Cine-File
I seldom worry about other newspapers scooping the Reader on local film events, but it’s another story with Cine-File, the site whose weekly roundup covers the fringe, the fringe of the fringe, and beyond. Launched in February 2007 by Darnell Witt, it began by linking to reviews in the Reader and other pubs, but in the years since then it’s built up a fine stable of enthusiasts who contribute their own writing, including several past and present employees of the Odd Obsession video store (Ben Sachs, Kalvin Henely, Joe Rubin, Ignatius Vishnevetsky). Because many of the contributors are artists (Josephine Ferorelli), filmmakers (Jason Halprin), or programmers (Rubin, Michael Castelle, Christy LeMaster) in their own right, Cine-File often has a line on late-breaking or lightly publicized microcinema screenings around town, and in late 2008 the site began offering “Cine-List,” a weekly posting and e-mail with new listings and reviews. Witt moved to New York City two years ago and handed over editing duties to Patrick Friel of White Light Cinema, but he’s still involved in the project, organizing a New York edition and planning to incorporate a social-networking component.