Film Festival Close-Up

The Columbus Moving Picture Show

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Samantha Glasser

When the Columbus Moving Picture Show debuted over two years ago, Columbus, Ohio, native and film enthusiast Samantha Glasser knew she had big shoes to fill. Cinevent, a film festival and collector show that focused on movies from the studio era of Hollywood, had paved a 52-year-legacy in Columbus under the leadership of co-founder Steve Haynes. Following Steve’s death in 2015, his son, Michael, took over the festival. Samantha gladly accepted his offer to lead the festival and went from running the dealer room and contributing film notes to being full-time director.

After COVID the show returned under a new name. “Our first show was Memorial Day weekend of 2022 and was delivered in the same format as Cinevent in the same hotel,” Samantha said. “The festival is home to a screening room showing 16mm rarities from the pre-’60s era with live piano accompaniment for the silent movies, a large dealer space with original movie memorabilia and book signings by experts in the field. We added seminars where historians teach about a specific area relating to the Golden Age of Hollywood as well.”

Since its launch, the Columbus Moving Picture Show has focused on expanding its social media presence to broaden its audience base and target young movie fans who had never heard of Cinevent. Despite some struggles with hotel bookings during and after COVID that left the festival operating at a loss for several years, Samantha is optimistic for the future and excited to see film enthusiasts return to the festival.

“Podcasters and bloggers are finding the show and falling in love with its immersive atmosphere,” she explained. “Film collectors have started to return because we have recruited more 16mm film dealers. Attendees tend to be scholarly minded, so adding seminars gives the chance to go deep inside topics such as the process of restoring the 1929 sound serial “King of the Kongo” and researching the locations of hundreds of movies shot in Utah.”

In 2025, the Columbus Moving Picture Show will move to a new venue, the Crowne Plaza North at 6500 Doubletree Avenue in Columbus. Samantha describes the festival as “a feast that will sustain your movie hunger for an entire year” and enjoys the eclectic atmosphere that film festivals create. “Movies were meant to be seen with an audience; it makes the experience much more memorable than watching them alone at home,” she said. “Our attendees are friendly, welcoming and encouraging to new faces. We want to see the hobby survive and help these obscure movies find new audiences.”

When spectators are ready to take a break from the big screen, Samantha suggests visiting the Budweiser brewery directly across the street or the nearby Sharon Woods Metro Park for an outdoor stroll. The Columbus Moving Picture Show will run from May 22-25 in 2025. Its film program, a list of events and much more can be found on the website.