Masks and vaccinations are recommended. Plan your visit
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.
Thursday, March 2, 2023 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
The passive act of watching turns to listening, peering, touching, and interacting as Exploratorium Cinema Arts takes over museum spaces to provide experiences created by artists and filmmakers from the Bay Area and beyond.
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.
Saturday, August 31, 2013 | 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 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.
Thursday, January 16, 2014 • 7:00 p.m.
Since 1992, video artist and photographer Chip Lord has revisited a series examining city spaces. Straddling the line between documentary and experimental filmmaking, Lord’s films take a unique approach to exploring what defines a city and the factors influencing its constant transmutations.
Saturday, January 11, 2014 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.
Animations and handcrafted masterpieces explore the limitless potential of geometry with kaleidoscopic transformations, dancing patterns, dramatic narratives, and hypnotic shifts in space.
Saturday, January 11, 2014 • 1:00, 4:00, and 7:30 p.m.
Exploratorium Cinema Arts is pleased to co-present The Little Tramp at 100: A Charlie Chaplin Centennial Celebration with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. This event at the Castro Theater features three programs showcasing Chaplin’s indelible contribution to cinema. See silentfilm.org for details.
Saturday, January 4, 2014 • noon, 2:00 & 4:00 p.m.
Ring in the New Year with exuberant, unaffected stories of heroism, emotional reactions, and internal conflicts.
Saturday, December 28, 2013 • noon, 2:00 & 4:00 p.m.
Ring in the New Year with exuberant, unaffected stories of heroism, emotional reactions, and internal conflicts.
Saturday, December 21, 2013 • 4:00 p.m.
Robert Nelson’s legendary Suite California films have not been screened together in the Bay Area for more than thirty years—until now. Experience Nelson’s remarkable vision of his home state and stay for a reception featuring live music from Mike Henderson, William T. Wiley, and friends. Copresented by Canyon Cinema Foundation.
Saturday, December 21, 2013 • 2:00 p.m.
Enjoy classic tales of small-town adventures, seen through the eyes of childhood. Colorful animation and black-and-white photographs transform memories of mid-20th century Wales and Canada into winter wonderlands of youthful surprises, disappointments, and holiday play.
Thursday, December 19, 2013 • 7:00 p.m.
As we approach the shortest day of the year, we consider the emotional resonance of winter.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • 7:00 p.m.
Experimental film artist Alex MacKenzie travels from British Columbia to present a trio of fantastical, multi-screen cinematic works. He’ll present works exploring the chemistry, mechanics, and fragility of film as a medium, using live manipulations of 16mm projectors.
Saturday, December 7, 2013 • noon, 2:00 & 4:00 p.m.
As darkness encroaches on our days, we pause to celebrate luminosity in all its varied forms. Enjoy fun and fascinating takes on light, from dancing kaleidoscopes to beautiful studies of cities in motion.