BEHIND THE LENS: FILMS ON FILMMAKING: For as long as humanity has been making movies, we have also been making movies about how movies are made. This meta-cinema gives filmmakers–famously very humble people–the ability to mythologize their own struggles, from battling with finicky actors to funding nightmares, all while showing audiences exactly how the sausage is made. It’s an excuse to air industry dirty laundry under the guise of art and a love letter to the chaos of creation. As we ring in the new year, the Roxy Theater celebrates the art of filmmaking with a lineup of the best films ever made about making films.


AMERICAN MOVIE: In this cult-favorite documentary, Mark Borchardt, an aspiring filmmaker from a working-class Wisconsin background, is set on finishing his low-budget horror movie Coven, despite a barrage of difficulties. Plagued by lack of cash, unreliable help and numerous personal problems, Mark wants to complete the film to raise funds for a more ambitious drama. With the assistance of his bumbling but loyal friend Mike Schank, Mark struggles to move forward, making for plenty of bittersweet moments.