All last month I was swamped trying to pull off last week's event with the film 51 Birch Street. Now I'm in a period of reflection and discovery as I look back on the event and pull together everything I've learned.

Ultimately, this event and my post-event examination of it is all a part of a broader goal: I'm working on a way to make grassroots screenings of overlooked films a feasible thing for anyone with a lot of friends and a passion for film. So far, I'm learning it's doable. With our very first try, we sold over 120 tickets and broke even with the money spent to rent the theater and promote the event. Even though the event wasn't flawless, it was a definite success. Here are a few of the lessons I learned:

High tech promises a lot; low-tech is reliable
Skype is a great service. But for our Q&A after the film with Doug Block, nothing was more reliable than a speakerphone and an old PA system. Likewise, we would have avoided technical difficulties with the projection had we gone with Beta SP format (for you non-geeks, that's analog tape).

Even with embarrassing technical difficulties, a crowd doesn't leave a good film
I've seen people pop out of their seat like a snake crawled in their pants at the first sign of technical difficulties at the multiplex. Nobody wanted to leave 51 Birch Street until it was over.

A serious film can be fun if you're there with friends
I'll go on the record and say Hollywood has got it backward. They're gun-shy when it comes to films that make you feel something. But what they don't get is this: not only are these films not as intimidating when we watch them with friends, but they can actually be more "fun" than something like Employee of the Month (opening this weekend).

Free T-shirts can't go wrong
No need for explanation.

It's truly rewarding to see people of all ages start a dialogue
This is where I tear up a bit, and you either you get it or you don't. Bringing a film that probably won't otherwise be seen (in this town, at least) to a theater full of people, and then watching them start talking afterward in ways they normally wouldn't is worth far more than the time and sweat that went in to pulling the event together.

Friends are essential
This one seems obvious, but it's not. When you truly have to depend on friends--especially those in the projection booth saving you from total humiliation--it's nothing less than nauseating. It isn't easy to be totally out of control and dependent on somebody else, but it's good medicine.

This month and next, 51 Birch Street will have a limited U.S. theatrical release via Truly Indie, with one-week runs beginning on the following dates in these cities:

Oct 18 - New York City (Cinema Village)
Oct 20 - Los Angeles (West Side Pavillion)
Nov 3 - Huntington, Long Island (Cinema Arts Center)
Nov 3 - Highland Park, Chicago (Rennaisance)
Nov 3 - San Francisco (Opera Plaza)
Nov 3 - Minneapolis (Lagoon)
Nov 24 - Boston (Museum of Fine Arts)