“H
ey, Weird-o’s!” comes over the speakers in a voice that conveys an air of superiority and smugness at your presence. It’s a borderline warning that you’ve resigned yourself to a bizarre ritual, put on by the most dedicated film nerds. As an audience member, you’re a degenerate surrounded by degenerates in a theater experience that can only be described as near cultish.
This is what happens at every AGFA screening that Alamo Drafthouse hosts on a monthly basis. A get together each month to showcase independent, underground, or completely off beat movies from their collection of rare 35 MM films. It’s an experience like no other, as each month is a random film, and there’s no guarantee the movie is for you.
For those who brave such an event, part of the fun is seeing something new and weird. It is a movie experience like no other, from a movie theater that is truly unique in their approach to how you go to the movies. In fact, the only reason the AGFA screening exists is because they are the only non-profit genre film archive and distributor.
If you’ve ever been to an Alamo Drafthouse, this completely fits their brand, as they have a true reverence for the movie going experience. There’s always a strict no talking, texting, or phones policy once the movie begins (except for the “all ages” screenings where they let kids run around and even have a cereal bar). As well, they start every screening with a 30 minute “preshow” of curated clips and videos that are themed around the movie. It’s part of their absolute love for film.
Alamo Drafthouse has been at the center of a lot of major theater events since they’ve been operating, including Austin’s own Fantastic Fest, which has seen huge world premieres from highly acclaimed writers and directors alongside more underground genre films. They’ve also done movie marathon events like Butt-Numb-A-Thon (or BNAT), which unfortunately ended in 2016, but featured a 24-hour movie event showcasing vintage films as well as premieres. There are still movie marathon events like Dismember the Alamo alongside other horror movie themed experiences on an annual basis. For all these events, AGFA is a major contributor as they pull from their giant collection.
There’s a dedication to their craft, and that translates to the AGFA side as well. They spend all their time and effort trying to locate, collect, and maintain rare 35 mm films just so they can keep them safe. However, what good is a collection if you can’t show it off on occasion? So whenever possible, they also share them with all the weirdo’s out there that care as much as they do. Okay, maybe not as much as they do, since it’s they’re purpose, but the audience at least cares enough to go and join a bunch of other weirdos in a movie theater to watch some random film they might never have heard of or knew existed. This is all thanks to AGFA and the screenings put on by the Alamo Drafthouse.
Helping brands tell their unique brand story and make meaningful connections with the weirdos they serve is what we do here at Positive Brand. Whether you’re trying to build a storied brand like Alamo Drafthouse or you’re attempting to launch a new unknown, we’re here to help. Let’s talk.