film Peddler” offers a humorous and revealing glimpse into the life of John Shipp, a man who at one time with his associates controlled over half of independent film distribution in the country. “I made around 22 million dollars distributing independent films in the 70s,” says John Shipp. “Unfortunately, I spent 23…”

When not hobnobbing with celebrities like Clint Eastwood and George Burns, or making sure that Paul Newman had enough beer in his hotel suite, John was amassing a fortune while at the same time producing, in his own words, “Some of the worst movies ever put to film,” says Shipp.

Enduring financial ruin and personal hardship, John later came out on top again in ways he never could have imagined. And he did it all with a chuckle from his heart and a smile on his face, embarking on a remarkable and inspiring journey that spanned up to 50 years in the film industry.

Tickets are $10 and may be purchased in advance from any WOMPI or CKC Board member or online at www.screenland.com. For more information about CinemaKC, visit us at Facebook.com/CinemaKC.

KANSAS CITY, MO – CinemaKC, a not-for-profit organization connecting film related groups in Kansas and Missouri, will host the Kansas City Film Critics Circle on Thursday, December 2 at the Screenland Crown Center beginning at 7:30 p.m. and will be preceded by an informal mixer at 6:30 p.m. Kansas City Film Critics Circle members will be on hand to meet the public before and after the screening. The evening will include the screening of at least 17 film trailers for upcoming theatrical releases and Oscar predictions.

The Kansas City Film Critics Circle was founded in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser, and is the second oldest critics’ organization in the country, after the New York Film Critics Circle.  The KCFCC currently has 28 members, representing print, broadcast and online media. Learn more about this organization by visiting www.kcfcc.org.

John Shipp, founder of CinemaKC commented, “Our area is extremely fortunate to have such a strong base of nationally known and respected film critics, and this will be a great opportunity to meet many of them.” Loey Lockerby, president of Kansas City Film Critics Circle, and known from her reviews in The Kansas City Star and appearances on the Walt Bodine Show, will welcome the audience and introduce the evening’s entertainment. The critics will discuss the trailers throughout the screening period and have a Question and Answer session at the end.

Tickets for the event are $10, and are available at www.screenland.com or at the door.  Student tickets with ID are $5. CinemaKC is an initiative of the Film Society of Greater Kansas City, connecting with movie lovers since 1991.

For more information contact John Shipp at 816-718-4337 or john@filmrow.com.

The Centron Corporation in Lawrence, Kansas, produced hundreds of educational films, but its true claim to fame couldn’t be further from “Why Study Industrial Arts?”  What made Centron beloved by generations of film geeks involved a pasty ghoul, an abandoned amusement park, and a director who wanted to try something new.

Herk Harvey had been making short films for Centron for a decade when he enlisted some of his co-workers in an ambitious project – a feature horror film… cont under the History & Legacy tab

The latest tasty tidbit of film history from Loey Lockerby, Official Historian of CinemaKC

CinemaKC Showcases University of Missouri Kansas City Student Filmmakers

KANSAS CITY, MO – CinemaKC salutes the University of Missouri-Kansas City Film Department on Thursday, October 28.

The evening features a variety of student media work – animation, documentary, fiction and promotional from every level of experience.  Talk with faculty from the department, as well as current students and recent graduates, to find out more about what’s happening in Film & Media Arts at UMKC and the special opportunities that our position in the urban core provides our students and others in the metro area.

Work made as a part of our extensive internship program will be featured as will opportunities for local media producers to work with and mentor students.

The screening at the Screenland Crown Center begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be preceded by an informal mixer at 6:30 p.m.

The films will conclude with a Q&A from the several filmmakers who will be in attendance.

A donation of $10.00 for general public and $5 for students and IFC members with ID is suggested.  All UMKC students are free with student ID.

“Our students coming out of some our local institutes teaching film and video craft are the future of the industry in this city,” says Shipp.  “We want to help set up a structure in which our emerging filmmakers are encouraged to stay in this area, and to that end we’re providing them a showcase where their hard work can be seen and appreciated.”
As well as the periodic showcases at Screenland Crown Center, CinemaKC encourages alliances between area filmmakers at its website, www.cinemakc.org. The organization is heavily reliant on social networking to connect the various film and industry associations by hosting space on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn.

CinemaKC is an initiative of the Film Society of Greater Kansas City, connecting with movie lovers since 1991.

For more information contact John Shipp at 816-718-4337 or john@filmrow.com.