1st Fridays

ready for

its 'closeup'

PUTNAM — Since its advent in the 1890s, film has found a way to capture our collective imagination, visually transporting viewers into a different world. Titled, First Fridays Feature Films, the Putnam Business Association and First Fridays committee invites the public to celebrate six distinct genres of film with this fun, interactive outdoor art festival.

May 5 kicks off the seventh season with the fan favorite genre of film: Science Fiction and Fantasy. May’s event is subtitled “Revenge of the Fifth,” with a playful nod to the celebrated Star Wars films. As with previous seasons, the First Fridays committee encourages visitors of all ages to dress up and engage with the theme. The evening promises art projects and performances that reference the many celebrated science fiction and fantasy films of the past and present.

On June 2 First Fridays will leap into Action & Adventure films, celebrating “Iconic Heroes.” From the unlikely hero of a teenaged Marty McFly saving the future, to a resourceful Katniss Everdeen saving humanity, to the wisecracking Iron Man and his band of Avengers saving the world, heroes come in all shapes and sizes. The evening will give attendees a chance to channel their favorite heroes. 

July 7 celebrates the golden age of film of the 1930s and '40s with “Silver Screen Classics.” These films have a staying power that continues to ensure generations of future viewers will fall in love with the stories and stars of yesteryear. First Fridays will revisit the understated glamour of the many films that achieved cinematic greatness.

Aug. 4 will take a whimsical turn with a fun exploration of Musicals and Animated films, subtitled “Sound & Color.” The evening is sure to be filled with the vibrant images and infectious songs that famously have become associated with family favorite films. From the Broadway musicals that have made the leap from stage to film, to the animated classics of Disney, the August event promises to be a fan favorite.

As fall approaches, First Fridays will head west into the territories of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. The Sept. 1 event is subtitled “The Old West Comes East,” and the evening will embody the iconic scenes, lawlessness, and adventure that are celebrated with the Western film genre.

As has become tradition over the last several seasons of First Fridays, the final evening of the season will take a symbolically sinister turn. On Oct. 3, First Fridays will celebrate the Horror genre with “A Nightmare on Main Street.” Downtown Putnam will play host to the annual Zombie Fashion Show. Come dressed in costumes inspired by favorite horror films and join in the frightful fun of the evening!

With the 2017 season quickly approaching, the First Fridays committee is also launching the fourth annual First Fridays poster contest in search of a poster to represent the theme. Artists of all ages are encouraged to create an iconic movie poster with inspiration from all six film genres to be explored this season: Science Fiction & Fantasy; Action/Adventure; Silver Screen Classics; Musicals & Animation; Westerns; and Horror. The winning entry will encompass the season’s theme with originality. The poster will be reproduced as the cover of the First Fridays Program, which will have 5,000 copies printed and distributed throughout the region. The winning artist will be awarded a $250 cash prize and will be featured in the program.

For more information on First Fridays and the poster contest, go to:  http://www.discoverputnam.com/firstfriday.