September 14, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Gina Izzo, Director of Marketing & Communications
gizzo@brynmawrfilm.org | 610-527-4008 x110
Bryn Mawr Film Institute | 824 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Landmark event marks a century since the Seville Theatre first lit up Lancaster Avenue, featuring Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown, a performance by The Bel Cantos of Agnes Irwin School, and an architectural projection installation by Klip Collective
BRYN MAWR, PA — Bryn Mawr Film Institute (BMFI) will celebrate 100 years of cinema on the Main Line with Bryn Mawr: A Centennial Soiree, a milestone gala taking place Thursday, October 1, 2026, at BMFI’s historic theater, 824 W. Lancaster Avenue.
On October 1, 1926, the Seville Theatre lit up Lancaster Avenue for the first time. One hundred years later, BMFI is marking that milestone with an evening of film, community, and storytelling, bringing together 300 of the region’s most engaged patrons, donors, and cultural leaders for cocktails, cinema history, and celebration inside the theater that has anchored Bryn Mawr’s cultural life for a century.
Throughout the evening, each of BMFI’s four theaters will carry guests through a different chapter in its history, from Theater 1’s Klip Collective-lit tribute to the original 1926 architecture, to Theater 4’s look back at the BMFI era itself. Catering by Design will lead the evening’s menu, capped by a dessert tasting room in the second-floor Seville Gallery featuring treats from Main Line favorites The Buttery, The Bakery House, Pinwheel Provisions, and Delice et Chocolat, with specialty pours from Philadelphia Distilling.
The VIP cocktail hour will feature Garrett Brown, the inventor of the Steadicam, the camera stabilization system that transformed modern filmmaking, from Rocky to The Shining, for an intimate onstage conversation with Jacob Mazer, BMFI’s Director of Programs and Education, in Theater 1. The cocktail hour will also feature a performance by The Bel Cantos, the student a cappella group from Agnes Irwin School, a longtime BMFI community partner, as well as an immersive architectural projection installation by Klip Collective, transforming Theater 1 for the evening.
The evening is co-chaired by Alice and Christian Bullitt, Lisa and Dr. Paul Hoffstein, and Norman M. Powell, Esquire and Dr. Karen Zimmer Paul, MD, alongside a host committee of BMFI’s longtime friends and supporters.
“A hundred years ago, a single movie theater opened its doors on Lancaster Avenue, and it’s been part of this community’s story ever since,” said Scott Fisher, Executive Director of Bryn Mawr Film Institute. “This Soiree is a chance to celebrate everyone who has made that century possible, and to set the stage for BMFI’s next hundred years.”
The centennial has drawn recognition at every level of government: the U.S. House of Representatives (Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon), the Pennsylvania State Senate (Sen. Amanda Cappelletti), and the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners have each issued formal proclamations honoring Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s 100th anniversary.
Guests can choose from two ticket options:
Tickets and sponsorships are available now at brynmawrfilm.org/centennial-soiree. Businesses interested in sponsoring may contact Alexander Gosciniak, BMFI’s Marketing Manager, at agosciniak@brynmawrfilm.org.
Proceeds from the Centennial Soiree will benefit the continuing preservation and improvement of BMFI’s 100-year-old landmark theater.
The Centennial Soiree is made possible by the generosity of its sponsors:
Goodfriend: Alice and Christian Bullitt, Trip and Lainey McMahon, Harmelin Media, Juliet Goodfriend and Marc Moreau, Marsha Perelman, Nancy Shevlin.
Centennial: Cynthia Archer, Gloria and John Drosdick, Focus Features, Ellen and Michael Harrington, Norman M. Powell, Esquire and Dr. Karen Zimmer Paul, MD, Martha Morse, Pinemar, Holly and Jack Rutkowski, Marlena and Anthony Santomero, Valetta, Waverly Heights, Lyn Wiesinger.
Seville 1926: Carolyn and John Bartholdson, Robbyn Bhatt, Jill A. Bonner, Kalian and Christopher Carey, Lynann and Rick Cimino, Claytor Noone Plastic Surgery, Barbara Cobb, Martha and Bill Cyphers, Alice and George “Sandy” Day, Duffy Real Estate, Paul Fenstermaker, Jennifer and Scott Fisher, Anne and David B. Ford Jr. Foundation, Patricia and Ed Garno, Anna and Tom Gerrity, Kavitha Goyal, Harry Groome, Lyn Groome, Barbara and Charles “Ed” Haldeman, Louise and Peter Havens, Mary and Jeff Henderson, Dr. Paul Hoffstein, DMD and Lisa S. Hoffstein, J. Workman Millinery, Lorna and Lathrop B. Nelson, Amy Norr, O’Donnell Roofing Co., Elissa Topol & Dr. Lee Osterman, Rochelle Ostroff-Weinberg, Robert Pratter, Premier Orthopedics, Rubin Fortunato, Lynn and Sam Scott, Tina Elsner and Michael Smith, Joe Straton, Sun East Foundation, Lily and Brian Tierney, Jr., Wallace Dry Goods, Dr. Lawrence Wells, Dr. Bernadette Wheeler, Ginny and Carter Williams, WSFS.
Sponsor list current as of August 26, 2026. Additional sponsorship opportunities remain available; businesses interested may contact Alexander Gosciniak at agosciniak@brynmawrfilm.org.
About Bryn Mawr Film Institute
Bryn Mawr Film Institute (BMFI) is a nonprofit movie theater and film education center located at 824 W. Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr, PA, on Philadelphia’s Main Line. Nearly 120,000 patrons each year, including more than 6,000 members, enjoy an eclectic mix of independent, international, documentary, classic, and new films on four screens, 365 days a year. Fully equipped with 21st-century digital laser projection alongside 35mm and 70mm film capabilities, BMFI creates community by presenting films the way they were meant to be seen.
BMFI is hosting A Centennial Soiree on Thursday, October 1, 2026, to celebrate Bryn Mawr’s 100-year-old cinema. Sponsorships and tickets are available at BrynMawrFilm.org/centennial-soiree.
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