A lot of movie theatres give lip service to independent and foreign-language movies, but few actually follow through. The new Nova 6 theatre in Moline is making a six-week, 11-film commitment to art-house movies starting October 10, and it features nearly every noteworthy "little" movie of the summer.

"We really want to give this a chance," said Brandon Jones, the director of operations and marketing for Nova Cinetech, which owns the Nova 6 cinema.

While some theatres might bring in an independent movie or two and then return to business as usual if people don't support them, Nova 6 is offering a wide variety of films - from low-budget movies with mainstream appeal to foreign films to the oddball transsexual comedy. "Not every independent film appeals to every independent filmgoer," Jones explained. Some movies might do poorly, but each film will be evaluated independently. This series should be a good indicator not only of whether there's a market for independent film on the big screen in the Quad Cities but of what types of art-house fare might do well here.

And based on what happens with this series, Nova 6 might continue to bring in independent movies regularly, or host an art-house series each year. "We decided to make this happen and see if there is a demand," Jones said. "We're going to wait and see how this goes" before deciding on future course of action.

Most of the films will be here for three or four days, and the first two will be shown only once a night. (Jones said all the movies will be shown at least once daily.) Admission to these movies is Nova 6's standard $5, which includes popcorn and soda. (The theatre is located at 2018 36th Avenue, behind Key Auto Mall.)

The series kicks off with Takeshi Kitano's Brother (October 10-12) . The movie, co-starring Omar Epps, is writer-director-actor Kitano's first American effort, and while any summary might make it appear to be a standard mismatched-cop movie, Kitano brings to all his work a meditative, beautifully composed style with bursts of shocking violence.

The Princess & The Warrior (October 13-15) is Tom Tykwer's follow-up to his mind-blowing Run Lola Run, also featuring Franka Potente. While this movie is slower than his debut - how could it not be? - many critics have still found it a captivating, mysterious, and mythic work. The writer-director has been credited with breathing new life into German cinema, and if The Princess & The Warrior isn't as compelling as his first film, moviegoers will still find themselves in the hands of a master filmmaker.

Co-written and co-directed by and starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming, The Anniversary Party (October 17-19) features a great cast (including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Kline, and the amazing John C. Reilly). Shot on digital video, The Anniversary Party has been called its generation's The Big Chill and has earned kudos for its stellar ensemble acting and its emotional intimacy.

The music-heavy period drama Songcatcher (October 20-23) stars Janet McTeer and Aidan Quinn and is considered a must-see for people interested in American folk music and Appalachian culture. While it has been criticized for its use of backwoods clichés, nearly all critics agree that it's worth seeing for its phenomenal music alone.

The highly anticipated Made gets a weeklong engagement October 24-30. The movie re-teams Vince Vaughn with Jon Favreau, the actor and writer who brought poison and humanity to the cult-classic Swingers. Favreau also directs this amiable boxing-underworld comedy that, while not the second coming of Swingers, certainly features enough wit to recommend it.

With nearly universal critical praise, The Deep End (October 30-November 2) is probably the first of several miss-at-your-peril entries. Written and directed by the team of Scott McGehee and David Siegel (who were also behind the captivating and strange black-and-white film Suture), The Deep End is a stylish psychological thriller set apart by a fantastic lead performance by Tilda Swinton, embodying maternal determination. To protect her son, she hides the body of his dead lover, only to become enmeshed in even stickier situations when the body is discovered.

Nominated for a best foreign-language picture Oscar earlier this year, Everybody's Famous (November 3-6) is a mild, crowd-pleasing satire of celebrity. A factory worker fancies himself a songwriter, and he enlists his awkward, overweight daughter to bring his work to the masses.

The French sexual-orientation farce The Closet (November 7-9) is another lightweight entry, featuring a great cast led by Gerard Depardieu and directed by France's funniest director, Francis Veber.

Another French entry, With a Friend Like Harry (November 10-13) , has earned nearly unanimous good notices from critics around the world. It is a seamless hybrid of suspense and comedy, recalling Hitchcock at his most mischievous. The wicked film is also distinguished by its rich characters and performances - a rarity in this genre.

The botched-sex-change rock musical Hedwig & The Angry Inch (November 14-16) is another critical favorite, a movie that is oddly touching while never letting go of its off-kilter sensibilities. It's the kind of movie that's not for all audiences, but those who are a little more adventurous won't be disappointed.

Finally, the acclaimed documentary Startup.com closes the series November 17-20. A documentary about the rise and fall of an Internet startup, the movie is startling for its humanity and intimacy with its characters. While this entry is already available on video, it will certainly be worth seeing on the big screen.

For showtimes, check out the Nova 6 ad weekly in the River Cities' Reader or visit our Web site: (http://www.rcreader.com).

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