Moraga's "Electric Tiara" Shines Again

The New Rheem Theatre may have found legs to stand on.  Judging by the packed opening night crowd, munching everything from fried cheese to chicken kabobs and toasting with local wines, there's a herd of movie buffs living in Lamorinda's gently rolling hills.

"The first time I came here was 1959," boasted Caroline Wood.  Rosalie Benjoseph, Wood's newly-made friend of the night, agreed, saying, "I think it's important we have a viable theater here."  Janet Forman, rounding out the trio of women, brought up a selling point for the Rheem: "I won't have to go to Pleasant Hill to see films!"

That is exactly what the California Independent Film Festival (CAIFF) directors and supporters are hoping will make the theater a center of the community.  "Moraga needs momentum, we need an identity," said Carol Haag.  Haag was a major player in the drive to save the theater and "make ourselves a destination."

Morgan Michna, a 16-year old, made the trek with a group of friends from San Ramon.  "We have nothing like a film festival or student films where we live," she said.

Richard and Amy Hiett brought not only their two kids, Hailey and Carter, but the grandparents.  "They used to neck up in the theater when it first opened," Richard Hiett said about his in-laws.  Hiett was "a part of the old cycle" and often found himself watching films, even new releases, all by himself.  "When it closed, I wasn't surprised, but I was really sad.  We definitely plan to be members."

Membership is crucial to the theater's success and opening night offered Beau Behan, Program Director, a festive occasion to make his pitch.  Edy Schwartz, president of the Moraga Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Ken Chew, Vice Mayor Karen Mendonca, Councilmember Dave Trotter, and other dignitaries were on hand to help.  Derek Zemrak, Founder and President of the CAIFF, and Leonard Pirkle, CAIFF's Executive Director, juggled multiple roles: greeting guests, directing traffic, and acknowledging the kids working behind the concessions counter.

Robert Hammond, an independent filmmaker who recently relocated to Walnut Creek, praised the Bay area for its support of the industry.  With a new film opening soon at the landmark Lumiere Theatre in San Francisco, he's keeping his eye on the Rheem.  "It's the character of the theater — that it's not just a multiplex — that makes it a success," he said.