When it comes to specialized films, Charlotte's usually far behind the curve, not receiving limited releases until well after their New York and Los Angeles openings. But with the Gathr Previews program, Queen City residents will have an opportunity to see select titles before their NYC & LA openings.

• Kino Lorber
• Ain't In It for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm

The distribution company Gathr Films has chosen 20 national markets, including Charlotte, to host a series of special screenings that begins tonight and runs at least through June. In a statement, Richard Matson, Head of Distribution for Gathr Films, noted, "Think of it as your year-round film festival, movie club, and mid-week date night all rolled into one. Every week, subscribers can ... experience a diverse range of comedies, documentaries, dramas and international movies, curated from the major independent distributors' upcoming releases."

All screenings will be held at Studio Movie Grill at the Epicentre, and admission is handled on a monthly basis. The cost is $19 a month or $49 for three months. With four movies being shown each month, either option proves to be a great deal. If you don't care to subscribe, seats will be available to the public after all reserved-member seats have been claimed.

The series kicks off tonight with an 8 p.m. screening of The Iceman (reviewed here), which is included in the May package. Upcoming films include What Maisie Knew, starring Julianne Moore and Alexander Skarsgard, and the documentary Ain't In It for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm.

For more details and a complete schedule of the upcoming films, go here. For theater information, go here.