"Preserve Me a Seat," a documentary about preservationists' efforts to save single-screen movie theaters, including Omaha's own Indian Hills, will be screened Friday at Chicago's historic Portage Theatre.


Omaha filmmaker Jim Fields, who wrote and directed "Preserve Me a Seat," said the Portage is hosting a weekend film festival made up only of documentaries about historic movie theaters in the United States. Fields' film will play on opening night.

Indian Hills was torn down in 2001.


Fields is working on a documentary about the early years of the University of Nebraska football team. "The Bugeaters" is expected to begin filming around Oct. 1.

Published Sunday | September 9, 2007 Omaha World Herald

Fun Facts: The original version of this film was titled, "Saving The Indian Hills," and was only about the last round Cinerama Theatre left in the U.S. - Omaha's Indian Hills Theatre. However, after a lawsuit was filed against the filmmakers by a member of the group trying to save the theatre that took three years to be dismissed in the filmmaker's favor, writer/director Jim Fields had the idea to expand the movie and include other theatres across the U.S.A. The new film, "Preserve Me a Seat," premiered in late July of 2006 and is now currently playing in film festivals and available on dvd through the production company's website.