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AS OF 2012, ONLY 57 PERCENT OF PEOPLE 65 AND OLDER IN AMERICA were married. So how is the other 43 percent finding love if they haven’t already? Perhaps though speed-dating, if they’re lucky enough to have an event in their city.

This is a concept filmmaker Steven Loring, 52, is hoping to promote with his new documentary “The Age of Love.” Loring had heard about special speed-dating events for people between the ages of 70 and 90 in Colorado and Florida before inquiring around his hometown of Rochester, NY, to see if a senior center there could get one going. As soon as one was planned, Loring began documenting the stories of the 30 singles who signed up.

The narratives that unfold in his film are full of vulnerability and frankness from a demographic whose experiences usually go untold. These daters are dynamic, hopeful and just as nervous as anyone at any age brave enough to put themselves out there — yes, romantic rejection stings just as much at 75 as it did at 25.    Continue Reading

We could not have been prouder to witness the very first (of, hopefully, dozens) of The Age of Love-inspired senior speed dating events in America. After a Valentine’s Day screening of the film at the historic Hollywood Theatre in Portland, OR, sixteen men and women took a chance, meeting for drinks and 5-minute ‘dates’ in a romantically-decorated setting, in search of new friends and more!

We thank the Hollywood Senior Center (and Amber Kern Johnson!) for her vision and courage and her love for the people she serves. Join us in the ‘senior speed dating’ movement by visiting our Host A Dating Event page—and make a difference in the hearts and desires of older adults in your community!

THE AGE OF LOVE‘S OSTENSIBLE CENTERPIECE IS A SPEED-DATING EVENT for participants between the ages of 70 and 90.

Director Steven Loring takes advantage of the occasion as an opportunity to connect with its single-senior participants—widows, divorcées, people who simply never married—but his documentary ends up being less about speed dating and more of a candid exploration of people who are often assumed to no longer want romantic lives.

Film subjects typically appeal to their peers, but I submit that young people should watch (and make) more films that deal with the later stages of life. It’s a function of youth obsession that The Age of Love seems so offbeat,     Continue Reading

IT SEEMS PERFECTLY LOGICAL that baby boomers – forever on a conquest to remain young, relevant and fun – will date and look for love.

Yet what about the older generation? Those people in their 70s, 80s and 90s? Are they looking for romantic love?

Yes, said filmmaker Steven Loring, who is releasing his documentary “The Age of Love” this month to coincide with Valentine’s Day.   Continue Reading

ONE YEAR AGO AN UNKNOWN FILM called Alive Inside took the Sundance Film Festival by storm and showed audiences that the spark of life can be ignited in the most unlikeliest places through the universal power of music.

What I love most about Alive Inside is how it changed the way thousands (maybe millions) of people think about dementia, and by extension, their own identity and their own aging.

Since its success, I have been keeping an eager eye out for the next film to have similar potential to transform the way people think about aging. Last week I found one – The Age of Love.        Continue Reading

By Steve Moran, SeniorHousingForum.net, 1.15.2015

SHORTLY BEFORE CHRISTMAS, I STUMBLED ACROSS THIS FANTASTIC VIDEO TRAILER for an independent film titled “The Age of Love,” about seniors aged 70 to 90 trying out the world of speed dating. The first speed dating event was held in Beverly Hills in 1998. It was initially conceived to help Jewish singles meet and marry. Over time, it has evolved into a place for busy adults to meet potential partners in a short period of time.

So why not seniors?

I reached out to Steven Loring, the producer of the film, to learn more. He was gracious enough to give me access to the entire film which I watched over the Christmas holiday.     Continue Reading

BRIGHTON NATIVE AND DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER Steven Loring based his latest film, The Age of Love, in Rochester.

The film delves deeply into the emotional lives of 70- to 90-year-olds at a speed dating event, as their still-hopeful hearts look for love.

Loring said he found inspiration for the project within his life and family experiences in the Rochester area.

On the eve of the film’s local premiere, he sat down with Beth Adams on ‘Morning Edition’ to discuss how the project began and what he learned about how our hearts and desires change over a lifetime.

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER AND CINEMATOGRAPHER STEVEN LORING brings to the screen a documentary for anyone who has ever longed for that loving feeling – even if you’re 90 – with his latest creation THE AGE OF LOVE.

As we meet 30 seniors who live in and around Rochester New York, they are all on the same journey – looking for love and companionship. When a local radio station decides to host a speed dating night for adults 70-90, it opens up a new opportunity that these mature men and women have never experienced before – but are definitely willing to try out.     Continue Reading

MANY OF JANICE LEDTKE’S FRIENDS THOUGHT SHE HAD LOST HER MIND when the 78-year-old New Yorker decided to try out speed dating.

“My friends said, ‘What, are you crazy? Why would you do that?’” the Rochester woman recalled. But at her age, Ledtke said she finds it harder and harder to meet new people.

“I’m kind of a bit adventurous and I thought that was a new adventure,” she said of trying out speed dating.

Ledtke wasn’t the only senior in town looking for love and companionship. At least 29 other people signed up for the speed dating event.

All the subjects were followed in a new documentary called “The Age of Love.” Directed by Steven Loring, the film follows all 30 seniors as they try out speed dating at a special event designed solely for those between the age of 70 and 90.     Continue Reading