AFS Cinema Announces Its May/June 2025 Program Calendar

April 10, 2025, AUSTIN, TX— The Austin Film Society announces its May and June 2025 calendar featuring signature programs, special screenings and events and a new, diverse lineup of films from around the globe that filmgoers can only see at the AFS Cinema. The full calendar and more information can be found at www.austinfilm.org.

The AFS Cinema will present two new series of Essential Cinema. The first in May will be This Nation’s Saving Grace: Discoveries from the Golden Age of British Cinema, focusing on UK films from the ’50s and ’60s, including Basil Dearden’s London-set Othello adaptation All Night Long. Essential Cinema continues in June with a series of summer-inspired films called Club Med featuring the Mediterranean as a backdrop, including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in Boom!, presented in rare IB Technicolor 35mm. As a part of its effort to exhibit and celebrate 35mm film prints, AFS will show the following films in this format: the high-stakes trucking drama Hell Drivers; Alice Wu’s 2004 queer romantic comedy Saving Face; and Victim, part of AFS’s Queer Cinema: Lost and Found series programmed by Liz Purchell. AFS Cinema will host a special screening of The Spook Who Sat by the Door by Ivan Dixon, recently restored by the Library of Congress and the Film Foundation, which will include special guests in a post-film discussion. AFS will also show many films with local ties, among them two documentaries: An Army of Women (May 8–11), in which a group of female victims of rape takes groundbreaking legal action against the Austin Police Department and the Travis County DA’s office. A panel discussion will follow the May 10 screening. Also with local ties will be screenings of Jazzy (June 9 and 12), a hybrid of fiction and non-fiction by AFS Grant-supported filmmaker Morrisa Maltz. The Austin Film Society’s programs will honor Pride Month (with films like the documentary Forbidden Love) as well as the Juneteenth holiday (with Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep and Will, a groundbreaking independent narrative feature by a trailblazing African-American woman director, Jessie Maple). As a part of AFS’s Classic Mexican Cinema series, author Charles Ramírez Berg will join AFS audiences on May 25 for a post-film discussion following Luis Buñuel’s Él. AFS’s Paper Cuts series with Alienated Majesty Books will include two films, each paired with a complementary literary selection, post-film discussion and pop-up shop in the AFS Cinema lobby: Orlando, My Political Biography on May 25 and Abel Ferrara’s Ms .45 on June 15, both paired with written works by those involved with the films. As previously announced, the annual AFS Doc Days film festival on May 1–4 will include Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ Middletown as the opening-night selection, Folktales by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (12th & Delaware) as the 2025 centerpiece screening, and Sandi Simcha Dubowski’s Sabbath Queen for the closing-night selection. On May 21–31, Science on Screen® will present Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which will be followed by a panel on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena at the May 21 screening. Science on Screen® is an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre with major support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Calendar highlights in detail:

From May 6–31, AFS Essential Cinema will highlight UK films from the ’50s and ’60s that have been underseen in the US in a series called This Nation’s Saving Grace: Discoveries from the Golden Age of British Cinema. The lineup consists of “programmers,” or movies that were not top billing in the UK and were made specifically for British audiences rather than to be exported to other countries. The series includes a 35mm screening of Stanely Baker in Hell Drivers (May 6 and 10), the teenage rock and roll movie Beat Girl (May 13 and 15), The Small World of Sammy Lee (May 20 and 24) with Anthony Newley as an MC in a Soho strip club and All Night Long (May 27 and 31), an Othello adaption set in the London jazz scene starring Patrick McGoohan alongside appearances by Charles Mingus, Dave Brubeck and other musicians of the era.

Essential Cinema: Club Med will turn its focus toward films inspired by summers on the Mediterranean from June 3–30. Kicking off the series on June 3 and 7 is Jacques Demy’s Bay of Angels starring Jeanne Moreau and featuring a score by Michel Legrand, a frequent collaborator of the director. Boom!, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Noël Coward, will be presented from June 10–15 in IB-Technicolor 35mm, a rare format using specific film dyes that will lend themselves to the film’s vibrant costumes and sets. Following this will be Lina Wertmüller’s Swept Away on June 17 and 22, a film controversial in its time for its exploration of class and misogyny. And as the finale to the series on June 24 and 30, AFS will show Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt, with a cast that includes Brigitte Bardot, Jack Palance and Fritz Lang.

Throughout May and June, the AFS Cinema will host a variety of screenings with special guests and partner organizations in attendance. The local arts organization Dot Dot Dot Connect will partner with the Austin Film Society to show the award-winning documentary In the Rearview on May 22, a film that depicts Ukrainians fleeing during Russia’s invasion in 2022, captured on mounted cameras in the cars of volunteers helping them leave the country. Ivan Dixon’s The Spook Who Sat by the Door — a film pulled from theaters at the time of its release for its then-controversial message about race — has been restored by the Library of Congress and the Film Foundation, and the film will screen at the AFS Cinema on May 23. This special screening will include Doris Nomathandé Dixon, daughter of Ivan Dixon, and Mike Mashon, former Head of the Moving Image Section at the Library of Congress, for a post-film discussion. AFS’s Classical Mexican Cinema series returns on May 24–28 with Luis Buñel’s Él, a film long unavailable for exhibition due to rights issues. The May 25 screening will include a discussion with Charles Ramírez Berg, author of The Classical Mexican Cinema: The Poetics of the Exceptional Golden Age Films. On May 29, the Austin Film Society will host a program of highlights from San Antonio’s Raza Cósmica international film festival, which celebrates science fiction throughout the Latinx world. The event at AFS Cinema includes six selections from this year’s festival as well as a Q&A with University of Texas filmmakers Miguel Alvarez and Edwin Raul Oliva. Este proyecto es apoyado en parte por el Departamento de Desarrollo Económico de la Ciudad de Austin.

The month of June contains screenings at the AFS Cinema for those celebrating Pride Month and Juneteenth in Austin. On June 2 and 4, the Austin Film Society will show Saving Face in 35mm, an Asian-American queer romantic comedy by Alice Wu (dir. The Half of It). On June 19, AFS will screen the documentary Forbidden Love, which dives into the history of lesbian pulp novels and will feature a video introduction by Queer Cinema: Lost & Found programmer Liz Purchell (founder of Muscle Distribution, dir. Ask Any Buddy). Leading up to the Juneteenth holiday on June 12–16 will be screenings of Killer of Sheep, the poetic first film of Charles Burnett (dir. To Sleep with Anger), considered a milestone for Black cinema. On Juneteenth (with an encore screening on June 22) will be Jessie Maple’s Will, selected for the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2024 for “its cultural, historic, or aesthetic importance.” About a girls’ basketball coach raising an adopted son in Harlem, Will is often cited as the first independent film directed by an African-American woman in the post-Civil Rights era. Both Killer of Sheep and Will will be shown in their newly restored editions.

The full May/June lineup continues below, and a complete list of all film screenings announced to date and special events are on the AFS website at austinfilm.org. Ticket prices range from $11 to $13.50, with discounts for AFS members. Special pricing is noted if applicable.

AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY MAY/JUNE CALENDAR

Download image stills.

ESSENTIAL CINEMA: THIS NATION’S SAVING GRACE: DISCOVERIES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF BRITISH CINEMA

The British Golden Age of Cinema brought many treasures to the world of film: the Powell/Pressburger and David Lean classics that remain popular all around the world; the Ealing comedies that filled arthouse theaters with laughs in the ‘50s and ‘60s; and more. But there were also films made by many of the same people that were geared primarily for UK consumption. These were not “B” movies exactly, but rather “programmers.” Depending on what other titles happened to be in the hopper, these could take their bow on screens as the appetizer in support of a Hollywood movie or as the main course. The films in this series are frequently tough and dryly humorous, and there’s a well-earned world-weariness here that domestic Brits identified with and we hope you’ll like as well.

HELL DRIVERS

Cy Endfield, UK, 1957, 35mm, 108 min.
5/6, 5/10
As rough and tough as it gets. The great Welsh actor Stanley Baker plays an unemployable ex-con who gets a job at a distinctly unfriendly trucking company transporting rocks in overloaded trucks on impossible schedules alongside other desperadoes. Inevitably, he clashes with the alpha-dog driver, played by Patrick McGoohan, a psychotically competitive and vengeful lunatic. Lots of terrifying road action and a great cast including Herbert Lom and a pre-stardom Sean Connery. In 35mm.

BEAT GIRL

Edmond T. Gréville, UK, 1960, DCP, 89 min.
5/13, 5/15
When BEAT GIRL was released to US drive-ins, it was renamed WILD FOR KICKS. Both titles help to give you the flavor of this one. A rebellious teenage girl (future pop star Gillian Hills) acts out wildly when her father comes home with a new bride. There’s a whole checklist of rock & roll era British rebellion here: teddy boys, strip clubs, games of chicken, and beatniks. With David Farrar, Christopher Lee, and a young Oliver Reed.

THE SMALL WORLD OF SAMMY LEE

Ken Hughes, UK, 1963, DCP, 107 min.
5/20, 5/24
A street-level view of a strip club in Soho and its MC, played by Anthony Newley. He is the kind of man who has so many hustles in his life that he can barely keep them straight. Throughout the course of this film, all his debts — personal and private — are called in, and he finally makes his amends onstage into a microphone. Sort of a Soho KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE with the advantage of Newley’s strange charm and comic timing. A real curio.

ALL NIGHT LONG

Basil Dearden, UK, 1962, DCP, 91 min.
5/27, 5/31
This modernization of Othello set in the London jazz scene has rightly developed a cult following. Patrick McGoohan is back, this time as the Iago of the piece, Johnny, a drummer ambitious to form his own combo. The problem is the vocalist he must have to secure gigs is married to the current bandleader, Aurelius Rex (Paul Harris). So Johnny begins to spread rumors and plant evidence that will drive the couple apart. It all unfolds over the course of one wild, jazz-filled night. Featuring Charles Mingus, Dave Brubeck, and many other jazz musicians playing themselves. Riveting and unforgettable.

ESSENTIAL CINEMA: CLUB MED

The Mediterranean has for millennia been a muse of poets, painters, and musicians, and with the advent of Cinema, the sea has moved into the frame as a playing field for love, sex, murder, class friction, and more strong stuff, all suffused with the mythological power of those blue tides. Here are a few of the films that have used the backdrop of the Mediterranean to shade human affairs with her atavistic and mysterious overtones.

BAY OF ANGELS

Jacques Demy, France, 1963, DCP, 90 min. In French with English subtitles.
6/3, 6/7
Jeanne Moreau plays a lost woman with a vice threatening to undo her in Jacques Demy’s stunning, tragic love story set in the seaside casinos of Nice. Here, the game is everything and the central metaphor of gambling applies to love, lust, and youth. Features one of Michel Legrand’s greatest scores.

BOOM!

Joseph Losey, UK, 1968, 35mm, 113 min.
6/10–6/15
A massive favorite of John Waters who said, “I show this movie on first dates. If they don’t like it, I can never go out with them again.” That should give you an idea of what to expect from this Tennessee Williams adaptation starring the absurdly bejeweled and exquisitely-gowned Elizabeth Taylor as a woman who is sure that mortality is around the corner and Richard Burton as someone who may very possibly be the Angel of Death in human form. It all unfolds in Liz’s heavily locked-down compound overlooking the sea. Crazed. In IB-Technicolor 35mm.

SWEPT AWAY

Lina Wertmüller, Italy, DCP, 1974, 114 min. In Italian and French with English subtitles.
6/17, 6/22
The simplest plot imaginable — “callous rich woman is shipwrecked on an island with a man who is a firebrand communist” — takes on multiple layers of sexual and political meaning in Lina Wertmüller’s controversial and sensational social fable, now newly restored. With Wertmüller’s muse Giancarlo Giannini (naturally) and the wonderful Mariangela Melato.

CONTEMPT

Jean-Luc Godard, France, DCP, 1963, 102 min. In French with English subtitles.
6/24, 6/30
Perhaps Jean-Luc Godard’s most accessible film, but don’t hold that against it. It’s still an eerily gorgeous, sneakily angry work of cinema about cinema. Fritz Lang stars as himself, undertaking an adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey in Capri as the various crew members and the terrifying American producer (Jack Palance) swirl around. With Brigitte Bardot, Michel Piccoli, and the music of Georges Delerue.

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS

VALLEY GIRL

Martha Coolidge, USA, 1983, DCP, 95 min.
5/26–6/1
An immensely entertaining story of a romance that spans two worlds. In this case, it’s a teenage girl from the San Fernando Valley (Deborah Foreman) and a punk from Hollywood (Nicolas Cage). Though very young when he appeared in this film, Cage had achieved his final form already, and he brings a propulsive energy to every frame he appears in. The rest of the cast is great too: E.G. Daily, Frederic Forrest, Colleen Camp, and many others. Director Martha Coolidge brings just the right touch to make the comedy and the romance work.

BREAKING GLASS

Brian Gibson, UK, 1980, 104 min.
5/31, 6/1
“The experience is shattering,” reads the tagline for BREAKING GLASS, and it truly delivers. Witness the tumultuous rise of singer-songwriter Kate as she moves from London pubs to mainstream stardom. Along the way, she grapples with betrayal, her hustler manager, and a shady producer, uncovering the harsh realities of fame. Featuring QUADROPHENIA star Phil Daniels and Hazel O’Connor, who also wrote and performed the film’s unforgettable soundtrack.

SAVING FACE

Alice Wu, USA, 2004, 35mm, 91 min. In English, Mandarin, and Shanghainese with English subtitles.
6/2, 6/4
When her mother (Joan Chen) arrives at her doorstep pregnant and refusing to reveal the father’s identity, Wil takes her in. But when her mother’s presence begins to strain her budding relationship, Wil takes it upon herself to play matchmaker. A “fresh and charming” (Austin Chronicle) queer romantic comedy, SAVING FACE is an honorable break with tradition. In 35mm.

STREETS OF FIRE

Walter Hill, USA, 1984, DCP, 93 min.
6/4–6/8
The definitive ‘80s Neon-Noir urban fairy tale musical is stylized to an almost absurd degree — inspired by teenage culture, Greek myth, classic crime films, and futuristic sci-fi. Thankfully, Walter Hill never loses the strand of the story, which pits Willem Dafoe’s evil but super cool biker gang leader vs. the Good Guy (Michael Paré). With a dream cast including Diane Lane, Amy Madigan, Bill Paxton, and Rick Moranis.

REAR WINDOW

Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1954, DCP, 110 min.
6/11–6/15
Alfred Hitchcock distilled the quintessence of cinematic voyeurism in this classic murder mystery about a newspaper photographer (Jimmy Stewart) temporarily laid up with a broken leg and looked after by his fiancée (Grace Kelly), who witnesses a murder in an apartment across the way.

WORLD CINEMA CLASSICS

THE MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING

Joseph Kuo, Taiwan, DCP, 1979, 90 min. Dubbed into English.
5/10, 5/11
One of the most satisfying Old School Kung Fu titles ever made, this gained notoriety through the enthusiastic proselytization of the Wu-Tang Clan, one of whom adopted the name of the film’s villain, Ghost Face Killer. Joseph Kuo, who wrote and directed, is a cult figure among enthusiasts of the subgenre of Taiwanese “Bashers” — that is, films that are heavy on action and feature many fights. This certainly fits the bill there with lots of outstanding action staged by an A-team of stunt coordinators.

FRIGHT CLUB

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

George Romero, USA, DCP, 1968, 96 min.
6/18, 6/23
There’s before NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and after NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. George Romero’s epochal horror film uses its low budget to its advantage. Everything has a newsreel immediacy thanks to Romero’s use of handheld cameras and real locations. The colorblind casting process he used was revolutionary as well. Here, the hero is the tall, dark, and handsome Duane Jones, the best actor Romero could afford on his low budget — and he’s very, very good. The story is: a group of people are besieged by an invasion of dead people returning to life. They barricade themselves in a farmhouse and fight back as the strains from within and without become intolerable. With one of the all-time surprise endings.

CLASSICAL MEXICAN CINEMA

ÉL

Luis Buñuel, Mexico, 1953, DCP, 93 min. In Spanish with English subtitles.
5/24–5/28
Long unavailable due to obscure reasons of film rights, this is perhaps the most underseen of Luis Buñuel’s great films made during his sojourn in Mexico. Here, Buñuel is unsparing in his incisive and downright dark portrayal of a man, outwardly normal, who, behind closed doors, terrorizes his inamorata. But because of the place of women in society, she has no place to turn for help. Bleak, powerful, and relevant.
Este proyecto es apoyado en parte por el Departamento de Desarrollo Económico de la Ciudad de Austin.

DOC NIGHTS

AN ARMY OF WOMEN

Julie Lunde Lillesæter, USA/Norway/Germany, 2024, DCP, 84 min.
5/8–5/11
In a groundbreaking legal action, a group of women who had been victims of rape challenged the Austin Police Department and District Attorney’s office in a class action lawsuit contending that their rapists were allowed to go free because of a cultural bias against women. Their legal action takes extraordinary courage, and this film is a documentation of these cases, the circumstances of the investigations, and the progress of the lawsuit through the eyes of the plaintiffs and their hard-working and dedicated lawyers. Filmmaker Q&As at select screenings. See austinfilm.org for more details.

NEWLY RESTORED

LEILA AND THE WOLVES

Heiny Srour, Lebanon/UK, 1984, DCP, 90 min. In Arabic with English subtitles.
5/12, 5/14
Through shared memories of Arab women in Palestine and Lebanon, Leila uncovers their overlooked contributions in this profound exploration of identity and resistance. Writer-director Heiny Srour crafts “a film of monumental resolve and ambition, determined to address the contradictions within the anti-colonial struggle” (Celluloid Liberation Front). Free Member Monday — free admission for all AFS members on Monday, May 12.

A WOMAN IS A WOMAN

Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1961, DCP, 84 min. In French with English subtitles.
5/24, 5/25
Angela (Anna Karina) wants a baby; her boyfriend Émile (Jean-Claude Brialy) does not. So, what’s a girl to do? Turn to Émile’s best friend, Alfred (Jean-Paul Belmondo), of course. A witty and anarchic send-up to — and deconstruction of — the American musical, complete with a Michel Legrand score, playful cinematic in-jokes, and loads of vibrant color captured by the legendary Raoul Coutard. In short: pure Godard.

SHALL WE DANCE?

Masayuki Suo, Japan, 1996, DCP, 136 min. In Japanese with English subtitles.
6/6–6/8
Shohei Sugiyama (PERFECT DAYS star Kōji Yakusho) seems to have it all: a devoted wife, a loving daughter, and a picture-perfect life. But a fleeting glimpse of a beautiful woman inspires the overworked accountant to risk everything for his newfound passion — dance. A toe-tapping comedy that “will sweep you off your feet” (Austin Chronicle) from director Masayuki Suo. Presented in a stunning 4K restoration, the original 136-minute film is available uncut for the first time in North America.

KILLER OF SHEEP

Charles Burnett, USA, 1978, DCP, 80 min.
6/12–6/16
A milestone for Black cinema, KILLER OF SHEEP offers a poetic glimpse into the life of Stan, a slaughterhouse worker in 1970s Los Angeles struggling to make ends meet in Watts. Written, produced, edited, and shot by Charles Burnett, who reshaped Black images on screen and created this timeless masterpiece in the process.

WILL

Jessie Maple, USA, 1981, DCP, 83 min.
6/19, 6/22
A former basketball star (Obaka Adedunyo) fights to rebuild his life, stay off drugs, and find redemption by mentoring a streetwise orphan named Little Brother (Robert Dean). WILL, the first independent film directed by an African-American woman, is a powerful tale of resilience, reminding us that hope might be just around the street corner. Selected for the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2024 for its cultural, historic, or aesthetic importance.

BEST OF THE FESTS

THIS WOMAN

Alan Zhang, China, 2023, DCP, 90 min. In Mandarin with English subtitles.
5/7, 5/11
In this bold debut feature, Alan Zhang masterfully blurs the line between reality and fiction, crafting a charismatic and unpredictable protagonist. THIS WOMAN explores one woman’s journey to redefine herself while navigating the confines of traditional roles as both a “mother” and “wife” in contemporary China. A film for the moment.

DESERT OF NAMIBIA

Yôko Yamanaka, Japan, 2025, DCP, 127 min. In Japanese with English subtitles.
6/5, 6/8
In her second feature, Yôko Yamanaka delivers “a slap to the face of Japanese society” (L’Humanité). DESERT OF NAMIBIA follows Kana, a pathologically directionless 21-year-old navigating the emotional wasteland of modern Tokyo, flitting between unfulfilled dreams and unsteady relationships on a rocky path of self-discovery. Teeming with striking visuals and bold storytelling, this Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2024 selection possesses the same reckless abandon as its lead.

JAZZY

Morrisa Maltz, USA, 2024, DCP, 86 min.
6/9, 6/12
Capturing the coming-of-age journey of Jasmine Bearkiller, an Oglala Lakota girl, JAZZY chronicles six formative years of her life, highlighting the evolving dynamics within her circle of friends as they transition from the innocence of childhood to the complexities of adolescence. An authentic portrayal of growing up from director Morrisa Maltz (of the AFS-supported feature THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY) in collaboration with producer Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux and executive producer Lily Gladstone, JAZZY is a tender exploration of how childhood friendships leave their indelible mark on our hearts. Free Member Monday — free admission for all AFS members on Monday, June 9.

LATES

LOVE & POP

Hideaki Anno, Japan, 1998, DCP, 110 min. In Japanese with English subtitles.
5/2–5/5
Mini DV cams, mini-skirts, and ‘90s Tokyo. Hiromi, a schoolgirl chasing cash for a topaz ring, dives into a whirlwind of dates with older men. Based on Ryū Murakami’s novel, LOVE & POP is a raw, unfiltered look at disillusioned youth navigating a rapidly shifting world from Hideaki Anno (NEON GENESIS EVANGELION).

NO MERCY, NO FUTURE

Helma Sanders-Brahms, Germany, 1981, DCP, 110 min. In German with English subtitles.
5/9, 5/10
Veronika roams the streets of Berlin in search of Jesus, convinced she sees him in every man she meets. Will salvation come through her next encounter? Drawing inspiration from a letter she received from a stranger named Rita G., Helma Sanders-Brahms crafts an “unsparing image of a young girl suffering from social rejection” (Deutsche Kinematek).

GOING DOWN

Haydn Keenan, Australia, 1983, DCP, 92 min.
5/23, 5/24
“It’s a dog-eat-dog world, and there’s never enough dog to go around …” Karli (Tracy Mann) and her roommates scrape by in suburban Sydney, living one chaotic day at a time. When Karli’s dad offers her a ticket to New York, things unravel after the money vanishes — launching a wild, unforgettable night out. Featuring Ozploitation icons, Aussie faves, and a gritty 1980s vibe, GOING DOWN is “a rage on film,” now presented in a new 4K restoration.

THE TRAGEDY OF MAN

Marcell Jankovics, Hungary, 2011, DCP, 160 min. In Hungarian with English subtitles.
5/30, 5/31
Twenty-three years in the making, THE TRAGEDY OF MAN is an awe-inspiring animated epic — a journey through human history, blending surreal visuals, art, and myth. Lucifer manipulates Adam and Eve, Egyptian slaves’ bodies form the literal foundations of the pyramids, and zealous arguments in the Middle Ages morph into Orthodox churches. Legendary Hungarian animator Marcell Jankovics (SON OF THE WHITE MARE) creates a kaleidoscopic world of wonder that lingers in the imagination.

IN MY SKIN

Marina de Van, France, 2002, DCP, 93 min. In French with English subtitles.
6/6, 6/7
“A body horror tour-de-force” (Village Voice) from writer, director, and star Marina de Van (of François Ozon’s SITCOM). After a disfiguring injury, a young woman experiences pain as pleasure, developing a disturbing taste for her own flesh. Co-starring Laurent Lucas (CALVAIRE) and Léa Drucker (LAST SUMMER), this “spectacularly grotesque” (Los Angeles Times) debut is an unforgettable entry to the New French Extremity canon. Restoration by Severin Films.

RAMPO NOIR

Akio Jissoji, Atsushi Kaneko, Hisayasu Satō, and Suguru Takeuchi, Japan, 2005, DCP, 134 min. In Japanese with English subtitles.
6/13, 6/14
Akio Jissoji (MANDARA), Atsushi Kaneko (manga artist of Search and Destroy), Hisayasu Satō (MUSCLE), Suguru Takeuchi (THE MARS CANON) — four visionary artists take on the works of Japan’s master of the macabre, Edogawa Rampo, in this eye-popping spectacle. Featuring Tadanobu Asano (ICHI THE KILLER), Ryuhei Matsuda (BLUE SPRING), Mikako Ichikawa (BLUE), and more.

BUTTERFLY KISS

Michael Winterbottom, UK, 1995, DCP, 88 min.
6/20, 6/21
Love madly: a chance encounter between a dowdy convenience store clerk and a drifter sparks a cross-country killing spree in Michael Winterbottom’s “twisted British answer to THELMA & LOUISE” (The New York Times). Featuring a brilliantly unhinged performance by Amanda Plummer and a soundtrack with music by PJ Harvey and Björk, this is unforgettable. Restoration by Severin Films.

GWEN AND THE BOOK OF SAND

Jean-François Laguionie, France, 1985, DCP, 67 min. In French with English subtitles.
6/27, 6/28
In a desert world where telephones rain from the sky and sales catalog discounts are sung as sacred hymns, a young boy goes missing. Can he be found before unseen dangers close in? GWEN, a long-lost gem of animation, is a post-apocalyptic odyssey akin to ANGEL’S EGG — mysterious, thrilling, and utterly captivating. Experience its restored brilliance.

PAPER CUTS

ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY

Paul B. Preciado, France, 2023, DCP, 102 min. In French with English subtitles.
5/25
“Come, come! I’m tired of this version of myself. I want a new one.” Writer, philosopher, and curator Paul B. Preciado reimagines Virginia Woolf’s gender-fluid hero. Blending personal reflections and social commentary, ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY features over twenty trans and non-binary voices, challenging anti-trans ideologies. This Paper Cuts selection is paired with works by Paul B. Preciado. Featuring a post-film discussion and a pop-up shop on Sunday, May 25. The works of Paul B. Preciado are available for purchase at Alienated Majesty Books, in-person or online here.

MS .45

Abel Ferrara, USA, 1981, DCP, 80 min.
6/15, 6/18
“She was abused and violated. It will never happen again!” A mute seamstress turns vigilante, prowling New York’s streets as a gun-toting angel of death after enduring two brutal assaults. Abel Ferrara’s nihilistic, feminist rape-revenge thriller stars a then 17-year-old Zoë Lund, who later co-wrote BAD LIEUTENANT. This screening is paired with Poems by Zoë Lund, four previously unpublished works by the multi-hyphenate. Featuring a post-film discussion and a pop-up shop on Sunday, June 15. Poems by Zoë Lund is available for purchase at Alienated Majesty Books, in-person or online.

QUEER CINEMA: LOST & FOUND

VICTIM

Basil Dearden, UK, 1961, 35mm, 100 min.
5/7
A married but closeted barrister finds himself the target of a blackmail scheme in Basil Dearden’s groundbreaking queer thriller. Anchored by an electrifying and deeply personal performance by Dirk Bogarde (himself closeted), VICTIM is a fearless film that was so shocking for its time that it was initially banned in the US for “overtly expressing pleas for social acceptance of the homosexual, to the extent that he be made socially tolerable.” In 35mm. Screening with a video introduction by Queer Cinema: Lost & Found programmer Elizabeth Purchell.

FORBIDDEN LOVE

Lynne Fernie and Aerlyn Weissman, Canada, 1992, DCP, 84 min.
6/19
In the 1950s, lesbian pulp novels dared to illuminate forbidden worlds, igniting a bold underground culture filled with secret codes and rituals. FORBIDDEN LOVE brings this bold era to life with personal stories, scripted drama, and timeless hits, celebrating defiance and triumph over repression with wit and warmth. Screening with a video introduction by Queer Cinema: Lost & Found programmer Elizabeth Purchell.

SCIENCE ON SCREEN®

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

Steven Spielberg, USA, 1977, DCP, 135 min.
5/21 – 5/31
A marriage of the mundane and extraordinary, Steven Spielberg’s cosmic spectacle is an odyssey into the unknown, guided by the swelling score of John Williams and complete with UFOs and aliens, mysterious government workers, and yes — French New Wave directors. In addition to the film, for the May 21 show, we’ll also welcome a panel of experts to discuss the latest developments in UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) and also the prospects of making encounters close or otherwise with alien intelligences. Science on Screen® is an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre with major support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR

Ivan Dixon, USA, 1973, DCP, 102 min.
5/23
A revolution immortalized on celluloid, THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR is a provocative adaptation of Sam Greenlee’s novel, brought vividly to life by director Ivan Dixon. The story follows Dan Freeman (Lawrence Cook), the first Black CIA agent whose journey begins with a cynical move: a senator, desperate for the Black vote, pressures the CIA to integrate. Freeman alone passes the rigorous training, mastering guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and unarmed combat, only to be relegated to a token role: a desk job by the front door, ensuring his visibility to the public. But what the agency doesn’t anticipate is Freeman’s defiance. Armed with the skills they underestimated, he devises a plan of his own — one that doesn’t involve wasting away in obscurity. The film’s incendiary message was so powerful that it was pulled from theaters a mere week after its release amid fears it might spur audiences to action. Join Doris Nomathandé Dixon, daughter of Ivan Dixon, and Mike Mashon, former Head of the Moving Image Section at the Library of Congress, for a post-film discussion. Restored by the Library of Congress and the Film Foundation. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.

RAZA CÓSMICA

Various, USA, DCP, 87 min.
5/29
Raza Cósmica, a constellation of Latinx sci-fi cinema, is an international festival held in San Antonio, Texas, celebrating sci-fi and speculative films created by Latinx and BIPOC filmmakers. From extraterrestrial encounters to dystopian futures and the dreamscapes of the Rio Grande Valley, this special program showcases highlights from the festival’s fourth edition. We will be joined by two special guests, University of Texas filmmakers Miguel Alvarez and Edwin Raul Oliva. Este proyecto es apoyado en parte por el Departamento de Desarrollo Económico de la Ciudad de Austin.

The lineup includes:

HOUSE (Hannah Martinez, 2022, USA, 10 min.)
EN MEMORIA (Roberto Fatal, 2024, USA, 11 min.)
A HAUNTING ACROSS THE GALAXY (Edwin Raul Oliva, 2022, USA, 14 min.)
BORDER HOPPER (Nico Casavecchia, 2023, USA, 14 min.)
MNEMOSYNE RISING (Miguel Alvarez, 2010, USA, 20 min.)
SOMOS BORDERLANDS (Dylan Hensley, 2022, USA, 18 min.)

IN THE REARVIEW

Maciek Hamela, Poland/France/Ukraine, 2023, DCP, 84 min. In various languages with English subtitles.
5/22
When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, many thousands of people became refugees in their own country, fleeing to safer areas. This documentary depicts some of those travelers on their journeys in an innovative way. Cameras were mounted inside the cars of volunteers who helped drive the refugees to safety, and this film shows the unfortunate Ukrainians as they tell their own stories as the cars bump along over confusing and unsafe routes. A remarkable document. Co-presented by Austin arts organization Dot Dot Dot Connect.

SPECIAL EVENTS

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA WITH A LIVE SCORE BY INVINCIBLE CZARS

Rupert Julian, USA, 1925, DCP, 78 min. Silent with English intertitles and live music score.
5/9
The group Invincible Czars have become synonymous with the best and most creative live musical accompaniments to silent classics. Their latest work, which they will perform live on our stage, is the culmination of years of work. Finally, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is being given Czar Treatment. This is the original, starring the man of a thousand faces, Lon Chaney, as the “ghost” who haunts the catacombs underneath the Paris Opera House and falls in improbable love with the company’s ingénue.

AFS DOC DAYS

AFS Doc Days, our annual festival of non-fiction cinema, features outstanding new documentary work from around the world with directors and special guests in attendance. AFS Doc Days is an opportunity for Austin’s vibrant documentary community, including filmmakers and audiences, to come together, see new work, and meet with visiting artists. This project is supported in part by the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

MIDDLETOWN

Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, USA, 2025, DCP, 113 min.
5/1
Travel back to the ‘90s and meet the students of Middletown High, led by their eccentric teacher Fred Isseks. Armed with nothing but curiosity, teenage rebellion, and their school’s AV gear, they unraveled a jaw-dropping environmental scandal involving toxic waste threatening their entire community. Three decades on, the award-winning filmmaking duo Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss (BOYS STATE and GIRLS STATE) connect with the former teen activists to explore how their bold stand shaped their lives and why their revelations remain as relevant as ever. MIDDLETOWN is where “ERIN BROCKOVICH meets THE BREAKFAST CLUB” (Collider) — a powerful story about a time when growing up means stepping up. Directors Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine in attendance for this Opening Night presentation.