On the East Tennessee State University campus, the Bud Frank Cinema is quietly building a space where students and community members can experience film the way it was meant to be seen: together.
Dr. Chelsea Wessels, co-director of the Department of Literature and Language’s Film and Media Studies minor, helps lead the cinema alongside Dr. Matthew Holtmeier, the other director of the minor and the graduate director of the Master’s in English program.
“Most of the programming, except a couple of sponsored films, is done by me and Dr. Holtmeier,” Wessels said. “We keep up with what is coming out on the arthouse circuit and request screeners from studios for the films we are interested in. After we watch the films, we try to choose one that we think will speak to our core goals, fit into the semester’s overall programming, and hopefully also appeal to our core audience of regulars, while also bringing in new faces.”
Beyond programming, Bud Frank operates with a small but passionate team. “There are three parts to a cinema: programming, operations, and marketing,” said Wessels. “Right now, Dr. Holtmeier and I handle all of those, with help from our graduate assistant Matthew Barker.”
The goal of Bud Frank Cinema, Wessels explained, is to offer something different from mainstream movie theaters. “Our motto of ‘all films, all times, all places’ might also include for ALL audiences. We want to give people the chance to see films that are not going to come to the AMC or might not even be on their radar, as well as film experiences that go beyond just showing up to watch a movie.”
Looking ahead, Bud Frank Cinema has big plans. “We hope to be back with another live music accompaniment event, alongside a mix of new releases and retrospectives,” said Wessels. The theater will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with its third annual screening.
Wessels emphasized that the best way for students to support the cinema is simply by saying, “Please come! Bring your friends! Tell everyone you know! Right now, our films are free, which is a pretty amazing deal.”
With summer programming that includes hosting the Flaherty Film Seminar and dreams of bringing favorites from this year’s Sundance Festival to campus, Bud Frank Cinema is poised to keep growing one unforgettable film at a time.
