Vancouver Public Library launches free monthly Marvel film screenings
Marvel-ous Movie Mondays will kick off with a showing of The Marvels on Dec. 9
The VPL Central Library will kick off its free, monthly screenings of Marvel films on Dec. 9 at the Montalbano Family Theatre. (Submitted)
The Vancouver Public Library (VPL) is launching Marvel-ous Movie Mondays, a free, monthly viewing of Marvel films at the Montalbano Family Theatre on the Central branch’s eighth floor.
The screenings will begin on Dec. 9 at 6:00 pm with The Marvels. The VPL was looking for movies that would appeal to many people, so it chose the Marvel franchise, Dylan Schroeder, VPL acting assistant manager in programming and learning, wrote in an email statement to The Runner.
“We carry a lot of Marvel comics here at VPL and this seemed like great synergy to us,” he wrote.
“We were looking to activate our programming spaces on Mondays which are a slower day around here — and saw that the theatre was usually available. Film screenings are a great opportunity to bring people together with a fairly low time investment for staff.”
The library plans to host post-film discussions, which will be casual and directed by the audience, allowing people to hang out and talk about what caught their interest in the film, whether it be characters, plots, or sets, Schroeder wrote.
“If they request we bring a few icebreaker questions, that’s something we are happy to help with,” he wrote.
The Vancouver Public Library has been screening films in the Montalbano Family Theatre since it opened in 2018. The films for future screenings have yet to be announced, and the length of the event depends on its success.
“There are a lot of Marvel movies out there so if we do them monthly, this program could last for years,” Schroeder wrote. “We don’t have a hard end date set at this time.”
Watching movies as a community can help build connections and foster a love for cinema, Schroeder wrote, adding this is something the VPL has seen happen at past film screenings.
“It’s an opportunity to make friends, build connections and enjoy the public space of the library together,” he wrote. “People have shared that it gives them the opportunity to experience movies that they had previously missed, and talk about them with people in a way they wouldn’t if they watched at home.”
The film screenings also help break barriers by letting people enjoy a movie together for free — no personal subscriptions or technology needed, Schroeder added.
“We hope audiences will take away a love of the library, a feeling of community, and a
passion for film.”
To learn more about the VPL and Marvel-ous Movie Mondays, visit www.vpl.ca.
