GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Triplex Cinema will honor Martin Luther King Jr. with special programming centered around Ava DuVernay's Academy Award-winning film "Selma."

 

On Monday, Jan. 20, at 11:30 AM, the cinema will host a free community screening of Selma, followed by a discussion with Shirley Edgerton, a local activist and member of the Berkshire County NAACP Executive Committee. Tickets for this event can be reserved at thetriplex.org.

 

On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Triplex will hold a private screening for 8th-grade students from area schools, including W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School and Berkshire Country Day School. Students will also participate in a post-screening discussion with Edgerton.

 

These events are sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Sheffield Cultural Council, Great Barrington Cultural Council, and New Marlborough Cultural Council.

 

Released in 2014, "Selma" depicts the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches of 1965, a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement that contributed to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the film stars David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and features an acclaimed cast including Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo, and Oprah Winfrey.

 

Nicki Wilson, president of the Triplex Board, emphasized the importance of these events.

 

"The Triplex Cinema is thrilled to continue the tradition, begun last year with the film 'Till,' of hosting special events in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr," Wilson said. "We welcome the community, and the hundreds of students who will see "Selma," to the Triplex. Thank you to Shirley Edgerton for sharing her experiences and life’s work with our community and the students from our local schools.Thank you to the Massachusetts, Sheffield, Great Barrington and New Marlborough Cultural Councils for sponsoring these important events."