Oneota Film Festival to show 100-year-old films

Michael Zahs (Courtesy of Kalona News)

The Oneota Film Festival won't be held until next spring.  But a special Oneota Film Festival event will be held this coming Sunday night, featuring a series of 100-year old films from an Iowa collector.

The films were collected by Iowa Frank Brinton and wife, Indiana, in the 1890s.  They show everything from scenes of the Battle of Manila and Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders to scenes in Jerusalem streets with beggars and peddlers, even several films by French film pioneer Georges Melies.

These historic films were probably last seen in Decorah between 1900 and 1908. On Sunday night on the second floor of T-Bock's the films will be shown in an hour-long screening plus commentary by noted collector and film historian Michael Zahs.

Admission is free to the 7 p.m. event.  There will be a cash bar.

The event is part of an Oneota Film Festival membership drive and precursor to the full festival, February 28th through March 2nd.  $25 membership in the 2014 Oneota Film Festival will be offered at Sunday's screening.  Donations of greater amounts are welcome. Members receive exclusive invitations to festival events, discounted meal tickets at the Festival, and more.