Join us at Best Video on April 29th for a screening of the film, Muscle Beach, written & directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jacob Hurwitz-Goodman (The Birth of the Feed,Syzygy, The Seasteaders).

Starring breakout talent Lindsey Normington (Anora, Hacks, The Idol),two-time Mr. Vienna and ‘King of Muscle Beach’ Ike Catcher, and 90’s cult movie icon, Kirk Baltz(a.k.a. the guy who got his ear cut off in Reservoir Dogs).

Moving uncannily between documentary and dramatic neo-noir, weightlifting influencer Ike Catcher plays Abe, a fictional version of himself, a bodybuilder in search of his missing bestfriend. Over the course of a day, Abe finds himself on a paranoid journey of tainted supplements, supernatural conspiracies, and naked greed, into the heart of American weird.

Jacob Hurwitz Goodman will be in attendance for the screening. Tickets are $10.

The Cafe will be open with refreshments for sale.

Please join filmmaker Gorman Bechard and musician Dean Falcone for their monthly screening series: THE SECRET MUSIC DOCUMENTARY SOCIETY on Thursday, April 30th. Doors open for beer/pizza at 6pm, and the film starts at 7pm. Each month, they will share an underseen or unknown music documentary. Tickets are $10 for tickets only, and $20 for a ticket, pizza, and a drink.

Please join us for First Friday Lounge Night from 6:30 - 7:30 pm on Friday, May 1st featuring Wes O’Brien’s jazz piano. There is no cover charge, and the Best Video Coffee Bar will be open throughout for all your beverage needs, with Happy Hour pricing on beer and wine.

5:30 - 7:30 pm - Come on by Best Video for a nice glass of wine with a friend or a cup of tea and your book. Sit back, relax, and enjoy as Wes O’Brien delights with his great anecdotes and wonderful selection of jazz standards, show tunes, and ballads.

Tonight's all about good vibes, great music, and having a blast together. Let's make it a night to remember, everyone! 🎹

Cartoonist and Scribble Teacher Matthew Loux will be hosting a free comics class to celebrate the release of his new kids comic on Saturday , May 2 at 11am. My Journey to Japan, Escape to Yokai Mountain. Artists will learn about how the book was made and will create their own micro-comic of Japanese Monsters called Yokai. Books will then be available to purchase with a personal signing and sketch for each student.

Please join us for Movie Trivia Night, hosted by Best Video member Michael Domangue, on Wednesday, May 6th at 7 pm. Entry is $5/person. Teams of up to 4 members will enjoy 5 rounds of movie-themed trivia questions. The winning team will receive a $25 Best Video Gift Card!

A word to the wise…this event has become very popular (yay!). RSVP’s are strongly encouraged!

Join us on May 7th to celebrate our Executive Director, Rai for her birthday! There will be a screening with cake and ice cream!

For entry to the event: Make a Gift during The Great Give and show your receipt at the door! Doors open at 6:30pm.

Please RSVP to reserve your spot! See you then!

Join us at Lyric Hall for a screening of the 2015 adventure/coming-of-age film, THEEB. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are $10 (ticket only) or $20 (including drink and popcorn).

Join us at Best Video on May 11th at 7pm for a special screening of a film chosen by Best Video Staff.

Step right into Hamden’s very own monthly jazz club…

Please join BVFCC and host Allen Lowe for our Monthly Jazz Night with Allen Lowe & The All-Stars on Wednesday May 13th at 7pm. There will be a coterie of musical guests assembled by our host each month in a relaxed setting with tables and chairs to truly sit back, relax, and enjoy the great vibe. Of course, the BVCoffee Bar will be open for beer, wine, and café drinks. Cover charge is $10

Alexander (aka David Shapiro) and Ian St. George share the bill at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Fri., May 15. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.

Alexander is the solo project of guitarist and multi-instrumentalist David Shapiro (Kath Bloom, Josephine Foster, Center). Under the Alexander moniker he plays fingerstyle acoustic guitar and banjo music. Drawing from a wide variety of guitar traditions, Shapiro has arrived at a style and vocabulary of his own. His albums have drawn comparisons to John Fahey and Robbie Basho who he cites as influences on his playing. Elizabeth Cotten, Frantz Casseus, and Frank Proffitt are other major influences. As Alexander he has toured extensively across the U.S. and abroad. He has shared bills with Mdou Moctar, Loren Connors, Susan Alcorn, and many more. His self-titled LP is distributed by Forced Exposure and he has additional releases on C/Site Recordings.

Guitarist Ian St. George has played his brand of punk rock. He's played free improvised psychedelic guitar. And he's also conversant in the American Primitive genre of solo acoustic guitar as championed in the past by such luminaries as John Fahey. St. George will be playing in this style at Best Video.

Kath Bloom and David Shapiro share a fantastic Saturday night bill at Best Video Film & Cultural Center with Mountain Movers on May 16. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.

Kath Bloom is some kind of legend. She comes from a special place where country, blues and folk are made beautifully translucent and emotive. Highly regarded but a bit of a mystery. The Connecticut based singer/songwriter has a special gift - her almost supernaturally beautiful, wavering soprano is one that has to be heard, she has a clear transparent moonlight tone combined with an earthly raw quality that can silence a room.

Kath made some very very limited edition albums in the 70’s and 80’s with the amazing (and equally dreamlike) guitarist Loren Mazzacane Connors, full of songs that float and melt into the ether. Impossibly beautiful. However, music was put on the back burner as life changed and she raised a family, trained ‘problem horses’ and taught special music programs to kids. Just as she was starting to write and release CDs again, Richard Linklater decided to use her song ‘Come Here’ in his 1995 film ‘Before Sunrise’. Life altered - not much - but the public consciousness was rightfully tweaked. Slowly her old recordings and new material have been seeping back into the world. This includes a special tribute album by artists such as Josephine Foster, Bill Callahan, Devendra Banhart, Meg Baird and Scout Nibblet. Since 2017 she has been recording and performing with New Haven, CT based guitarist David Shapiro.

The current lineup of New Haven’s long running Mountain Movers (guitarist/vocalist Dan Greene, bassist Rick Omonte, guitarist Kryssi Battalene, & drummer Ross Menze) have been playing together for over a decade now, making their recorded debut on a slew of singles released from 2011-2013, but it wasn’t until 2015’s “Death Magic” (released on New Haven label Safety Meeting) that the potential of that iteration of the group became clear; Mountain Movers are a force of nature.

The camaraderie & sensitivity to each others playing has only grown over time, crystallizing on the group’s trio of albums for Trouble In Mind; 2015’s eponymous “Mountain Movers” served as a reintroduction of the group to a larger audience, while 2018’s “Pink Skies” raged like a group confident in its strengths, and 2020’s prescient “World What World”, written & recorded before the world shut down slightly shifted focus away from the jams & back toward the weight of guitarist/songwriter Dan Greene’s poetic tales of magical realism. The band’s ninth album “Walking After Dark” finds a happy medium between both aspects of the band’s strengths; Greene’s lyrical compositions and the group’s long-form improvised jams.

Join us at Lyric Hall on May 19th for a screening of the 1999 Claire Denis masterpiece, Beau Travail. The film will be introduced by Kevin Murphy, writer for MovieJawn and BVFCC member! Doors open at 6:30pm and the film starts at 7:00pm. Tickets are $10 for ticket alone and $20 for included popcorn and drink. We look forward to seeing you out for what is sure to be a memorable evening. 

Join us on May 22, 2026 for a screening of the film, “New York Ninja” at Best Video at 8pm.

New York Ninja was filmed in New York City in 1984 , and was shelved after its original distribution company went bankrupt. The abandoned footage was eventually acquired by Vinegar Syndrome; without audio or script for the film and it was reconstructed by a new director, Kurtis M. Spieler.

Kurtis M. Spieler is an independent filmmaker from Connecticut, as well as a restoration artistfor Vinegar Syndrome. Upon completing film courses at NYU, Kurtis began refining his skills as a filmmaker by making several short films that played in genre festivals throughout the country.After scraping together enough money, Kurtis put his unique spin on the werewolf genre with his first low-budget feature, Sheep Skin. With the success of Sheep Skin, Kurtis then continued to shoot two additional low-budget horror features: the first being a found-footage movie called The Devil’s Well and the second, a slow-burn paranormal thriller entitled, The Dead Girl in Apartment03 (co-starring horror icon Adrienne King from the original Friday the 13th). Kurtis’s passion for film grew after landing a job as a restoration artist for Vinegar Syndrome. His filmmaking career also took a turn when he completed New York Ninja, an unfinished 80s action movie which was discovered unedited and abandoned in the Vinegar Syndrome film archive. Kurtis’s most recent project, Night of the Vamp-Friars, is the first wholly produced original film from Vinegar Syndrome. Shot entirely on 16mm, Night of the Vamp-Friars is a love letter to the homegrown horror films that graced the store shelves during the height of the video store era.

Kurtis M. Spieler will be in attendance for the screening and discussion afterwards.

Join us at Best Video on Tuesday May 26th for a screening of the documentary “From Farms to Incubators”.

From Farms to Incubators: Telling the stories of minority women entrepreneurs in agtech in the Salinas Valley and beyond

Agriculture and technology both have a long history in California, but have rarely intersected. Tech is focused on disruption and innovation, while much of Central Valley and Central Coast’s agriculture is still managed with clipboards and pencils. One commonality is that women and minorities have historically been underrepresented in both industries. Now, a new generation of startups led by minority women are seeking to solve agriculture’s problems with tech innovation. "From Farms to Incubators" tells the stories of women entrepreneurs dedicated to agtech, a fast-growing sector within agriculture.

Watch the trailer here.

Their stories are recorded in “From Farms to Incubators.” It is a collection of visual and written portraits by award-winning journalist Amy Wu. Wu found that agriculture and agtech, had been dominated by men. But something was changing. Women were making major inroads in the field, and this was not being widely reported. She wrote a story profiling a woman who founded an agtech company, while working as a reporter at The Salinas Californian newspaper in Salinas, CA., then another and another. Her stories eventually became a series printed in newspapers throughout the U.S. The project evolved into an award-winning documentary and then a virtual reality traveling exhibition, starting at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas in the fall of 2020.

Amy Wu is the founder of From Farms to Incubators, a multimedia storytelling platformthat showcases the stories of Women in Agtech. The From Farms to Incubators project,which began in 2016, has morphed from a documentary film and book into a website that serves as a platform for hosting stories about women in agriculture from around the globe. As the project grew Wu brought on a group of contributing writers, editors, and web designers, all who share a mission and passion to tell the stories of womeninnovators and entrepreneurs in agtech, to contribute to the project. In 2021 the initiative extended to an internship and mentorship program targeted at young women interestedin exploring careers in the growing field of food, farming and innovation.

Amy Wu will be in attendance with books available for purchase.

Ticket price for the event is a suggested donation of $5-$10.

Join us at Best Video on Wednesday May 27th for a screening of Kasi Lemmon’s directorial debut ,“Eve’s Bayou. The Southern Gothic Drama stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jurnee Smollet and Diahann Carroll. The screening will be introduced by BVFCC member and writer, KP. Tickets are $5/members and $10/non-members. There will be drinks and snacks available for purchase at the Cafe. See you there!

Faculty Lounge and The Sandy Clams share the bill at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Fri., May 29. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.

Faculty Lounge is a fun, high-energy punk, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll band from New Haven, CT, featuring Rob Irwin (vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar), John Holland (guitar), Dustin Kreidler (guitar), Lisa Tonner (drums), and Joe Freer (bass). The band has played at Cafe Nine, The Cellar, Best Video, the Stratford Apple Festival, breweries, and at private parties. Faculty Lounge is available as a cover band (with a list of danceable rock, punk, and blues songs) or as an all original band. Their first EP “Ghost Word” will be released in May.

The Sandy Clams are a noise-punk trio from Hartford, making noise by the seat of their pants since 2020.

The Paradox Organ Alliance plays a jazz show at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Sat., May 30. The show starts 7 PM and the cover is $10.

The Paradox Organ Alliance is dedicated to preserving and continuing the great 70-plus-year tradition of Hammond organ, guitar and drum set trios. From blues to bebop, latin, funky boogaloo to the Great American Songbook, each Alliance set explores a musical journey through time. Whenever possible, guest soloists are featured.

The founding members, Dr. Gary Grippo, Dr. Gary Novick and John McGuire, have performed together for several years. Dr. Grippo has been a well-known member of the Connecticut and New Haven jazz scene for over 20 years. A music major at Rutgers, he has studied with Bucky Pizzarelli and Harry Leahey, among others. While at Rutgers, he performed with jazz legends Gerry Mulligan, Louie Bellson, and Clark Terry. He currently host a weekly jazz radio show on WNHU.

Dr. Novick, a newcomer to the Connecticut jazz scene, has studied with Noah Baerman and Ben Patterson. A life-long keyboardist, he is now dedicating himself to digging deeply into the Hammond idiom, channeling the techniques of the masters of the B-3.

John McGuire has been performing in various musical idioms for over 40 years. He has studied privately with Ed Soph, Gary Chaffee and the great Joe Morello and has performed with such Jazz stalwarts as Lew Soloff, Joe Roccisano, Archie Shepp and Shelton Lester.

Jellyshirts get the audience dancing in the aisles when they play Best Video. They return to Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Sat., June 6. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10. This is a not-to-be-missed rock show!

Looking for a frame of reference for Jellyshirts’ music? Try the Velvet Underground and the Byrds. But—and this may throw you off—they also get jam band fans dancing to their music as though it was the Fillmore West in 1970. The band–led by guitarist/vocalist Bret Logan for over 30 years, ably joined by drummer Scott McDonald and bass player Nick Appleby–has a sound determinedly their own.

From the band’s press packet: “Letting the wash of live sound influence each song, without anybody thinking ‘jazz’ or ‘improvisation.’ Never doing covers of our songs. Trying to get you to levitate about one-and-a-half feet off your chair (willingly, of course).”

The short version: They’re loud (but not crazy loud) and they play bars with a mystical need to reach the audience.

From a 2009 Shoreline Times article by late musician and WPLR Local Bands radio show host James Velvet: “The band has been held in awe by its fans over the years for its sometimes soaring, sometimes droning sound, always played with intensity and skill. A good example is the current lead tune on their MySpace page, a recent live recording of a song they first performed 15 years ago, ‘Disinclined.’ Ten minutes of dynamic live jamming. ‘Pick and soar’ is how their longtime champion Gary Vollono of IndepenDisc.com describes the sound. To which I would add, ‘…and feedback sometimes.’”

Join us for a staff selected screening at Best Video on Wednesday June 10th. The film will start at 7:00pm with an introduction from Best Video Board Member and writer, Karen Ponzio. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Call the store for details on screening.

The Mark Kaplan Jazz Quintet plays Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Fri., June 12. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.

The Mark Kaplan Jazz Quartet is one of New England’s premier jazz ensembles! They are dedicated to the preservation of the classic bebop and post-bop genres, lovingly referred to as “Straight Ahead.” Each member is an established luminary on the local and regional jazz scene. They are: Mark Kaplan, tenor saxophone; Martin Carter, piano; Adam Anderson, bass; and John Rispoli, drums. For this evening, they will also be joined by Peter Alexander on vibes, expanding to a quintet. This is an evening of great jazz not to be missed!

Join us at Best Video on Saturday June 13th at 1:00pm for Meet Me in the Margins: A Conversation with Ashley Rivera on her book, “If I Die Tomorrow, Let These Be the Last Words I Say”. This event is free to the public.

On Tuesday , June 16th we will have a screening of the hilarious comedy/western film , “Tampopo” directed by Juzo Itami at Lyric Hall Theater. Doors open at 6:30pm and the film starts at 7pm. Tickets are $10 for ticket alone or $20 (including drink and popcorn).

Celebrate the Summer Solstice with us! Confluence Ensemble plays Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Sat., June 20. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.

Confluence Ensemble—Jim and Willow Sirch and Gary Wikfors—offer a concert of mostly Swedish music. Musical Midsommar celebrations take place at this time throughout Sweden and across Europe. Join us for a concert of traditional polskas, schottishes,walking tunes, waltzes and more on nyckelharpa, 5-string fiddle, and flute.

Join us at Best Video on Monday June 22nd at 7pm for a screening of Bernardo Bertolucci’s political thriller film, “The Conformist”. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for non-members.