NEWSLETTER
Overview of Film Series and Highlighted Events, February–March 2020
See It Big! Outer Space; The Films of Kelly Reichardt; Costa-Gavras in person; recent films by Brazilian women filmmakers; First Look Festival
Astoria, N.Y. – Below is an overview of programs at Museum of the Moving Image for February and March 2020; additional programs will be announced as they are confirmed. The major exhibition Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey continues, with related screenings and programs, through July 2020.
SCREENING SERIES & NEW RELEASES
ONGOING
2001: A Space Odyssey
In conjunction with the exhibition Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey, the Museum presents weekly Saturday matinees of 2001: A Space Odyssey in the Redstone Theater; and monthly 70mm screenings with special guest speakers (next one: Douglas Trumbull and Piers Bizony on Feb. 16). Press release | Schedule & Tickets
SERIES
See It Big! Outer Space
FEBRUARY 7–APRIL 26, 2020
This edition of the Museum’s signature screening series See It Big!, co-programmed with the editors of Reverse Shot, focuses on cinematic depictions of outer space, from documentaries to sci-fi spectaculars to camp satires. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey. Films: Solaris (1972), Barbarella (1968), Aelita, Queen of Mars (1924), Flash Gordon (1980), Dark Star (1974), Alien (1979), Gravity (2013), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979, and featuring a special presentation by Douglas Trumbull, the film’s director of special photographic effects), Spaceballs (1987), Wall-E (2008), The Right Stuff (1983), For All Mankind (1989), Apollo 11 (2019), Interstellar (2014), Space Is the Place (1974). Press release | Schedule & Tickets
SERIES
Visions of Resistance: Recent Films by Brazilian Women Directors
FEBRUARY 8–9, 2020
Despite historical prejudice and ultra-conservative backlash, a new generation of Brazilian women have broken through the glass ceiling, producing bold, politically engaged, formally adventurous works of cinema.This series spotlights recent documentary and hybrid films, with a particular focus on the lives of black Brazilians. Themes include the homeless (sem teto) movement, Afro-descendant traditions, social protest, women and LGBTQ rights, and social unrest. Highlights include Fabiana Assis’s West Park (with the director in person), the collectively produced Tell This to Those Who Say We’ve Been Defeated, Grace Passô’s Wandering Flesh, Glenda Ninácio and Ary Rosa’s Coffee with Cinnamon, Everlane Morães’s Pattaki, and Amaranta César’s lyrical short, Mangrove. Organized by film critic Ela Bittencourt, who will introduce all screenings, and co-presented with Cinema Tropical. Press release | Schedule & Tickets
SERIES
Costa-Gavras in person with Z and New York premiere of Adults in the Room
FEBRUARY 8–9, 2020
Part of Always on Sunday: Greek Film Series, co-presented with the Hellenic Film Society USA. From internationally acclaimed director Costa-Gavras comes his new feature, Adults in the Room, which tackles the economic turmoil in Greece, and examines the newly leftist government combating crippling austerity measures imposed by the European Union. Costa-Gavras will appear in person with two actors from the film for a post-film conversation with film scholar Foster Hirsch. On Saturday, Costa-Gavras will also appear with his Academy Award–winning Z, a fictionalized account of the assassination of a prominent leftist professor. Info & Tickets
SERIES
Black History Month Celebration
February 9–16, 2020
This February, join Museum of the Moving Image and partners for programs celebrating Black History Month. On February 9, the Afrikan Poetry Theatre presents 4 Little Girls: The Dance Film, featuring live performance by tap musician Omar Edwards and dancers from the Edge School of the Arts, and hosted by Dianne Robertson Braddock, the sister of 14-year-old Carole Robertson, one of the four girls killed in the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. On February 15, Black Filmmaker Foundation presents a screening of Amazing Grace, the long-unseen film of a 1972 concert at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, featuring the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin at the height of her rousing, rapturous powers; followed by a conversation with one of the film’s producers, Rob Johnson, and BFF co-founder Warrrington Hudlin. On February 15, Afrikan Poetry Theatre’s Black History Month Film Festival will feature screenings and conversations around the theme “The Journey of the Black Creative,” with a keynote address by Markuann Smith, creator, co-writer, and co-executive producer of Godfather of Harlem; and panel discussions with filmmakers and film critics. Schedule & Tickets
MID-WINTER RECESS FAMILY PROGRAM
Kiki’s Delivery Service
FEBRUARY 17–23, 12:00 P.M. (English-dubbed version, except for Sunday, Feb 23 show in Japanese)
The 1989 Studio Ghibli film about a young witch striking out on her own screens daily and will be accompanied by drop-in Moving Image Studio sessions during the annual mid-winter recess for NYC public school students. Schedule & Tickets
SERIES
Northwest Passages: The Films of Kelly Reichardt
Kelly Reichardt in person with Meek’s Cutoff and First Cow
FEBRUARY 29–MARCH 1, 2020
The films of Kelly Reichardt come on like ballads for the lost and lonely souls of a failing nation, plaintive odes to the 99% percent. With a surpassingly sensitive gaze, they scan landscapes, both within and without, finding a terse poetry in the taciturn faces and situations of people who, for one reason or another, have been relegated to the margins of society. This retrospective of Reichert’s feature films includes Old Joy (2006), Meek's Cutoff (2010), Night Moves (2013), River of Grass (1994), Certain Women (2016), and a preview screening of her latest, First Cow (2019). First Cow, an A24 release, opens March 6 in theaters. Schedule & Tickets
FESTIVAL
Philip K. Dick Film Festival
MARCH 4–8, 2020
The eighth annual Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival returns to the MoMI with screenings of features and shorts films. The festival pays everlasting tribute to the master of the science fiction genre, Philip K. Dick. More info at thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com.
FESTIVAL
New York International Children’s Film Festival 2020
MARCH 7 & 8, 2020: select shows at MoMI
The New York International Children's Film Festival takes place at several venues throughout New York City from February 21 through March 15, and welcomes young people, parents, and movie-lovers to explore the world without leaving town. MoMI will present four shorts programs: Shorts for Tots (screening twice), Short Films I, and Short Films 2. Schedule & Tickets
FESTIVAL
First Look 2020
MARCH 11–15, 2020
First Look 2020 is the ninth annual edition of Museum of the Moving Image’s acclaimed festival of new, innovative international cinema—nearly all New York premieres. It will feature appearances by artists and filmmakers whose works seek to redefine the art form while engaging in a wide range of subjects and styles. The lineup includes both nonfiction and fiction, features and shorts, live performances and artist talks, and forms that fall outside the boundaries of traditional theatrical distribution. Titles and programs will be announced in early February. Press release | Event page
FESTIVAL
Queens World Film Festival
MARCH 18–29, 2020
The Queens World Film Festival (QWFF) is an annual festival that features screenings, industry panels, special events, and youth-oriented educational initiatives, organized by Don and Katha Cato and their team of collaborators. This year marks its 10th anniversary. More information at queensworldfilmfestival.com.
In addition, the Museum continues to present programs in its ongoing series Changing the Picture; Fist and Sword (Badges of Fury on Feb 7); Always on Sunday: Greek Film Series (See Costa-Gavras above); Disreputable Cinema (Akira on Feb 29); New Adventures in Nonfiction; Jim Henson's World (See The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance talk and LARP on Feb 7 below); Science on Screen (Contact on Feb 8, Woman in the Moon on Mar 7); and World of Animation (Persepolis on Feb 15 & 16).
HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS
A Talk with the Creative Minds behind The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 6:00–6:45 P.M.
Explore the magical and sometimes terrifying creatures of planet Thra with Cheryl Henson hosting a conversation on the creative process behind this critically acclaimed series with WGA-nominated writer and co-executive producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach, assistant puppet captain Warrick Brownlow-Pike (puppeteer of the evil Skeksis character The Chamberlain), and Alice Dinnean (puppeteer of the Gelfling Brea, and the Ornamentalist Skeksis). Info & RSVP
LARP: Creatures of The Dark Crystal's Age of Resistance
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 7:00 P.M.
Additional sessions will be added on March 6 and 27.
A live role play game to explore the fantastical and sometimes terrifying stories of the planet Thra led by game designer Sharang Biswas and theatrically trained visual artist Nick O'Leary. Visitors over 18 are welcome to participate in this live enactment. The LARP will take place directly following the live discussion. Info & Tickets (sold out)
Science on Screen: Contact
Introduced by astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger, Director of the Carl Sagan Institute
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 6:30 P.M.
Dir. Robert Zemeckis. 1997, 150 mins. 35mm. Jodie Foster stars as radio astronomer Dr. Ellie Arroway who scans outer space for signals from intelligent life. When a transmission arrives, it destabilizes Ellie’s personal, as well as ethical, religious, and political convictions. Carl Sagan based Ellie Arroway’s character on Jill Tarter, the long-time director of the SETI Institute which searches for extraterrestrial life. Before the screening, astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger, Director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, will speak about the latest discoveries in the search for new life. (Part of Science on Screen: Outer Space Speculators) Info & Tickets
West Park
Director Fabiana Assis in person with curator Ela Bittencourt
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 7:00 P.M.
Fabiana Assis’s powerful documentary, about a struggle between military police and advocates for the homeless, mixes first-person testimony with clandestine audio and raw video captured under duress, to reveal a community taken hostage by unfulfilled political promises—a theme that reverberates throughout contemporary Brazil. It follows a woman, Eronilde, who returns to the site where she lost her partner, reliving her personal trauma while striving to rebuild her confidence in the future. (Part of Visions of Resistance: Recent Films by Brazilian Women Directors) Info & Tickets
The Many Worlds of 2001: A multimedia lecture by Piers Bizony
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 3:00 P.M.
Piers Bizony worked with the family of Stanley Kubrick to bring to light the intellectual ideas and design concepts that helped to inform the director's intensely detailed vision of the future. In this illustrated talk Bizony explores 2001: A Space Odyssey’s continuing influence in so many realms, from filmmaking and special effects to industrial design, evolutionary theory, astrobiology, and artificial intelligence. Far from being a dated product of the 1960s, 2001 remains timelessly relevant because it poses deep questions that have yet to be answered. A screening of 2001 precedes this lecture at 12:00 p.m. Info & Tickets
Vulnerability Reigns: Selected Work by Sable Elyse Smith, Joiri Minaya, and Miatta Kawinzi
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2:00 P.M.
The word “black” has many definitions, yet it is indefinite all the same. One word that essentially encompasses being black is “vulnerability.” To be open about our complex experiences takes vulnerability and this program features a selection of experimental videos by artists Sable Elyse Smith, Joiri Minaya, and Miatta Kawinzi—three artists who poetically express their observations with keen honesty. Kawinzi and Minaya will appear in person to participate in a discussion with guest curator Tiffany Joy-Butler. Part of the series Changing the Picture.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
With multimedia presentation by Douglas Trumbull, Director of Special Photographic Effects
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2:00 P.M.
Ripe for reassessment, the much maligned first feature film in the Star Trek franchise was a marquee project for Paramount Pictures designed to capitalize on the resurgence of popularity for science-fiction films in the wake of Star Wars by elevating the beloved television serial to a new level of grandeur. The result proved a commercial disappointment for the studio, but seen from today’s vantage point, with its marvelous special effects courtesy Douglas Trumbull and a script that is long on hokey speculative themes and short on action, this film constitutes a refreshingly authentic Star Trek experience. Part of the series See It Big! Outer Space. Info & Tickets
2001: A Space Odyssey (70mm)
With Douglas Trumbull & Piers Bizony in person
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 6:00 P.M.
The exhibition Envisioning 2001 presents an in-depth exploration of the story, design, and visual effects of the landmark film that, more than 50 years after its release, continues to influence, confound, and inspire. This event includes after-hours access to the exhibition, followed by a discussion (beginning at 6:30 p.m.) between Douglas Trumbull, who was special photographic effects supervisor for the film, and space historian Piers Bizony, author of 2001: Filming the Future, and a 70mm screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey in the Redstone Theater. Part of the series The Ultimate Trip: Exhibition + 70mm Screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Info & Tickets
Disreputable Cinema: Akira
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 7:30 P.M.
Dir. Katsuhiro Otomo. 1988, 124 mins. DCP. In Japanese with English subtitles. Welcome to Neo-Tokyo, a metropolis built on the ashes of a Tokyo annihilated by a mysterious blast in 1988. Thirty-one years later, bike gang leader Kaneda battles the combined military, political, and scientific forces of a corrupt shadowy government agency in hopes of saving his abducted friend Tetsuo, who has manifested strange, supernatural powers. Katsuhiro Otomo’s visually stunning science-fiction masterpiece became a cult phenomenon in the United States, opening the floodgates to countless stateside anime releases. Part of the series Disreputable Cinema.
Science on Screen: Woman in the Moon
Introduced by data scientist and astronomer Jana Grcevich
SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 6:00 P.M.
Dir. Fritz Lang. 1929, 190 mins. DCP. Based on a novel of the same name by Fritz Lang’s wife and frequent collaborator Thea von Harbou, Woman in the Moon is an epic space adventure that follows the entanglements of a group intent on journeying to the moon in search of gold. It was also one of the earliest films to engage scientists in its making. Physicist and engineer Hermann von Oberth, considered a founder of rocketry, served as technical advisor and designed the model for the film’s spaceship. Before the screening, astronomer and data scientist Jana Grcevich, co-author of Vacation Guide to the Solar System, will speak about how the film’s theme of space travel resonates today. (Part of Science on Screen: Outer Space Speculators) Info & Tickets
ON VIEW IN THE GALLERIES
Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey
JANUARY 18–JULY 19, 2020
In the Changing Exhibitions Gallery
This exhibition presents an in-depth exploration of the story, design, and visual effects of the landmark film that, more than 50 years after its release, continues to influence, confound, and inspire. The exhibition includes original artifacts from international collections and from the Stanley Kubrick Archive at the University of the Arts London, as well as from the Museum’s own collection. Press Release | More Info
Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick's Space Odyssey was organized by the DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum in Frankfurt am Main (where a version of the exhibition debuted in 2018), supported by the Stanley Kubrick Archive at University of the Arts London, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., and Stanley Kubrick Film Archives LLC. Additional support provided by: George Lucas Family Foundation, Film and Furniture.
Creatures from the Land of Thra: Character Design for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
ONGOING
Part of the core exhibition Behind the Screen. Press Release | More Info
The Situation Room
Featuring work by Sam Rolfes
THROUGH MARCH 8
JANUARY 8–MARCH 8, 2020: Sam Rolfes
Commissioned by the Museum, six artists have each created four original GIFs that will be presented as two-month installations on the walls and ceiling of the visitor elevator, an exhibition environment that offers a unique and intimate encounter with the work. Presented with support from Giphy Arts. Press Release | More Info
Don’t Forget the Pictures: Glass Slides from the Collection
ONGOING
In the Amphitheater Gallery. Press Release | More Info
Reimagining the Cel: Experiments in Animation from the 1980s
OCTOBER 12–MARCH 15, 2020
In the Video Screening Amphitheater. More Info
The Jim Henson Exhibition
ONGOING
Second floor. More Info
Behind the Screen
ONGOING
Second and third floors. More Info
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Museum of the Moving Image
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Astoria, NY 1110
Photo: Aretha Franklin in "Amazing Grace"
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