A Block Party will be assembled at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at IU Cinema located on Seventh Street.
The Block Party is an effort to promote the Cinema through IU culture.
“We feel that most students come and go at IU without taking advantage of the cinema,” said Lauren Hall, the Block Party director and former IU Cinema graduate assistant. “It’s a very under-tapped source because students outside of movie production don’t know what happens there or don’t feel welcome.”
The Block Party will also feature a screening of 1979 Academy Award nominated film “Breaking Away,” which centered on IU’s annual bicycle race, the Little 500.
Hall, who is earning a dual degree in arts administration and non-profit management, said she began organization of the party with two desires: to increase student engagement with the IU Cinema and to raise identification of IU culture.
“I played Division I lacrosse as an undergraduate, so I understand that sports can be an extremely productive community-building centerpiece,” Hall said. “My goal is to bring these two worlds together.”
Beginning outside in front of the Cinema, the Block Party will provide stations with an array of tables ranging from trivia questions and prizes to selfie stations and Pizza X.
Moving to the inside of the Cinema, awards will be presented to last year’s winners of the Little 500, and the film will be played at 7 p.m.
Little 500 coach Tom Schwoegler will speak inside before the film is played and will present 15 trivia questions at the trivia table outside before the movie.
“The entire concept of the Block Party is really cool,” Schwoegler said. “When Lauren came to me, asking to introduce the movie, I thought to myself that this could be a hell of an event.”
Schwoegler began coaching the Little 500 in 1976, earning six victories in the 47 races he has coached.
He also acted as a consultant for the cast and crew of “Breaking Away” when it was produced.
Working on set nearly every day and appearing in the film in small roles, Schwoegler said he knows as much as anybody about the film and has collected foreign posters and a 35-millimeter print version of the movie, which will all appear at the Block Party.
Schwoegler said he is traveling from his home in Naperville, Illinois,to Bloomington with the sole purpose of seeing a film at the IU Cinema.
“The cinema is so flipping cool that it’s scary,” Schwoegler said. “I watched ‘Breaking Away’ at the IU Cinema once, and the picture was so clear you could step into it. The film isn’t Michael Bay throwing around money like he owns a printing press or anything, but it’ll be interesting to see a snapshot of Bloomington in the seventies.”
Hall said she hopes the Block Party can serve as a “welcome back” for returning students and a “welcome to IU” for new students.
She also said she hopes the event’s focus on the Little 500 will motivate riders to not only arrive to the event, but also to prepare and gain excitement for the race in April.
“When most people think of college cinemas, they think of black-and-white Swedish films with English subtitles,” Schwoegler said. “That’s not how it is at the IU Cinema. I hope they get a lot of butts in the seats Thursday.”
