The Last Picture Shows
“Spare and beguiling…the movie’s lyrical and elegiac tone makes it truly resonant.”
New York Times Critic’s Pick
A disarming and heartfelt ode to small-town, Main Street movie theaters…
personal filmmaking at its best.”
Leonard Maltin
A film by Rustin Thompson
Executive Producer, Rachel Price, Foghorn Features
Letterboxd Rotten Tomatoes IMDB Facebook Instagram
Click on Poster for Trailer
“There’s a poignant sadness in the film…but hope beams throughout,
like the light from a projector.”
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times
Publicity, FALCO INK, Contact: Danielle Villanella/DanielleVillanella@falcoink.com
Booking Agent: Jessica Prosner/jessicaprosner@gmail.com
Sales Agent: Gary Rubin/gary@garyrubinfilmsales.com
Writer-Director: Rustin Thompson/Film Inquiries: rustindt58@gmail.com
Ten states. 10,825 miles. 123 theaters.
An elegy for small-town cinemas.
Filmmaker Rustin Thompson journeys into the American West on a search for traces of what was once a center of small-town life: the movie theater. On the trip, he finds long abandoned and forgotten cinemas; movie houses that have fallen into disrepair; theaters recently closed, theaters struggling to hold on, and theaters that—thanks to their thoughtful caretakers—are not only surviving but thriving. Between the stops along the way, Rustin poetically intersperses excerpts from Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 classic film The Last Picture Show, as well as reflections on past and present hardships facing the film exhibition industry. The Last Picture Shows is not only a timely portrait of an industry in crisis, one facing the headwinds of consolidation, streaming, and the diminishing theatrical experience, but it also reminds viewers that even in vast cinema deserts, there are oases of community and gathering that remain, where the movie house continues to be a place of wonder, contemplation, and connection.
Upcoming Play Dates
In-person Filmmaker Q&As unless otherwise noted
New York, Village East Cinema, August 7-13 Buy tickets
Huntington, Long Island, Cinema Arts, August 9 Buy tickets
Bronxville, NY, Picturehouse, August 12 Buy tickets
Chatham, NY, Crandell Theater, August 13 Buy tickets
Three Oaks, MI, Vickers Theater, Starting August 14 (4 showings) No Q&A Buy Tickets
New York City, New Plaza Cinema, August 15 Buy tickets
Somerville, MA, Somerville Theater, August 16 Buy tickets
Los Angeles, Laemmle Royal Theater, August 21-27 Buy tickets
Cincinnati, Esquire, August 21 thru Sept.3 No Q&A
Santa Ana, CA, The Frida, August 25 Buy Tickets
Ojai, Ojai Playhouse, August 29th Buy tickets
Moscow, ID, Kenworthy Performing Arts Center, TBD
North Bend, WA, North Bend Theater, Sept.1
Seattle, Tasveer Film Center, Sept.2 (Second Encore Screening) Buy Tickets
Chelan, WA, The Ruby, Sept. 5-7
Dayton, WA., The Liberty, Sept. 10
Baker City, OR., The Eltrym, Sept. 11-17 (Q&A on the 11th)
London, Screen on the Green, Islington, Sept. 10 No Q&A
Maitland, FLA, The Enzian, Members Only Screening, Sept.13 NO Q&A
Tunkhannock, PA., Sept. 22 & 28, Oct. 3 & 6 No Q&A
Billings, MT, Art House Cinema & Pub, Sept.13 No Q&A
Susanville, CA, Sierra Theatre, Sept-18-24
Worcester, MA, Cinema Worcester, Sept 21 No Q&A
San Francisco, Balboa, Sept. 20-21
Sebastopol, CA, Rialto, Sept. 22
Berkeley, CA. Rialto Elmwood, Sept.23
San Rafael, CA, Smith Rafael Film Center, Sept.24
Edmonds, WA, The Edmonds, Sept. 28-Oct.6
Ann Arbor, The Michigan Theater, Oct.4th
Ipswich, Suffolk, England, Nov. 1
Concord, NH Nov. 20
Bedford, NY Dec. 1 Buy Tickets
TBA:
Palm Springs, CA, Desert FIlm Society
Crete NE, Isis Theater
More to come!!
Festivals and Benefits
Bremerton, WA, Westsound Film Festival, August 9 Q&A w/Nick Thompson Buy tickets
Birmingham, Alabama, Sidewalk Film Festival, August 24-30. No Q&A
Tulsa, Circle Cinema, Benefit Screening, August 27th. No Q&A
Gig Harbor , WA, Gig Harbor Film Festival, Sept 24-27
La Grande, OR, Eastern Oregon Film Festival, Oct. 14-17
More to come!
Past Play Dates
Carsey-Wolf Center, UC Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara International Film Festival (World Premiere)
Flathead Lake International Cinemafest (Nominee for Best Documentary)
Oxford Film Festival (Honorable Mention)
Ashland Film Festival (Benefit Screening)
Spokane International Film Festival (Closing Night film)
Credo Film Festival, Los Angeles (Finalist)
Thin Line Film Festival. Denton, Texas (Best Film and Artistic Vision Nominee)
Ethnografilm Festival, Paris.
Desertscape Film Festival. St. George, Utah (Best Film Nominee)
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (CA)
Arizona International Film Festival, Tucson (Special Jury Award for Cultural & Historical Filmmaking)
Julien Dubuque International Film Festival (Best Documentary Honorable Mention)
Benefit Screening for the River Oaks Theater. Houston, TX.
Gallup International Film Festival
deadCenter Film Festival, Oklahoma City
Winthrop, WA, The Barnyard Cinema, Benefit screening
Kingston, WA, Firehouse Theater
Tacoma, Grand Cinemas
Seattle, Tasveer Cinema
Bellingham, WA, The Pickford
Camas, WA, Liberty Theater,
Portland, OR, Hollywood Theater
Corvallis, OR, Darkside Cinema,
Seattle, Tasveer Film Center
Bainbridge Island, WA, Lynwood Theater