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Approaching movies as an active viewing experience, staff in the Cinema Arts Program view the projection screen as a portal to investigation. We engage with filmmakers who create works that inspire the imagination and instigate conversation. Animation, documentary, poetic observations, and abstract visuals serve a broad spectrum of curious audiences while blending the methods and aesthetics of artists and scientists. Through our programming, we aim to provide an opportunity for visitors to explore the compelling people, places, and ideas that extend through the museum and beyond. Our collection of films and events offer a rich resource for public audiences, and also provide an important research collection for both our teaching programs and exhibit development teams.
There's always something interesting happening here—check out our ongoing events.
Thursday, May 14, 2015 • 7:00 p.m.
Counting from Infinity is a study of Zhang's unexpected and unconventional rise from obscurity and a disadvantaged youth to mathematical celebrity.
Saturday, May 9, 2015 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.
Short animations illustrate the complexities of mothers’ relationships with their children, and historic home movies highlight immediately recognizable aspects of the universal family experience.
Saturday, May 2, 2015 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.
Unexpected twists, red herrings, and visual trickery take center stage in this surprising collection.
Saturday, April 25, 2015 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.
To celebrate the artistry inherent to industry, this Saturday Cinema features two visionary shorts that reimagine factories as sites of elaborate choreographies that just happen to result in useful, omnipresent technology.
Sunday, April 19, 2015 • 8:00 p.m.
The legendary Joshua Light Show returns to the Exploratorium’s Kanbar Forum to improvise an immersive, otherworldly environment of light and sound in collaboration with celebrated musicians Julia Holter and Linda Perhacs.
Saturday, April 18, 2015 • 8:00 p.m.
The legendary Joshua Light Show returns to the Exploratorium’s Kanbar Forum to improvise an immersive, otherworldly environment of light and sound in collaboration with celebrated musicians Julia Holter and Linda Perhacs.
Friday, April 10, 2015 • 8:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Part of the Market Street Prototyping Festival, the Exploratorium’s Kino Kiosk presents historical footage, documentaries, and artistic oddities about San Francisco’s main thoroughfare. Help create soundtracks, and test your trivia knowledge to win door prizes.
Saturday, April 4, 2015 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.
This eye-popping, mind-bending callback to April Fools’ Day features a trippy collection of shorts sure to have an effect—and after effect—on your senses.
Saturday, March 28, 2015 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.
Join us for an afternoon of pedagogical fun and games. Drawing from the genre of educational and instructional cinema, this playful program features films demonstrating that humor can be the best way to arrive at complex ideas.
Thursday, March 19, 2015 • 7:30 p.m.
Enjoy a raucous film and music performance by the Goat Family. Backed by a projection screen, the Goats combine toe-tapping tunes with vibrant, 16mm visuals—all handcrafted by members of the band.
Saturday, March 14, 2015 • 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 p.m.
Celebrate Pi Day (3.14.15) with a gathering of films invoking the infinite beauty of circles and spheres. From intricate computer animations to hand-drawn delights, these artworks give pride of place to pi.
Saturday, March 7, 2015 • 2:00 p.m.
Join archivist Dino Everett to explore 28mm and 3mm films. Discover the fascinating histories behind these formats, and enjoy the rare sight of 28mm and 3mm films projected from vintage cameras onto the big screen.