The Cinema Arts Program

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.

Upcoming Events

Film still from Attraction by Emily Scaife

Glow Cinema: Illuminated Frames

Thursday, November 17, 2022–Sunday, January 29, 2023

The dimmed atmosphere of the microcinema sets the perfect scene to luxuriate in these abstract, transportive, and luminescent motion pictures.

Past Events

Off the Screen: Let Your Light Shine with Jodie Mack

Thursday, March 13, 2014 • 7:00 p.m.

Singular filmmaker and presence Jodie Mack investigates the role of abstraction in both fine art and everyday life, from transcendent visual experiences to optical fascinations and psychedelic kitsch.

Saturday Cinema: Lost & Found Film Club

Saturday, March 8, 2014 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.

Rescuing 16mm films from estate sales, auctions, friends, and neighbors, the Lost & Found Film Club presents rarely screened and underappreciated treasures. Join them for eye-popping experiments, student animations, strange docs, and a 3D short.

After Dark: Extended Cinemas

Thursday, March 6, 2014 • 6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.

Immerse yourself in visual storytelling that extends the possibilities of cinema, from live performances and audience participation to flickering installations under glass.

Saturday Cinema: Insects!

Saturday, March 1, 2014 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.

Six-legged actors take center stage in this creepy-crawly celebration. Centered on the stop-motion insect romance The Cameraman’s Revenge, a deeply innovative specimen of early cinema, this program presents insects acting, observing, and being observed.

Saturday Cinema: Seeing Sounds with Caroline Martel

Saturday, February 22, 2014 • 1:00 p.m.

Join filmmaker Caroline Martel for a family-friendly program of new works about sound. She’ll share a series of Cymatics, which study the patterns made by visible sound vibrations, as well as archival footage of early electronic instruments.

Off the Screen: Caroline Martel’s Wavemakers

Thursday, February 20, 2014 • 7:00 p.m.

Filmmaker Caroline Martel pursues the lingering legacy, mystery, and rebirth of the ondes Martenot, an electronic instrument whose unique and evocative sound transfixes musicians and listeners alike. Featuring Q&A with Martel and a special demonstration of the ondes Martenot by Geneviève Grenier.

Saturday Cinema: Lovesick Cinema

Saturday, February 15, 2014 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.

Contemplate infatuation and its aftermath in this cinematic celebration of love in all its guises. These family-friendly animations and short films creatively frame the relationships that define our lives, from the familial to the romantic.

Saturday Cinema: Teachers Institute Film Festival

Saturday, February 8, 2014 • 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Saturday Cinema: Teacher Institute Film Festival

Saturday, February 8, 2014 • 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Now in its 17th iteration, the Exploratorium Teacher Institute Film Festival dives into the deluge of educational, experimental, and outright fun visual content illuminating the principles of science.

Saturday Cinema: Gyre: Creating Art from a Plastic Ocean

Saturday, February 1, 2014 • 1:00 p.m. screening in the Kanbar Forum, 2:30–4:30 p.m. workshop in the Phyllis C. Wattis Webcast Studio

A screening of Gyre: Creating Art from a Plastic Ocean will be followed by a discussion of the Gyre Expedition with photographer Kip Evans, as well as a hands-on art workshop with Los Angeles–based artist Claudio Garzón.

Saturday Cinema: Experimental Films for Kids

Saturday, January 25, 2014 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.

Here at the Exploratorium, we declare that experimental cinema is nothing to be afraid of—and have put together a program to prove it!

Saturday Cinema: Space

Saturday, January 18, 2014 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.

These films bring inventive narratives and spellbinding visuals to bear on the mysteries of outer space. From works incorporating scientific data and visualizations to imaginative indulgences, each film is a singular exploration of the drive to understand the unknown.