Our Media & Comms Officer Elisa Ruff previews AND’s Empire Drive-In…
Picture this… A 40ft screen constructed from salvaged wood. In a massive, post-apocalyptic drive-in movie theatre made from 25 wrecked cars. Showing cult classics like Mad Max II and RoboCop, with themed performances that enhance the experience even more. At the ready, because Empire Drive-In is coming to town, courtesy of Abandon Normal Devices Festival 2012.
For the first time in Europe, Brooklyn artists Todd Chandler and Jeff Stark will present their extraordinary multi-media installation, where you can climb in an out of scrap cars to watch films projected on the big screen. Low-power radio transmits stereo audio directly to each vehicle, and there will also be snacks and amusement in the playground.
During the day, from 12:00-16:00 Wed 29 Aug to 02 Sep, you can come and visit Empire Drive-In on-site at Q-Park on Hulme Street and experience sonic car environments with work from artists Roberto Carlos Lange, Sxip Shirey, Resonance 104.4 fm and Susie Honeyman.
By night, the sky will be lit by a series of special film screenings like Empire Shorts, a collection of shorts from artists who navigate landscapes in lyrical and bold ways – Blu, Gordon Matta Clark, John Smith, Martha Colburn, Lee Kern, Jem Cohen and more.
Empire Drive-In was first built in San Jose over a two-week period, symbolic of the once thriving drive-in industry in America. Now there’s only 300-something drive-ins that remain active, pretty much killed off by strip malls and condos that make more money with parking lots than a Friday night movie theatre.
There will also be special guest performance from drag-performance-art-party-music collective Tranarchy on Fri 31 August so Empire Drive-in promises to be a truly unforgettable event.
As RoboCop said… “Stay out of trouble” – I’ll see you all there.
AND Festival 2012 takes place in and around Manchester between Wed 29 Aug – Sun 2 Sep 2012. Book for film screenings at Cornerhouse here or check out the full programme at the AND Festival website.