YOUR AD HERE »

Pitkin County Library hosts ‘Being 17,’ launches new film series

Staff report
Jon Busch manning the box office at the Wheeler Opera House for a film in 1982. Busch recently launched a new film series at the Pitkin County Library.
Aspen Times file |

The Pitkin County Library launched a new film series last weekend, hosting three nights of the new Ron Howard Documentary “The Beatles: 8 Days a Week.”

It continues this weekend with the acclaimed teen French drama “Being 17” and on weekend nights through the winter.

Sponsored by the library, the Wheeler Film Society and the Wheeler Opera House, the series is showcasing new independent, foreign films and some classics in the Dunway Room at the library.



It’s being curated by longtime local champion of film and film culture Jon Busch, who has been selecting films for Aspen audiences since 1972.

“I felt it was important to Aspen’s image that foreign language and independent film normally only seen in big cities be screened here,” Busch said. “My mantra and secret of success has been ‘having the right balance of films people want to see and films they should want to see.’”




Tickets are $8, with popcorn and soda available for $1. Doors open at 7 p.m. with screenings beginning at 7:30 p.m. The upcoming schedule features:

“Being 17,” Friday to Sunday, 7:30 p.m. An exploration of adolescent sexual awakening from renowned French director André Téchiné (“Wild Reeds”). Not rated.

“A Man Called Ove,” Nov. 25 and 26, 7:30 p.m. Stepping from the pages of Fredrik Backman’s international best-selling novel, Ove is the quintessential angry old man next door. A heartwarming tale of unreliable first impressions and the gentle reminder that life is sweeter when it’s shared. PG-13

Classic Night: “Sweet Smell of Success,” Nov. 27, 7:30 p.m. A newly restored version of the Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis classic. With an introduction by film historian Nathan Holmes.