No money? No problem. Upstate Films’ Starr Cinema in Rhinebeck is looking to ease the wallets of Hudson Valley college students with the introduction of their new monthly event: college night.
On the last Wednesday of every month, anybody with a college ID can enjoy a free film screening, followed by a post-film discussion in the theater’s recently renovated back room.
Upstate Films’ events producer, Mia Barbuto and marketing manager, Hallie Newton are the two figures behind the creation of the event. “We felt like we didn’t have enough college students coming [to the theater], especially because we have so many colleges in surrounding areas,” Barbuto said.
Despite a limited number of films at their disposal, Barbuto and Newton have tried to make intentional choices for what films to screen for the students.
After a test run of a college-themed nights in October 2023, Barbuto and Newton realized that one of the biggest dictators of what college students do with their precious free time is their finances, or lack thereof. “[The first event] went well, but it kind of fell apart because college students are super busy and also don’t have money,” Barbuto said. “So we were like, ‘Why don’t we try to give them tickets for free, and maybe they’ll buy concessions?’”
Following this plan, Barbuto and Newton hosted their first official college night this past January with a screening of the film, “American Fiction.”
“A lot of students came. I think the count was 25,” Barbuto said. “Our one issue was when the credits crawled, they all escaped. We only had a few people for the conversation.”
Barbuto and Newton see the post-screening discussions as an opportunity to simply talk about what the students’ thoughts were about the film in a low-stress environment. “We want to have a good discussion with these students, but we also don’t want it to feel pressurized,” Barbuto said.
Being a new event, a crucial task for Starr Theater’s college nights is getting the word out to students at neighboring colleges. In addition to advertising on social media, Barbuto has been emailing contacts at SUNY New Paltz, Bard, Vassar and Marist that have been spreading the word in their respective circles.
Holly George-Warren, a professor at SUNY New Paltz in the digital media and journalism department, was one of the contacts Barbuto reached out to help advertise the event. “I love the way they’re trying to do what they can with outreach for students and people on a limited budget,” George-Warren said. “I love the fact that they also give students the opportunity to have this [a] conversation after the screening. In these times we live in, I think that’s so important.”
Barbuto and Newton plan on continuing to host college nights on the last Wednesday of every month for the foreseeable future, so if you’re someone with a college ID and free Wednesday nights, go to the Starr Theater in Rhinebeck and enjoy a free film.