MILTON — Co-founder Rob Rector describes Revival House as a “cinematic sandbox.”
Marking eight years, it has become a celebration of going to the movies, with a mission to “foster a community through the shared experience of film and presenting programs that are unique, entertaining and fun.”
Starting with monthly movie nights at the Milton Theatre in 2016, Revival House has evolved into a fundraising arm for the Beebe Medical Foundation, hosting annual events at Hudson Fields in Milton geared toward favorite films. This year, it presented GooniesFest, which joined the previous incarnations JurassicFest, BatFest and JawsFest.
Revival House also sponsors the Slower Lower Short Film Festival each spring and the Horror Trailer Challenge in October, both at Milton Theatre.
One of the founders of the Rehoboth Beach Film Society in 1998 — where he presided for 10 years — Mr. Rector joined Rob Waters, an area filmmaker, to develop Revival House, billed as “a religious experience for film lovers.”
“One of our biggest inspirations was the Alamo Drafthouse (Cinema) in Austin, Texas, which later became a chain. Both of us had traveled there and loved the vibe because it was participatory, and it was filled with fellow film geeks. And there was a levity to it,” Mr. Rector said.
“It wasn’t the prestige that an international film festival sometimes carries with it. It was more grassroots, and we wanted to have events that catered specifically to local filmmakers, as well, too, which is why we do what we do.”
But the first event for Revival House at the Milton Theatre didn’t get off to a great start.
“It was a double feature, and it was called ‘Your Roots Are Showing.’ The goal for that one was we wanted to show a modern film and then a film that had influenced it,” Mr. Rector said.
“We did ‘Big Trouble in Little China,’ (directed by) John Carpenter, and then, we did ‘The Guest,’ which was a fairly recent film that had a very John Carpenteresque approach to it. (Local singer) Cliff Hillis was there performing live, and we had craft beer by Dogfish Head.”
The problem: It was scheduled at the same time as St. Patrick’s Day and the opening round of the NCAA basketball tournament.
“We had such a paltry showing, it was embarrassing. We were like, ‘All right, let’s lick our wounds and see what happens.’ Give credit to Milton Theatre. They told us to keep going,” Mr. Rector said.
Those movie nights did become successful but stopped around the time of the pandemic, as Revival House pivoted toward the annual movie-themed gatherings at Hudson Fields.
“We both (are associated with) the Beebe (Medical) Foundation, so they’re the sole beneficiaries. It is not an event that is a moneymaker for us. That’s why we offer it for free, and we just say any donations will go directly to that funding source for the employees at Beebe.”
The film festivals, like the upcoming Horror Trailer Challenge, are also a branch of Revival House.
“The Horror Trailer Challenge was essentially an offshoot of a class project that I would give my students at the college here,” said Mr. Rector, chair of communications at Delaware Technical Community College in Georgetown.
“They would have a few weeks to create a fictitious trailer, and then, we decided, ‘Let’s make them horror trailers because everyone loves horror movies’ and open it up to everyone. And then, we got local sponsors to donate money, and we give away cash prizes.”
For this, the seventh edition of the challenge, Revival House will go live on Facebook on Oct. 11 at 6 p.m., announcing a specific line of dialogue and an item that must be included in the entries.
Past examples have been “We’ve got company” with hot sauce and “You really outdid yourself” with a fidget spinner.
“I’ve seen them use these items in ways that I could never have envisioned. In fact, I remember one year — and I can’t remember the line of dialogue — but I remember they named the dog one of the words that was used in the line of dialogue,” Mr. Rector said.
“I just thought that was such a cool way to approach it. It was really awesome.”
Trailers should not exceed three minutes. All participants have until midnight Oct. 18 to submit their piece for consideration, free of charge. On Oct. 20, the works will be shown at Milton Theatre.
Doors will open at 6 p.m., with screenings starting at 7. Audience members will be asked to vote for their top three submissions, and after the votes are tabulated, winners will be announced. Filmmakers must be present to win.
The evening will be capped with a Q&A session with the creators, who are invited to share their experiences and network with one another.
Tickets start at $7.20 and are available at miltontheatre.com . More information is available at therevivalhousetheater.com .
Mr. Rector said the contest usually attracts 15 to 20 entries.
“It’s everything from students who are in grade school all the way up to those who’ve been in the industry for a while,” he said. “We don’t platform it so that there are levels of competition. It’s just a general audience vote.”
Looking ahead, new on the calendar for Revival House will be pop-up movie nights at Hudson Fields, thanks a purchase of a 50-foot screen and projector.
“Our intent is to have a few more screenings out at Hudson Fields, not to the extent of GooniesFest or JawsFest. It’s not going to be a ton of food trucks and all that. It’s going to be just an outdoor (event) under the stars. Bring a chair and hang out with us and watch a cool movie. We’ll be looking to do that fairly shortly,”
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