Drive in Movie Theatre playing OC Films for the Deaf.

From: Dan - Sep 16, 2005

HI,

Any questions please contact Dan at Nemo089@yahoo.com or Manda at unicoliongaurd@yahoo.com.

Dan

MIDWAY DRIVE IN MOVIE THEATRE
2475 State Route 48
Fulton, New York 13069

www.midwaydrivein.com

PRESS ADVISORY September 15, 2005

Contact: John Nagelschmidt (315) 598-2282
Dan Farfaglia (518) 461-1337

Midway Drive In Movie Theatre To host 2nd Open Captioned Event for the Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing with Expanded Features!

First ever Open Captioned Triple Feature
Family Friendly shows on September 23rd -25th 2005.

Films this year will be Herbie: Fully Loaded (G) at 8pm, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (PG) at 9:50 pm and War of the Worlds (PG-13) at 11:50 pm.

Coinciding once again with National “Deaf Awareness Week”, the Midway Drive-In Theater, located on NYS Route 48 in Minetto, New York, between Fulton & Oswego will be showing their weekend movies with open captioning, also known as OC movies. Open captioned films are current first run movies with English subtitles along with other indications of sounds and music. The regular sound track is still part of the films and played to the audience. This enables the Deaf & hard-of-hearing community to attend the theatres and fully understand every part of the movies just like their families & friends with no hearing disabilities. These specialize films come from a company called Insight Cinema which makes and distributes OC movies to theatres across the country.

An estimated 10% of the population has some form of hearing loss and are unable to “fully” enjoy a night at the movies. An additional 20%, without hearing difficulties, also typically stay away from movie theatres for lack of accommodations for their loved ones. The historic premiere of open captioned movies at the Midway Drive In last year was well attended by both Deaf and Hearing movie fans. Regular customers with no hearing impairments are also expected to attend this event with many looking forward to the OC format. These movies are more understandable to everyone, as it clarifies quiet or muffled dialogue scenes.

On Thursday September 22nd, some students and faculty from the New York State School for the Deaf in Rome will again get a special sneak preview. The kids and adults enjoyed the experience of this “field trip” in 2004 and they have decided to come for a second year in a row. This is also open to the general public. Herbie-Fully Loaded will be presented as a single feature on Thursday evening, as the children have to be up bright and early for classes the next day.

Last year’s double feature at the Midway Drive In was so successful that it brought awareness of the need for OC movies in the Central New York area. This past January, Insight Cinema and Regal Cinemas at the Carousel Mall in Syracuse began playing OC films and it continues today. Just recently, Insight Cinema and Zurich Theatres in Rome & Oneida have teamed up to offer its customers another movie theatre in the region showing OC films. Prior to the 2004 weekend showings at the Midway Drive In Theatre, there were no theatres in CNY that offered OC Movies for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing on a regular basis. Until recently, those with hearing disabilities in this area had to wait until movies came out on VHS/DVD’s to view them with the closed captioning.

In 2004, customers from as far away as Rochester and Albany came to share the experience at the Midway Drive In. Today, this theatre remains the only drive in theatre in the nation that has ever shown films that cater to Deaf & hard-of-hearing audiences. This project started out as a quest to bring the outdoor movie experience to a segment of the population that has never been able to “fully” share in it. As you can see, it blossomed into a bigger cause afterwards. This year a new feature will make its debut at this event: vendors presenting educational materials and the latest technological equipment for the Deaf Community. Once again, interpreters will be there to assist at the box office and concession stand when necessary. Theatre will open at 6 pm for a “social hour”. The program was expanded from a Double Feature to a Triple Feature this year as theatre owner John Nagelschmidt wanted to offer the Deaf Community the same entertainment value offered every other weekend at the Midway. Program goes on rain or shine

For more information about this special event, please go to www.midwaydrivein.com or www.midwaydriveinoc.com. To check for showtimes for OC movies at Regal Cinemas in Carousel Mall you can click on www.regalcinemas.com/movies/open_cap.html#NY . For OC movies at the Zurich Cinemas in Rome & Oneida, please go to: www.hollywood.com. For more information about Open Captioned films and additional movie listings go to www.insightcinema.org.

Additional Contact Information

Steve Ellis, Executive Director at Insight Cinema (310) 452- 8706.

Dick Westerling at Regal Cinemas at (865) 922 -1123 ext 4539.

Jamison Mills –Director of Operations at Zurich Cinemas (315) 446-9081.

Anne Costa at Aurora of CNY at (315) 422-2429 for Deaf Community’s reaction.

(This organization is assisting us with promoting the event as well)