Photo credit: Janet Donovan
“This place is inspired by the Angelika Theater in New York which is a very classic, largest independent movie house in the country that’s part of Redding International,” said Bruce Seidel, President of Hot Lemon Productions. “They’re just so excited about what’s happening at Union Market that they wanted to be a part of it, so we decided to open up a pop-up theater.”
For time challenged Washingtonians, it was a hike. The first landmark we recognized was Wendy’s, a pit stop en route to NYC off of New York Avenue, which for some of us meant we were half way there…..to New York that is. The second you walked in the door, however – of Angelika’s, not Wendy’s that is – we were hooked; not since Ben & Jerry’s and AMC Theaters arrived in Georgetown have we been that excited.
The three screen micro cinema in the growing Union Market district will serve as the DC hub of Angelika’s signature mix of specialty film programming and unique events during the development of the permanent Angelika Film Center expected to open in late 2015 at Union Market, according to the developers.
“Hot Lemons Productions is an event company, a festival company and a production company,” Seidel explained. “I’ve worked in the food space for many years and food television with The Food Network. Now I’m doing food and beverage consulting as well. That’s why we’re here at Angelica Pop-Up.”
“Although I’m based in Los Angeles.,” he noted. “I lived in the DC area for many years in the nineties and then I moved to New York and worked for The Food Network, and now I’m all over the country, but based in LA. You can expect films from all over the world, first class documentaries, fun little film festivals, discussions, revivals of films. We have the 20th Anniversary of Queen Margot. We had a discussion last night about a film, a French film, Violetta. So there’s many many things to come. You can check it out on Angelikapopup.com.”
The new multi-screen cinema will combine the most cutting edge presentation technology with elements of luxury and comfort in stylish surroundings reflective of the creative spirit existing in Union Market. While this new state-of-the-art Angelika Film Center is scheduled to open at Union Market in late 2015, the Angelika Pop-Up will satisfy a growing demand for unique entertainment to complement the Market’s vast culinary offerings, according to Jodie McLean whose been involved in Union Market since 2007.
Jodie McLean with DC Councilmember At-Large Vincent Orange
“We’re heavily involved throughout all of DC,” she told Hollywood on the Potomac. “We love what’s happening in North East in that it gives us an open campus in which to really create very strong community innovators and creatives who are already here in DC, but somewhat disparate throughout the whole region to pull them together to one community of like minded thinkers.”
Ellen Cotter
“C.O.T.T.E.R. – like Welcome Back Kotter, but with a C,” explained Ellen Cotter. “I’m the Chief Operating Officer of all of our US cinemas in the United States. I basically did a deal with Steve Weil and Jodie McLean. We signed a lease to build a new theater in Union Market, state-of-the-art luxury theater. It’s obviously going to take some time to put it together. We came up jointly with the idea of popping up an Angelika right away so we could take advantage of some of the space that they had, and bring film to Union Market right now.”
We wondered why they would even consider moving from this magnificent venue. “Who knows what will happen over time. We’re here right now. We’re thrilled to be here, but we’re going to build a state-of-the-art theater right down the street. The Angelika Film Center in New York is the first one. It opened up in 1989, with the highest-grossing dedicated art houses in the United States right now. They opened up a couple in Texas — one in Dallas, one in Plano. We opened up an Angelika in Fairfax and it’s doing really well.” Welcome to the hood.
Chef John Mooney
“My restaurant is BIdwell and I am the newest addition to Union Market and the only full service restaurant,” Chef John Mooney told us. “We have an hydroponic garden on the roof. We grow our vegetables there. It requires no soil at all.” Say what? We asked him to explain, of course, what a hydroponic garden was. “I grow all my vegetables on the roof with the hydropnic system that requires no dirt, no soil at all” he reiterated. “It’s actually made out of a food crate plastic. What we use it for is to produce a large amount of vegetables in a small area. So, we grow our plants vertically and requires ten percent of the water that conventional farmers would use for the space, so we’re using our rooftop. It was dead space anyway.”
“Ellen Cotter is a friend of mine from New York and since this is her opening she asked me to assist and I said of course I will. Tonight’s food program, since theirs revolves a little more around the theater, is a little more movie oriented. The highlight of my food tonight would be my lobster taco which is a signature dish at the restaurant and I also made a vegetarian dish which is a bean dip cooked in beer with goat cheese and marinated tomatoes from the garden and I also prepared a local domestic meat and cheese platter.”
We were impressed by the consideration the theater owners had in respecting their neighbors from Gallaudet University, the world leader in liberal education and career development for deaf and hard of hearing students.
“My title is Events and Promotions Manager for Angelika in the Washington, DC market,” said Danielle Mouledoux, “so I cover both the new Angelika Pop-Up as well as our Angelika Mosaic location in Fairfax. Angelika Film Center was started in 1989 in SoHo, New York and is the preeminent art house cinema in the US and the highest grossing. It’s incredibly influential and they have expanded to Washington, DC.” She then went on to point out devices for the hearing impaired.
Danielle Mouledoux
Guests from Gallaudet University
“I’m just hanging out,” said Chef Spike Mendelsohn. “I’ve got a couple of hours off to spare. Got Bruce Seidel here, one of my great friends who invited me over for the viewing. I’m about to watch the Supermensch, super excited. Big fan of Mike Myers my whole entire life. I love what’s going on in this neighborhood. Union Market area is such an emerging neighborhood. So many cool things happening here, all sorts of programming. I’m just very happy to be here.”
Chef Spike Mendelsohn
“I’m on the host committee,” James Alefantis who owns Comet Ping Pong told Hollywood on the Potomac. “It’s a great restaurant in town. Hey, I love fishing and camping, but I also love Union Market. “I love the combination of movies, food at Union Market, restaurants, and then I also love ping pong,” he said.
James Alefantis
The also film producer had a movie at Sundance this year and is on his way to Provincetown for the film festival where he will show a ‘short’. “We won the Audience Award at Sundance, so we’re touring through the US and then to Paris.”
We loved the poster art with lots of stars in movies they wished they hadn’t done.
Lots of film lovers there, all on their best behavior – just in case………….you know, you were being watched by our favorite interloper while they proceeded to the theater for a screening of Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon.
