The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures kicks off its winter season with the announcement of new film series and extensive public programming. Programs include the George Stevens Lecture on Directing featuring a 70th anniversary screening of Shane (1953) with George Stevens, Jr. introducing Christopher Nolan; the first retrospective on Song Kang-ho; 3D film screenings with our state-of-the-art Dolby 3D projection systems; the anniversary of the National Film Registry; a film series considering natural disasters and science; programming to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day; a 10th anniversary screening of 12 Years a Slave (2013) with director Steve McQueen; the launch of the Academy Museum’s newest catalogue Agnès Varda: Director’s Inspiration; plus in-gallery programming and family workshops focusing on innovations in filmmaking from special effects, costume and set design, animation, and directing.
On December 10, The George Stevens Lecture presents the 70th anniversary of George Stevens’s classic Western Shane (1953) . The Stevens Lecture series was established in 1982 in honor of the legendary director to provide a forum in which eminent filmmakers and scholars can address the art and craft of motion picture direction. Previous participants include Robert Benton, James Mangold, Gregory Nava, Sidney Poitier, Steven Spielberg and Robin Swicord. Christopher Nolan, who counts Shane among the films that have most influenced him, will speak about the film before the screening in the museum’s David Geffen Theater. Shane features Alan Ladd as a lone rider who arrives in Wyoming’s Teton Valley in the 1880’s and becomes involved in a dispute between homesteaders and cattlemen. The deceptively simple storyline has been imitated countless times but Stevens’s thoughtful direction, with a cast that includes Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon De Wilde, and Jack Palace as a menacing gunman, lends it unexpected depth and resonance. The Academy presented Stevens with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1953, and Best Directing Oscar® for A Place in the Sun (1950), and Giant (1956). Shane was named to the National Film Registry in 1993.
Other spotlight programs this winter include Documenting a Movement: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights featuring The March (1963), directed by James Blue and produced by George Stevens Jr., and The Bus (1964), written, directed, and produced by Haskell Wexler, followed by a conversation with filmmaker Ben Caldwell and UCLA film professor Dr. Ellen Scott on January 15; a screening of Buck and the Preacher (1972) on February 24 to remember singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte; a showcase of retro trailers presented entirely on 35mm film on February 29 titled The Unseen Scene: An Academy Film Archive Trailer Show; and Fatal Femmes: Two Parisian Crime Films by Women featuring Neige (Snow) (1981) and La Garce (The Bitch) (1984) on February 16. Limited series begin on December 7 with 송강호: Song Kang-ho ; December 14 with Works of Enduring Importance: 35 Years of the National Film Registry; 3D-Cember! on December 24–31; January 4 with Beware the Elements! Natural Disasters on Film; and February 1 with Echoes of Africa , guest programmed by Mo Abudu and co-presented with the NAACP. These series join the museum’s ongoing popular film programs Oscar® Sundays, Family Matinees , Branch Selects, and Available Space.
“This winter season, we’ve designed a slate of programming that punctuates the work the museum has done to illuminate the world of cinema since our opening,” said Academy Museum Chief Audience Officer Amy Homma. “As we commence our third year of programming, we are thrilled to invite visitors to join us in celebrating the past, present, and future of moviemaking with immersive workshops, historical screenings, dynamic conversations, and more.”
Book Signing
On December 9, visitors can join the Academy Museum in celebrating the release of its new catalogue Agnès Varda: Director’s Inspiration. The book’s editor, Margaret Herrick Library director Matt Severson, will be joined by contributing authors Manohla Dargis (chief film critic, New York Times ) and Peter Debruge (chief film critic, Variety) for a conversation about Varda’s art, life, and legacy. Accompanying the museum’s exhibition on Varda (on view through January 25, 2025), the book incorporates original materials from the filmmaker’s archive, a previously unpublished oral history interview, and personal reflections by collaborators and admirers including Jane Birkin, JR, Martin Scorsese, Viva, and Chloé Zhao. Tickets can be found here and include a copy of the book. Agnès Varda: Director’s Inspiration is the latest exhibition catalogue from the Academy Museum/DelMonico Books, joining Hayao Miyazaki, John Waters: Pope of Trash, Pedro Almodóvar: Installation/Instalación, Spike Lee: Director’s Inspiration, and Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971.
Public Programs
The Academy Museum presents Building Character: Sketch to Screen in the Ted Mann Theater on January 20, to explore the behind-the-scenes crafts that come together to shape the characters we see on screen. The program features conversations with costume and concept artist Phillip Boutte Jr. and Michael Uwandi of 9B Collective.
In celebration of Black History Month, join the Academy Museum in the Netflix Lounge Fridays throughout February for Black History Mini Docs. The interactive experience, created by legendary producer-director Neema Barnette and filmmaker Reed R. McCants, explores fast and entertaining videos built to educate viewers about the contributions of Black figures in American history.
Limited Film Series
Beginning on December 7, the museum’s winter screening series kicks off with 송강호: Song Kang-ho, the first retrospective film series showcasing the works of the Korean cinema actor featuring four in-person conversations with him. In the span of three decades, Song Kang-ho has cultivated unprecedented trajectories in his practice, illuminating new possibilities of cinema as an art form and beyond, while contributing to the expansion of Korean cinema since his debut in the mid-1990s. The Academy Museum is honored to celebrate Song’s dynamic career and his genuine love for cinema.
This December and January, the museum will present Works of Enduring Importance: 35 Years of the National Film Registry. Established in 1988, the National Film Registry is a growing list of films deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Librarian of Congress. Filmmakers, archives, studios, and the public make recommendations, and each December another 25 films are added to the Registry, highlighting the importance of their preservation for generations to come. Each year, this highly anticipated announcement has massive implications—not just for film workers and cinephiles around the country, but also for the ongoing conservation and legacy of our national film heritage. As of December 14, 2022, the Registry includes 850 films, over 500 of which are represented within the collection of the Academy Film Archive. This limited series showcases the breadth, depth, and diversity of the Registry across its 35-year history. The series begins on December 14 with Zoot Suit (1981) in 70mm.
During the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, the Academy Museum invites audiences to experience our state-of-the-art Dolby 3D projection systems with classic and contemporary films shot in and/or intended for projection in 3D. Now in its second year, 3D-cember! quickly became a fan favorite for thrill-seekers and enthusiasts of immersive cinematic experiences. This year, we’ve expanded the series by presenting additional titles in 3D during our December Family Matinees screenings, beginning with a celebration of the 10th anniversary of Frozen (2013) on December 2. The series begins December 24 with The Polar Express (2004) in 3D.
Through the month of January, screenings will consider natural disasters with Beware the Elements! Natural Disasters on Film , in partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s program in Public Understanding of Science and Technology. Following a summer of record-breaking heatwaves, extreme wildfires, historic floods, and a truly unprecedented “hurriquake,” we find the perilous realities of climate change increasingly impacting our daily lives. Naturally, we see our fears reflected in cinema, especially in the case of the so-called disaster film. This screening series seeks to highlight key moments in the history of the disaster film genre as a source of entertainment and portrayal of science, and as a tool to raise our collective consciousness about science-based solutions to the mounting global climate crisis. The series begins on January 4 with Twister (1996) in 35mm.
From February 1 through 9, the Academy Museum embarks on a voyage through time, sweeping audiences into Africa’s diverse histories at pivotal junctures with Echoes of Africa. Presented in partnership with the NAACP—and programmed by guest programmer Mo Abudu, producer and CEO of EbonyLife Media—this film series weaves together the tapestry of African experiences, triumphs, dreams, and realities. From poignant narratives of unwavering love and resilience to gripping sagas of individual victory, Echoes of Africa presents a vivid mosaic of African perspectives, capturing the enduring resonance of its cinema. With spellbinding stories like The Little Girl Who Sold the Sun (1999), Le Franc (1994), and Monangambé (1968), audiences can anticipate an enthralling cinematic odyssey that leaves them stirred, enlightened, and intimately connected with Africa’s vibrant essence.
ONGOING SERIES AND PROGRAMS
- Oscar® Sundays : Held every Sunday evening in the David Geffen Theater, this series celebrates films that have been honored at the Academy Awards® . This winter, these films are presented in conjunction with the limited series Works of Enduring Importance: 35 Years of the National Film Registry. In February, we honor Black History Month by showcasing milestone moments for Black creators, artists, and craftspeople across the history of the Oscars ceremony, including the program 10 Years after the Win: 12 Years a Slave on February 25 with Steve McQueen in person.
- Family Matinees : Held every Saturday for families of all ages, Family Matinee screenings this winter will focus on 3D films in conjunction with the 3D-Cember! series; films added to the National Film Registry in conjunction with our limited series Works of Enduring Importance: 35 Years of the National Film Registry; and films featuring scores by composer and conductor Henry Mancini in what would have been his centennial year.
- Branch Selects: Each week, a different branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selects a film—from the silent era to contemporary cinema—that represents a major achievement in the evolution of moviemaking and its unique disciplines. The winter series begins with Attenberg (2011) on December 4, selected by the Directors Branch.
- Available Space: Our monthly series showcasing experimental and independent film and media. Winter programming begins on December 1 with a presentation of prominent avant-garde and queer artist Derek Jarman’s Blue (1993) in partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. On February 17, the museum will screen Welcome to the West Coast Underground, a program inspired by the museum’s current exhibition Outside the Mainstream.
- Stories of Cinema Drop-In Tours: All are welcome to join public drop-in style gallery conversations to explore moviemakers, their ideas, and beloved movie objects in conversation with museum educators. The tours are free with admission, from 1pm to 3pm on Fridays.
- Drop-In Workshops for Teens: Held on the third Friday of every month from 4:30pm to 6:30pm and designed for teens ages 14 and up, Drop-In Workshops for Teens include various activities such as art making, experimenting with moviemaking equipment, and learning the elements of filmmaking. All workshops are free with museum admission and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Drop-In Workshops for Families: Held the first three Saturdays of every month, Drop-In Workshops for Families are designed for families with children ages 2 and up. They are also free with museum admission and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Gallery Spotlights: Gallery Spotlights feature special guests who will explore select exhibition spaces and themes. This winter’s Gallery Spotlights include a conversation with Curatorial Assistant Manouchka Labouba on the film Boyz n the Hood (1991) in the Significant Movies and Moviemakers gallery; and a musical conversation with singer-songwriter Paravi from the Elvis (2022) soundtrack.
Education and family programs are ongoing at the Academy Museum, complementary to the film programming. Programs take place throughout the museum in exhibition galleries, theaters, and the Shirley Temple Education Studio.
Monthly, the museum offers ASL Interpreted Tours for the hard of hearing and Deaf communities, Visual Description Tours for the low vision and blind communities, and Calm Morning programs and accommodative Family Matinee film screenings for neurodivergent visitors. A full schedule of Family Matinees may be accessed here.
You can see the full schedule of the Academy Museum’s film screenings and public and educational programs here.
TICKETS AND ADMISSION
Tickets for film screenings and public programs are sold separately and do not require general admission to the museum. All tickets are available through advance online reservations via the Academy Museum’s website.
Film screening tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors (age 62+), $5 for students, $5 for children (ages 17 and younger), and $8 for Museum Members. Admission to daytime film screenings is $5.
Public and education program tickets range from free with admission to $20 for adults.
Museum Members receive complimentary general admission for unlimited visits and priority admission. Visitors can learn more about membership benefits, which include a 10% discount in the Academy Museum Store, and exclusive Members-only advance film screenings, by visiting the museum’s website.
