Cinema Group Hopes to Show Films with Tribeca

Westport's celluloid dreams are beginning to come to life with ongoing negotiations to bring Tribeca Enterprises' renowned film screenings to town.

After months of brainstorming and meetings, a group of self-professed film lovers known as the Westport Community Cinema Initiative hope to show the viability of a downtown movie theater by raising the town's profile and demonstrating its interest in cinema.

"This is the first brick in the movie theater," said Sandy Lefkowitz, one of the chief organizers behind the project.

No deals have been made yet, but the framework for the plan to bring films back to Westport with the assistance of Tribeca has been established. At the very least, there are plans to have three separate screenings in January, February and March at the Westport Country Playhouse and Toquet Hall Teen Center. The screening at the teen center would likely feature a film catered to young people.

Tribeca, a media company formed partly by Robert DeNiro, is best known for its star-studded New York City film festival. Westport's screening will be on a much smaller scale, but will attract the same type of films (typically independent, foreign or mainstream yet original works) and possibly include discussions with the creators and cast of the films.

"It's about expanding our reach and expanding our audience," said Nancy Lefkowitz, the director of talent relations at Tribeca and daughter of Sandy.

She added that Tribeca is not just about seeing a celebrity, but also hearing from the director about what went into making the film.

The group met on Tuesday night at Studio 44. The crowd of two dozen included local business owners in the Downtown Merchants Association, people involved in the town's arts scene and even actress Melissa Joan Hart. Many were long-time residents who missed what Westport used to be like.

Jonathan Steinberg, a founder of the group, noted that there were once five movie theaters in Westport, four of which were downtown.

"We can't turn back the clock," but he said that that almost everyone he talks to wants to bring a cinema back to town.

If and when the negotiations are completed, money and volunteers will be needed to see the project through. The estimated cost of the film screenings are $55,000, but that figure does not include revenues from ticket sales.

Anyone interested in volunteering or donating can contact Sandy Lefkowitz at 203-226-7369 or homehome@optonline.net