If you’ve watched an indie film in Philly, Robert Cargni was probably the guy in the booth

For more than 30 years, Robert Cargni was the man splicing and loading cinema reels inside International House Philadelphia.

The longtime projectionist and film curator spent countless hours inside a projection booth overlooking the S.A. Ibrahim Theater, pushing the limits of exhibition and programming. In doing so, he exposed thousands of Philadelphians to the wonderment of independent and foreign films.

On May 1, the projectionist was found dead from natural causes inside his Mount Airy home. He had been reported missing. He was 69. A celebration of his life is set for Sunday night at the Lightbox Film Center.

Born Robert Cameron Mitchell on Feb. 18, 1954, to parents Charlotte Nitta Cargni Mitchell and Ralph Cameron Mitchell, Cargni grew up in East Portland, Ore., with siblings John, Richard, Carla, and Stephanie. He changed his name to Robert Emilio Cargni sometime in the 1990s to honor his grandmother Emilia Cargni, who helped raise him.

Their mother took the siblings to see first-run Hollywood films like Lawrence of Arabia, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Guns of Navarone, and others in cinema houses throughout the Portland area. And from there, Cargni’s older brother John Mitchell knew this obsession would turn into a career for his brother.

“He was really into horror and sci-fi movies back then, but you could tell that he was going to somehow parlay his interest in film and cinema into a career,” he said. “And it really matriculated at the same time he was going to college.”

While studying cinema studies at Portland State University, Cargni got his first taste of film projection.

To fund his education, he took a job as a general manager and projectionist at several local theaters known for showing adult films. His friends jokingly christened him “The Porn King,” Mitchell said.

With no interest in porn, Cargni immersed himself into analog film exhibition and soon earned his stripes as a projectionist and historian of the art form. After graduating from Portland State, he briefly moved to Los Angeles to pursue an entirely different passion: dog grooming.

His love of dogs brought him to eastern Pennsylvania, where he met his wife, Elaine Petrov. They got married in 1987, and after she suffered a stroke in 2004, Cargni took on the role as her primary caretaker.

He began working at I-House as a projectionist and technical support analyst, and went on to curate various programs at the West Philly cinema hub. He was promoted to associate director in 2014 and continued heading the cinema house until it closed in 2019.

Cargni was the heart of the now-defunct cinema at I-House, said cinéSPEAK founder Sarah Mueller. As much as he was known for his technical skill, Cargni’s enthralling stories, his “Sundance chic” style, and his willingness to mentor other cinephiles made him a fixture in Philly’s indie film community. With his passing, Mueller and others are inspired to carry on his mission and honor his legacy.

“He cared very deeply and passionately about his craft as a projectionist, and his love for the entire experience of cinema is what really stood out to me,” she said. “He wasn’t somebody who just flicked on the light. He really cared about excellence. Whether you were someone who came to I-House a billion times or were a first-timer, he wanted you to have a good experience.”

Like Mueller, Lightbox Film Center director Jesse Pires met Cargni at I-House. The two connected through their love of French literature and European film. Pires then came to know of Cargni’s major role in shaping Philly’s love for films. That and his collection of Ralph Lauren sweaters and polo shirts.

“He lived the stuff,” Pires said. “If it wasn’t a movie, he would go to a museum or art gallery. He was very much dedicated to this kind of moving image culture.”

Cargni was also the special programs curator for the America-Italy Society at Penn and cinema project manager at cinéSPEAK. His title remains on the organization’s website, with the words “Our Dearly Beloved Robert Cargni” on the team member page.

Longtime friend Nicola Gentili said Cargni’s index of film knowledge was like nothing he’d ever seen, and he never shied away from imparting it to those who shared his love of film. “He had such a deep interest in film studies, and he was always ready to support professors,” he said. “We really enjoyed his company in the classroom.”

Gentili, an associate director of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, would bring in Cargni to speak to his students. He also would call him to help organize his annual New Italian Cinema festival. But beyond all that, Gentili said he misses having lunch with his dear friend.

Just days before Cargni was found dead in his Mount Airy home, he and Gentili planned to meet for lunch at a nearby Italian restaurant. But after waiting nearly an hour for Cargni, Gentili left the eatery. Gentili is still wrapping his head around Cargni’s death. “It’s still very complicated and difficult to digest,” Gentili said. “It was absolutely unbelievable.”

In the months since Cargni’s unexpected passing, Mitchell said the outpouring of support he and his family have received has been tremendous. Cargni was a modest man, so Mitchell was pleasantly surprised by how many lives were touched by his brother. Now, Mitchell knows his little brother was simply being who he always was: a kindhearted soul with an endless love for storytelling.

A celebration of Robert Cargni’s life will take place Oct. 8, 5 to 9 p.m., at the Lightbox Film Center, 401 S. Broad St., Phila. Free and open to public. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-celebration-of-the-life-of-robert-cargni-mitchell-tickets-715672053377

(Disclosure: Some current Inquirer staff members are part of cinéSPEAK’s editorial collective.)