Brooklyn, New York (February 21, 2019). With so many creative people in New York City, the Boroughs have always been a national central point for the arts.
New York is the home of thousands of independent filmmakers, some of which have been lucky enough to have their films accepted to major film festivals such as Sundance or Tribeca Film Festival – however, the artists who have had the opportunity to showcase their art in front of the prestigious crowds of top film festivals is few.
Outside of special festivals it is hard for independent filmmakers to find audiences to showcase their work. After hearing the frustrations from some friends in the New York City film community, New York residents Ethan Messinger and Esteban Jaramillo decided to create an outlet for independent filmmakers to showcase their films throughout the Boroughs.
What they launched was Entholigy and its website entholigy.com. Entholigy hosts intimate film screenings in independent businesses throughout the Boroughs.
Entholigy screens in non-traditional spaces. From rustic spaces and bodegas in Brooklyn, clothing stores in The Bronx, Japanese cultural centers and cafes in Manhattan.
Messinger moved to the city in 2013 where he attended New York University. It was there that he met Jaramillo while studying abroad in Florence, Italy.
Graduating in 2017, Messinger moved onto work as a project manager at a technology company, while Jaramillo worked as a recruiter in the telecom industry.
Messinger developed a deep passion for bringing the art community together in intimate spaces. While working as a project manager, he designed and developed a website in his spare time that eventually became entholigy.com. In November, Messinger committed himself to the cause and recruited Jaramillo, a film enthusiast to help him curate the film screenings.
The two launched the website in January and now have accumulated close to 500 users and have hosted two successful screenings at 61 Local in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. The screenings managed to bring a total of 11 independent filmmakers participating traveling from all 5 boroughs, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Connecticut.
“I was so nervous that no one would show up at the first event” Messinger stated, “but when I walked up stairs to the screen room, I had to find more chairs because all of the 70 plus seats were already taken.”
The second event, also at 61 Local, was held this past Valentine’s Day.
“Everyone thought I was crazy for having an event on Valentine’s Day, but the turnout was even bigger than the first,” said Messinger, “It made me realize that there is a certain romance in getting together with a bunch of diverse people in an intimate environment.”
Entholigy filmmakers come from a wide array of backgrounds and experience levels.
“We have had filmmakers that have been accepted to Sundance present their work next to filmmakers who are still students. We put horror films, next to coming of age films, next to a comedy. We like to keep it funky and humble,” Messinger described.
Tickets are either free or for a very modest fee of $5 or $10 and can be secured on the Entholigy site at www.entholigy.com.
Upcoming Entholigy Events include:
March 2nd – Mott Haven, The Bronx
March 3rd – East Village, Manhattan
March 27th – Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
March 29th – Lower East Side, Manhattan
April 7th – Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
April 14th – Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
“Great art breaths from all different corners of this city. Our mission is to show screen and support independent filmmakers and businesses all over the 5 Boroughs while building a community that comes together a few times a month to celebrate great film and art in the City.”
Stay tuned.
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