Free Bike Film Fest Comes to Montpelier!

Free Bicycle Film Series

The Savoy Theater

26 Main Street

Saturdays & Sundays in August at 4pm

Saturday, August 2: Breaking Away (1979)

Dave (Dennis Christopher) dreams of becoming a champion bicycle racer, and since he knows that the best racers in the world are Italian, he sets out to re-invent himself as an Italian, driving his working-class father crazy in the process. However, the more pressing problem for Dave and his family is that neither Dave nor his other close friends (Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Jackie Earle Haley) really know what they're going to do with their lives, now that they've finished high school. 95 minutes.

Sunday, August 3: Beijing Bicycle (2002)

Two boys living in Beijing, one a migrant from the country, the other an urban schoolkid, are brought together by joint ownership of a bicycle. The iconic Chinese bicycle is the literal vehicle from which it tells the tale of two youngsters disputing ownership while using their bike as transport, instrument of courtship, status symbol and more. 115 minutes.

Saturday, August 9: Bicycle Thief (1948)

Vittorio deSica’s “neo-realist” classic is justly hailed as one of the greatest films ever. A struggling father tries to make ends meet for his wife and young son with the bicycle he uses to post flyers around Rome. But, when his bicycle is stolen he loses the only means for supporting his family. Forced into desperation, he tries to redeem himself in the eyes of his young son. 90 minutes

Sunday, August 10: Jour de Fete (1949)

French comic master Jacques Tati directed and stars as a clumsy postman of a sleepy French village who tries to apply more efficient, modernized methods to his mail delivery after watching an American educational film. Features some of the funniest bicycle routines seen on film. 70 minutes.

Saturday, August 16: The Flying Scotsman (2007)

The true story of celebrated Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree, a former world champion who broke the world one-hour record on a bike of his own design, made partly out of sections of a washing machine. It follows his life's victories as well as his debilitating battles with mental health problems. 96 minutes.

Sunday, August 17: Still We Ride

This film captures the joyous atmosphere of the August 2004 “Critical Mass” ride in New York City. It recounts how this ride first started in San Francisco over 10 years ago and chronicles the police crackdown in which 264 riders were arrested, and resulting court battles in New York. The movie takes on issues of civil liberties, surveillance, the power of mainstream media, and the benefits of alternative means of transportation. 37 minutes.

Saturday, August 23: Triplets of Belleville (2003)

An animated delight. Adopted by his grandmother, Madame Souza, Champion is a lonely little boy. Noticing that the lad is never happier than on a bicycle, Madame Souza puts him through a rigorous training process. Years go by and Champion becomes worthy of his name. Now he is ready to enter the world-famous cycling race the Tour de France. However during this cycling contest, two mysterious men in black kidnap Champion. 83 minutes.

Sunday, August 24: Filmed By Bike

Filmed by Bike is the West Coast's premier bike-themed film festival. The festival embraces the art and innovation of bikes through the eyes of imaginative storytellers who use moving images to celebrate the world's most efficient and creative form of transportation. Since 2003, Filmed by Bike has showcased a love of two wheels in eight minutes or less. For more information on this Portland festival, go to www.filmedbybike.org. We will showcase some of the best of Filmed By Bike short films on the last day of the SculptCycle Film Series