Inaugural Bijou Theatre Film Fesitval to Kick Off 10/6

The Bijou Theatre today announced the lineup for the First Annual Bijou Theatre Film Festival. The inaugural event, a weekend-long celebration of the very best independent documentary films, begins Thursday, October 3, and runs through Sunday, October 6.

The 15 documentaries scheduled to be shown represent a diverse array of topics and subjects, and range from the funny to the profoundly sad. The one characteristic they all share is illumination: these films depict worlds and people to which we would not normally be exposed. Several of the documentaries will be making their area debuts at the festival.

Highlights of the Schedule Include:

Persistence of Vision - A film about animator Richard Williams, whose work on "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" inspired an entire generation of artists and animators.

After Tiller - which focuses on the abortion debate.

Twenty Feet from Stardom - which delves into the secret world of backup singers.

The festival also provides the Connecticut venue for the Manhattan Short Films, which is scheduled for Saturday, October 5, at 8:00pm.

As part of the festivities, The Bijou will host an Oktoberfest across the street from the theater, which will be run and catered by Old Heidelberg, an authentic German restaurant and Beergarten in Bethel, CT. The Oktoberfest will include hearty German cuisine, a wide selection of German beer, and a true Bavarian atmosphere. The Oktoberfest will also feature live bands on the Friday and Saturday evenings of the festival. The full schedule of events, as well as trailers for each of the films, can be found here.

Tickets go on sale Monday, September 16th online, in person at The Bijou Theatre box office at 275 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, or by calling 203-332-3228.