Picture Lock One: The microcinema with big ambitions

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Happy Memorial Day, Capital Region! Today, we’re introducing you to Picture Lock One, the roving microcinema that wants to inspire conversation and community around the most interesting films you can’t stream on Netflix.

We’re also trying to decide if we should make one big change to the newsletter—publish the music listings only on Mondays, rather than Monday and Thursday. This would give us a bit more room for the weekend roundup. What say you, readers?

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Picture Lock One 🎥 : The microcinema with big ambitions

In a former bank vault beneath Collar Works in downtown Troy, a new kind of film culture is quietly taking root in the Capital Region. 

Inspired by the DIY ethos of microcinemas and the film center movement, Picture Lock One is creating fresh opportunities to engage with cinematic works beyond the mainstream. The project was launched earlier this year by a collective of artists and filmmakers, principally led by Emma Baiada, Angus McCullough and Adam Tinkle.

“We see a keen need to build reciprocal connections between films, audiences, and filmmakers who might not otherwise find each other—bridging gaps between the larger film world and the local community of artists and curious viewers,” the group says in its mission statement. 

“We’re not trying to compete with the big film festivals or become some kind of validating authority,” Angus adds. “We’re building a community.”

And they’re doing it intentionally: by selectively screening hard-to-find (but not necessarily only experimental) films; by creating site-specific programming; and by curating experiences that take film appreciation to a deeper level.

Every PL1 event is designed to end with spirited conversation. Sometimes, the filmmakers will be present to speak about their work (as with Thursday’s screening of Rock Bottom Riser with Fern Silva). Other times, it’s just the audience. But the goal is always to hold space for dialogue around the ideas and questions that the film surfaces.

“We move the chairs around, and the discussion starts the moment the credits roll,” Adam says. “At a time when people can watch infinite movies at home on their couch, we’re trying to create a communal experience that's meaningful.”

This sense of shared authorship extends to PL1’s Open Screen nights, where local filmmakers—and even people who might not think of themselves as filmmakers—are invited to submit screen-based work. 

“We’re interested in what people are already making—and having this expansive definition of what a filmmaker is,” Emma says. “Even if it’s something you shot on your phone—that can be a film. It all counts.”

And that’s the point of PL1: creating a bigger tent for the local film community while expanding the meaning of “cinema.”

The space is the frame

Picture Lock One’s first season, Underground, plays off its setting in a literal vault—tying together themes like buried histories, inner minds and bodies, geologic time, and underground movements. But it also speaks metaphorically to PL1’s mission of unearthing voices and perspectives that have been buried or ignored.

Debuting in July, Sweat Equity will explore themes of labor, money and capitalism, apropos for this bank site. Each new location will inform the tone and content of the programming, creating an experience that you just can’t get while browsing Netflix.

“We think about how the context changes how you watch,” Emma says. “We're dreaming of future seasons in abandoned malls and treehouses—maybe even in an abandoned porn theater on River Street in downtown Troy [next to No Fun].”

The deets: Picture Lock One, currently screening in the basement of Collar Works, 50 4th Street, Troy. Follow their Insta to keep abreast of events. Seating capacity is limited to 25 or so. Free, but donations are very much appreciated!

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Take the time to soak up the glorious sun today and tomorrow because it’s apparently rained every weekend since Thanksgiving. And the forecast is calling for yet another wet weekend 🙃 Don’t despair, just pull on your wellies as warmer temps and a million shades of green set the scene for deeply satisfying puddle-stomping ☔️ Let’s rejoice in these last weeks of spring.

🍜 The TU’s Steve Barnes has a timely story on the Vietnamese American couple behind the new BenThanh Vietnamese Bistro in Watervliet. Lan and Tom Skiff opened the restaurant after operating Morning Glory Day Care for 13 years. Lan’s father was a military officer who worked with American forces in Vietnam; after the war, he was imprisoned by the Communist government. [Times Union]

🎭️ The future looks bright for Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, which will get nearly $1 million in funding from the latest state budget. Secured by NYS Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, the money is seen as both an investment in the city and the theater. “Historic theaters like Proctors don’t just entertain—they bring people downtown, they support local business, they teach our kids, and they tell our stories,” Santabarbara says. [News10]

💰️ Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to spend $400 million in a massive effort to revitalize Albany is getting a big thumbs up from the city’s mayoral candidates—but they also have a lot of questions around how the money will be spent. “We can't afford to mess this up, and so it's going to require having… difficult conversations about Albany's future," says Chief City Auditor Dorcey Applyrs. [WAMC]

This classic bungalow on a quiet tree-lined street in the top-rated Bethlehem High School District is giving feel-good film vibes. The updated eat-in kitchen features quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a pot filler for the chef’s delight. The grounded first-floor master suite has a fully tiled bath with radiant floor heat. Upstairs are 3 (smallish) bedrooms, a full bath and a recently added ½ bath to make busy mornings easy. The inviting front porch and the generous deck in the back overlook peaceful and lush green spaces. Note the new boiler (2022), 2-car garage with new doors (2024), and replacement windows throughout the house (2013). This is a home with built-in character, perfect for folks who value the trifecta of creativity, comfort and community.

The deets: 3 bd, 2 ba, 1698 sf. Asking: $399,900. Days on market: 5. See the full listing here. 

🎸 Tonight, emo-rock innovators Coheed and Cambria headline with sludge metal heavyweights Mastodon as SPAC gears up for the busy summer season.

🍸️ Also tonight, the Larkin Hi-Fi kicks off a weekly Monday Night Team Trivia series.

🎙️ On Wed & Thur, join Opera Saratoga in the Ferndell Pavilion for an outdoor installation of a new opera, In a Grove, which draws on Akutagawa’s classic tale by the same name. (Read the story on Sam Torres, the man behind the sound of this outdoor opera.)

⚡️ Also kicking off Wednesday, Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play invites us to envision a post-electric world in the near future. Hilarity and social commentary ensue as pop culture dives into mythology.

🍺 The NYS Museum’s popular History & Hops lecture series at Common Roots Albany Outpost will dive into the fascinating world of lichens this Wednesday.

⚓️ Also on Wednesday, the NYS Museum presents a half-hour lunchtime talk on the “The Gunboat at Ground Zero” with the ship’s head conservator. Read our story on the museum’s fascinating new exhibit.

🎬️ On Thursday, Picture Lock One screens Rock Bottom Riser (2021, dir. Fern Silva) in the bank vault in the basement of Troy’s Collar Works. The event includes a surprise 16mm short, a Q&A with the filmmaker, and a post-screening discussion. Check out what PL1 is all about!

🇦🇲 Get ready for the flood of food fests this summer. This weekend, the Armenian Festival features dancing, music and, of course, Armenian delights.

🍸️ The Albany Institute of History & Art is partnering with the Albany Black Chamber of Commerce for a Last Friday Networking Mixer. Get out and rub elbows with the good folks at these side-by-side institutions.

🏮Also on Friday, the TroyAsia Night Market closes out AAPI Heritage Month!

🏎️ The Saratoga Automobile Museum's rain-delayed Spring Auto Show will be happening this Saturday.

🍾 On Sunday, indulge in bubbly and oysters at Bocage’s Meet the Master champagne tasting in Saratoga. The legendary Pieter Ferreira, cellar master of Graham Beck Wine Selections—one of South Africa’s most celebrated sparkling wine producers—will take you through a guided tasting. While you’re there, explore the killa vibe of Phila Street.

🎙️ Darling, grab your opera glasses for Opera Saratoga’s audience favorite, the Great American Songbook Concert, on Sunday. Hear the beguiling voices of 18 talented young singers performing arias and songs from around the world, and dig into a chef-prepared meal served on the lush grounds of the Mansion of Saratoga.

🖼️ Caffè Lena continues to spread its folksy goodness around Saratoga. The Beekman Street Art Fair on Sunday features a juried fine art and craft show with 60+ artists, a live music tent & food trucks.

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