The newly founded Fort Stockton Film Society will screen its inaugural film, Casablanca, on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 7:00 p.m. at the Fort Stockton Community Theater on Nelson Street. Admission will be $5 as an opening night special. Capacity of the theatre is 125 people.

Popcorn and sodas will be sold at the movie for $1 apiece.

“It’s very exciting, a little nerve racking but we are going to pull it together. I’m very excited to do the first one.” said Ross Harper, Fort Stockton Film Society President and primary funder for the theatre’s projector and projector screen.

Fort Stockton has been without a movie theater since Stockton’s Entertainment closed down nearly four years ago. Before then the old Pecos Theater in downtown Fort Stockton carried movies until it burned down, leaving an empty space on Main Street for decades.

With the construction of the Nelson Street Theater, J.B. Gallegos, Harper and Jeremy Gonzalez saw an opportunity to show films in the new facility.

So, the Fort Stockton Film Society was formed.  A screen and projector were purchased with underwriting from Christiane Gonzalez and M.R. Gonzalez, and a 501 (3)c non-profit was formed.

Now it’s showtime.

Casablanca was selected as the first feature to screen because of its universal acclaim as one of the greatest love stories of all time. The 1942 Warner Bros. production features Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and strong supporting cast that includes Claude Rains, Peter Lorre and Paul Henreid. Casablanca is G-rated and shot in black and white.

The next showing will be at 2:00 p.m. on Oct. 30. The Society will host a Halloween matinee of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. All information for this show, and future screenings will be announced on the FSFS web site.