December 3, 2009

(BOSTON) First Night Boston is the country's oldest and largest New Year's arts celebration. On Dec. 31, 2009 from 1 p.m. to midnight, First Night presents a day-long festival of art, music, dance, ice sculpture, fireworks and more. First Night is an alcohol-free event that welcomes children, families and revelers of all ages to celebrate community and unity through the arts. First Night Boston offers a wide array of visual arts this year. For complete schedules including updates, please visit www.firstnight.org.

Roxbury Film Festival
Hynes Convention Center, Room 200
The Color of Film Collaborative, Inc. curates this series of short films featuring some of the best from this year's Roxbury Film Festival. RFF is produced every summer by ACT Roxbury and The Color of Film Collaborative. Visit www.firstnight.org for film synopses.
7:00-7:35 Nora
7:35-8:10 Calling My Children
8:15-8:45 Santa Claus in Baghdad
8:50-9:15 Jump the Broom
9:20-10:40 Business is War

Bombay Cinema
Hynes Convention Center, Room 311
Boston's own Bombay Cinema programs the best of Bollywood film. Visit www.firstnight.org for synopses.
12:30-3:00 Zubeidaa
3:00-5:30 Lago Raho Munna Bhai
5:30-8:20 Rang De Basanti
8:20-11:00 Om Shanti OM

New England Anime
Hynes Convention Center, Room 311
Back by popular demand! The New England Anime Society, convention organizers of Anime Boston, presents the best in old and new Japanese animation.
1:00–1:30pm Kimba the White Lion
1:30–2:00pm Panda Z
2:00–2:30pm Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (aka Battle of the Planets)
2:30–3:00pm Cat Soup
3:00–3:30pm Astro Boy (2003)
3:30-4:00pm Marmalade Boy
4:00-4:30pm Fancy Lala
4:30-5:00pm His and Her Circumstances
5:00-5:30pm NEAS Event Highlights
7:30–8:00pm Paradise Kiss
8:00–8:30pm Android Kikaider
8:30-9:00pm Revolutionary Girl Utena
9:00-9:30pm Mushi-shi
9:30-10:00pm Nana
10:00-10:30pm Gurren Lagaan
10:30-11:00pm Giant Robo - The Day the Earth Stood Still

Aesthetic Evidence: elements/response
Hynes Convention Center, Room 210, 8 and 9 p.m.
Aesthetic Evidence will create a partially scripted, partially improvised element-themed audio-visual environment, inspired by spoken human voice recordings. Group members recorded responses to questions from a variety of participants over the past several months. These recordings, along with video, are integrated with traditional and electronic instruments.

Neil Horskey - Fluxusignment 57: a Bicycle Powered Shadow Puppet Theater
Boston Common, Visitor's Center, all day and night
This installation engages First Night participants in a collaborative performance that is both whimsical and nostalgic. One participant rides an exercise bicycle equipped with a generator light that illuminates a miniature stage. Adjacent to the stage is a diagram of numerous hand positions for shadow puppets. Using this diagram and their own imagination, another participant performs a shadow puppet play cast upon the stage's back panel.

Park Street Studios: Beacon to a Better Year
Boston Common, Railroad Mall, all day, illuminated at dusk
As humans have for millennia, we look forward with hope to a better year. The "Beacon" is a large- scale installation designed to attract a better, happier vibe for the year 2010, the beginning of a new decade. The three 20-foot sculptures are composed of bamboo armatures skinned with white shrink wrap plastic. All materials will be recycled afterwards including the shrink wrap. During the day the beacon is a stunning white, silver and mirrored machine of good will and hope. At dusk, with theatrical lighting it transforms into a magical jewel lighting up the night.

In addition to these and other great events, First Night will also feature Kaiju Big Battel; Kristin Hersh; Anat Cohen; five ice sculptures; The FedEx Family Festival; The Metro Boston First Night Grand Procession; the Boston Family Fireworks presented by Mayor Menino and The Mugar Foundation; the traditional midnight fireworks over Boston Harbor sponsored by Cape Dairy; and a midnight countdown with WBZ-TV's Jack Williams and Lisa Hughes at Copley Square. For a complete listing, visit www.firstnight.org.

All First Night outdoor events are free, though supported by sales of the First Night button (artwork by Ekua Holmes), which is the ticket for admission to all indoor events. Buttons are $18 (children under 4 admitted free) and are available at Boston-area Shaw's and Star Markets, Tedeschi's, Store 24, Au Bon Pain and dozens of other locations. For a complete list of advance sale locations or to buy buttons online, visit www.firstnight.org. Buttons are available at a special web price of $15 at www.firstnight.org through Dec. 26. For more information, visit www.firstnight.org.

First Night, Inc. is a private, 501(c)3 non-profit organization. It is supported by public and private contributions, sponsorships, and through the admission sales of the First Night button. First Night Boston is grateful for the support of its major contributors: The City of Boston, Thomas M. Menino, Mayor; WBZ-TV; Metro Boston; The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority; FedEx, Frank Ward of Cape Dairy; The Boston Foundation; The Linde Family Foundation; Jane's Trust; Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau; an Anonymous Foundation; Massachusetts Cultural Council; Fleetwing Foundation; MBTA; WGBH Radio; Boston 4 Productions; The Mugar Foundation, Deborah Munroe Noonan Memorial Fund, Bank of America, Trustee; Clear Channel Outdoor and Wall USA.

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