THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10
THE AUTOMAT
FILM: 7:00 PM (PDT) | Q&A: 8:20 PM (PDT)
At the center of this affectionate documentary is the vending machine that in the 20th century offered fresh cooked meals in a commissary-style eatery. The iconic restaurant chain Horn & Hardart, the inspiration for Starbucks, is where generations of Americans ate and drank coffee together at communal tables. Featuring Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Colin Powell, Carl Reiner, Elliott Gould, Wilson Goode and Howard Schultz, with an original song by Mel Brooks.
Q&A with director Lisa Hurwitz
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LISA HURWITZ | Director
The Automat is Hurwitz’s first feature documentary, which premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival. Lisa has worked for the Olympia Film Festival, and currently works for the Seattle Jewish Film Festival, and the Stroum Jewish Community Center as a programmer. She has a background in arts administration.
PETE HAMMOND | Host of the KCET Cinema Series
Pete is currently the Chief Film Critic for Deadline Hollywood. For the past 9 years he has also been Awards Editor and Columnist for Deadline where he covers the Oscar and Emmy Seasons. He came to Deadline from the Los Angeles Times where he covered the awards seasons for The Envelope and LA Times.com. He is widely considered to be one of the pre-eminent awards season analysts for film and television.
MICHELE GARZA | Producer of the KCET Cinema Series
Michele Garza is Senior Director of Special Events for KCET and PBS SoCal, both content channels of the Public Media Group of Southern California. She is the founder and producer of the KCET Cinema Series and the Earth Focus Environmental Film Festival, and has more than 20 years of experience in public media.
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GET INVOLVED!
The Virtual KCET Cinema Series is made possible by ticket sales, membership passes, and sponsorships. To discuss sponsorship opportunities by individuals, businesses or charitable foundations, please contact Michele Garza, series producer, at mgarza@pmgsocal.org. The Virtual KCET Cinema Series is presented by Mitzi Ash Blahd and the MaddocksBrown Foundation. To learn more about the KCET Cinema Series, or to register to attend the upcoming film screenings, please visit kcet.org/cinemaseries. Join the conversation on social media using #KCETCinemaSeries.
- Year2021
- Runtime79 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- DirectorLisa Hurwitz
- ScreenwriterMichael Levine
- ProducerRussell Greene, Lisa Hurwitz, Alec Shuldiner
- CastRuth Bader Ginsburg, Mel Brooks, Colin Powell
- CinematographerPaul Mailman, Sandra Chandler, Stephen Cocklin, Philip Lucas, Jonathan Deaver
- EditorMichael Levine, Russell Greene
- ComposerHummie Mann
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10
THE AUTOMAT
FILM: 7:00 PM (PDT) | Q&A: 8:20 PM (PDT)
At the center of this affectionate documentary is the vending machine that in the 20th century offered fresh cooked meals in a commissary-style eatery. The iconic restaurant chain Horn & Hardart, the inspiration for Starbucks, is where generations of Americans ate and drank coffee together at communal tables. Featuring Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Colin Powell, Carl Reiner, Elliott Gould, Wilson Goode and Howard Schultz, with an original song by Mel Brooks.
Q&A with director Lisa Hurwitz
__________________________________________________________________________
LISA HURWITZ | Director
The Automat is Hurwitz’s first feature documentary, which premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival. Lisa has worked for the Olympia Film Festival, and currently works for the Seattle Jewish Film Festival, and the Stroum Jewish Community Center as a programmer. She has a background in arts administration.
PETE HAMMOND | Host of the KCET Cinema Series
Pete is currently the Chief Film Critic for Deadline Hollywood. For the past 9 years he has also been Awards Editor and Columnist for Deadline where he covers the Oscar and Emmy Seasons. He came to Deadline from the Los Angeles Times where he covered the awards seasons for The Envelope and LA Times.com. He is widely considered to be one of the pre-eminent awards season analysts for film and television.
MICHELE GARZA | Producer of the KCET Cinema Series
Michele Garza is Senior Director of Special Events for KCET and PBS SoCal, both content channels of the Public Media Group of Southern California. She is the founder and producer of the KCET Cinema Series and the Earth Focus Environmental Film Festival, and has more than 20 years of experience in public media.
__________________________________________________________________________
GET INVOLVED!
The Virtual KCET Cinema Series is made possible by ticket sales, membership passes, and sponsorships. To discuss sponsorship opportunities by individuals, businesses or charitable foundations, please contact Michele Garza, series producer, at mgarza@pmgsocal.org. The Virtual KCET Cinema Series is presented by Mitzi Ash Blahd and the MaddocksBrown Foundation. To learn more about the KCET Cinema Series, or to register to attend the upcoming film screenings, please visit kcet.org/cinemaseries. Join the conversation on social media using #KCETCinemaSeries.
- Year2021
- Runtime79 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- DirectorLisa Hurwitz
- ScreenwriterMichael Levine
- ProducerRussell Greene, Lisa Hurwitz, Alec Shuldiner
- CastRuth Bader Ginsburg, Mel Brooks, Colin Powell
- CinematographerPaul Mailman, Sandra Chandler, Stephen Cocklin, Philip Lucas, Jonathan Deaver
- EditorMichael Levine, Russell Greene
- ComposerHummie Mann