Doug Jones Memorial 

At Images Cinema on Saturday, December 9 at 5 — 6pm we will gather to mourn, reflect, and share our memories of Doug, facilitated by Mark Longhurst, followed by a reception with refreshments in the storefront. 

We've scheduled the memorial during our run of The Boy and the Heron because Doug admired the work of Hayao Miyazaki, and there are screenings of the film before and after the memorial. We will continue to honor him in January with screenings of some of his favorite movies: Little Shop of Horrors (Wednesday, January 3 at 7:30pm), Singin’ in the Rain (Monday, January 8 at 7:30pm), and A Matter of Life and Death (Monday, January 15 at 7:30pm), the latter of which is the film Doug selected to introduce himself to the community when he first came to town in 2014. 

Remembering Doug Jones

The Images Cinema community mourns the loss of Doug Jones, Executive Director 2014 — 2022, who passed away in Los Angeles on November 1, 2023.  He left a huge mark on Images, on Williamstown, and on the global film community.  

Doug’s film career started in South Dakota when, at the age of 14, he lied about his age to get a job selling popcorn at a movie theater. He majored in film studies in college and prior to his time at Images, he programmed for the Los Angeles Film Festival, the San Francisco Film Festival, the San Francisco Film Society, the Mill Valley Film Festival. He was a founding member of the nominations committee and program director for Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking. Following his time at Images, he was the artistic director of the Overlook Film Festival and film buyer and programmer for Vidiots.

When he arrived in Williamstown with his wife Paula and son Wylie, Doug quickly became a beloved personality on Spring Street, friendly with other merchants and eventually joining the Williamstown Chamber Board and Friends of the Library. He possessed a keen intelligence and sharp wit, which could have been intimidating, but his quiet demeanor and humble nature made everyone feel at ease around him. Doug seemed most in his element when introducing films and moderating panels of speakers, and was also often seen greeting people at the entrance, and up on a ladder changing the marquee. He led by doing, and carried Images through some key transitions. Most notably, when COVID shut down the movie theater, Doug not only kept the Images community alive through virtual screenings and events, but he also applied doggedly for grants that put the theater in a viable financial position. He was loved by his staff and made working at Images feel like a family. 

He loved talking movies with everyone, whether it was about which of the Friday the 13th films was his favorite (Part VII: The New Blood), or why Singin’ in the Rain was a perfect film. He often had insightful reads on films, and inspired people to rewatch and reconsider films they’d already seen, or watch films they had not yet seen. He watched all the movies he could get his hands on, ranging from the Marvel Cinematic Universe films to the Palme d’Or winning film out of Cannes. He was equally well-versed and wide-ranging in literature and music, seemingly having read and listened to everything. 

Doug will be remembered for bringing his great passion for cinema to Williamstown, for enlivening Spring Street and local culture, and, most importantly, for being one of the kindest people we will ever meet.