New York, NY – December 5, 2005 -The IFC Center announced today that the theatre had a record-breaking weekend December 2-4 with the opening of TRANSAMERICA, including a house record for a single film. On Saturday, December 3rd, TRANSAMERICA posted the Center’s highest one-day, single film gross ever with a day total of $13, 632. This historic premiere, coupled with capacity houses Friday and Saturday nights for the Waverly Midnights program of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH hosted by John Cameron Mitchell, and the huge crowds all weekend long with nine sold-out shows including ZIZEK!, PULSE and THE ARISTOCRATS, helped The IFC Center garner its best three-day weekend to date. From December 2-4, the posted combined box office total was $38,248. This beats the theatre’s previous record of $34,934, set the IFC Center’s opening weekend, June 17-19, with the premiere of ME, YOU and EVERYONE WE KNOW.
The following is a statement from Jonathan Sehring, President of IFC Entertainment. IFC Entertainment operates The IFC Center and is a co-distributor with The Weinstein Company for TRANSAMERICA.
“We want to congratulate Duncan Tucker and our partners at The Weinstein Company for the record weekend TRANSAMERICA had at The IFC Center,” stated Jonathan Sehring. “This weekend once again shows how The IFC Center has become a valuable and supportive place to celebrate the success of independent film. As co-distributors of the film and as the operators of The IFC Center, we are very proud to be associated with this important project and pleased to be part of the team that is ensuring the film receives a strong voice nationwide. Felicity Huffman’s brilliant performance has been an inspiration to many of us and we hope this weekend proves to be a valuable launching point for the recognition she greatly deserves.”
TRANSAMERICA, from writer-director Duncan Tucker, began its New York-exclusive engagement at the IFC Center on Friday, December 2nd. The film centers on Bree (Felicity Huffman), a perfectly adjusted conservative transsexual woman. Born Stanley, a genetic male, she’s about to take the final step to becoming the woman Stanley always wanted to be — until she finds out she is the parent of a long-lost 17 year-old son. Afraid to tell the rebellious teenager the truth, Bree embarks on a journey with him that will challenge and change both their lives and bring them closer to the truth of their connection. The film has already won numerous festival prizes including awards for best film at San Francisco’s Frameline Festival and the Woodstock Film Festival, Best Actress at the Tribeca Film Festival, and the award for Best Screenplay at France’s 2005 Deauville Festival of American Film. Additionally, many critics and journalists have tagged Felicity Huffman an Oscar-nominee front-runner for her stunning turn as a transsexual woman.
The IFC Center also drew capacity crowds for its Waverly Midnights program for the film and live cast presentations of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, hosted by John Cameron Mitchell, the creator and star of Hedwig both on stage and on film. In addition to the meet and greet session with Mitchell, the event also featured a Hedwig costume contest. HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is a tale of internationally ignored rock singer, Hedwig, and her search for love and stardom. The HEDWIG tradition at the IFC Center has begun, with the film set to return for more midnight fun in January.
The IFC Center opened in June of 2005 on the premises of the historic Waverly Theater. After a four-year renovation, the new complex features state-of-the-art cinemas with luxurious seating and high-definition digital and 35mm projection. The theater presents new independent, foreign and documentary features, as well as the ongoing programs Weekend Classics, Waverly Midnights and Short Attention Span Cinema (short films screenings before every feature). The Center also includes The Waverly, a Great Performances restaurant that serves lunch, dinner and snacks, and features a full bar.