Been 40 does have it’s advantages one been experiencing the games arcades. Open City Docs Film Festival later this month will host the UK premiere of The Lost Arcade. A film that is a love letter to one of New York City’s hidden gaming treasures Chinatown Fair and ahead of its premiere we get a look at the film’s trailer…
Chinatown Fair opened as a penny arcade on Mott Street in 1944. Over the decades,the legendary gathering place, known for its tic-tac-toe playing chicken, became an institution, surviving turf wars between rival gangs, rising rents and the explosive growth of home gaming systems like Xbox and Playstation that shuttered all other arcades in the city. But as the neighborhood gentrified, this haven for a diverse community faced its strongest challenge, inspiring its biggest devotees to next-level greatness.
Before the birth of the current trend of video gaming with Playstation, Xbox, online gaming, saving your coins heading down to arcades to play the latest games was the way to do it. For myself as we didn’t live near an arcade day out to seaside or a holiday to Blackpool or Scarbrough was my opportunity. The Lost Arcade been based around an New York ‘institution’ where a diverse range of people visited, including celebs from tv, film and music. It was at one time a haven for rival gangs or simply where friends or folks who couldn’t sleep at night to stay up all night.
The Lost Arcade will screen at this year’s Open City Documentary Festival on Saturday 25th June at the Hackney Picturehouses. Check out this film and find out why this hidden gem went unoticed by so many people, broke down social barriers becoming a safe haven and place to go for those who found Chinatown Fair.
Now in its sixth year, Open City Documentary Festival (OCDF) returns as London’s premiere non-fiction film festival showing titles from around the world. During six days the festival will screen over 60 films including 26 Feature UK premieres plus programmes of short films, special events, a programme of industry masterclasses, talks, networking drinks and parties.
For full line-up, more info and to book your tickets head over to the festivals website.
