IU Cinema series to feature films with ‘Once upon a time’ theme

Once upon a time, a local cinema showcased an epic series of movies. The films were long, magnificent, colorful and expansive in scope.

But that showcase was not in a land far, far away. It’s the “Once Upon a Time ... in Indiana” series running through the weekend at the IU Cinema.

Starting tonight at 7 p.m. with a screening of Sergio Leone’s Western opus “Once Upon a Time in the West,” the IU Cinema is kicking off the spring semester with a collection of movies that shares the film’s grandeur and prefix.

“This one’s interesting because it’s not based on a specific director, actor or filmmaker — it’s based on this phrase,” said Andy Hunsucker, the host of the IU Cinema Podcast. “These are films from a lot of different cultures, and this is a phrase that means a lot to a Western society.”

In fact, Italian, Chinese, Indian and Turkish are all among the cultures represented by this series.

“It’s a very diverse series, but it’s just based on the idea of the title,” Hunsucker said. “All of these films seem to be of an epic scope.”

IU Cinema director Jon Vickers based this “storybook theme” on the inclusion of the 2011 art house title “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia,” which is screening from Jan. 26-29, and the guest appearance of Barry Allen, a film restoration expert who helped restore “Once Upon a Time in the West” to pristine condition. Allen worked with Martin Scorsese and the Film Foundation to restore the 35mm film.

“This gives us a chance to bring in some interesting titles that allowed us to showcase the two films we really wanted to bring,” Vickers said.

Vickers said he hopes a large audience comes to see “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia,” describing director Nuri Bilge Ceylan as someone with a great ability to capture the human condition.

Allen, who is the former executive director of film preservation and archival resources at Paramount Pictures, will discuss the art and craft of film restoration in a guest lecture at 3 p.m. Friday.

His speech will touch on his long career as a film distributor and restoration expert as well as an overall discussion of film preservation.

“This is a major topic of conversation,” Allen said. “That print was beginning to show its age, and this was largely a matter of recapturing the past.”