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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

Colorful soap film
Something Wonderful . . .

Thursday, July 1–Sunday, October 31, 2021

Visual delights, ingenious craft, and luminous phenomena. Something wonderful awaits you in this collection of artist-made films.

Past Events
The Best Things in Museums Are the Windows: Four-Day Trek

July 18–21, 2013

Experiments in Terrace: Inspiring Footage

Wednesday, July 17th, 2013 | 8:30 p.m.

Cinema Arts presents an outdoor film screening on the eve of Harrell Fletcher's expedition to Mount Diablo

Physics & Fastballs: The Science of Baseball

Sunday, June 30, 2013 | 7:00 p.m.

Cinema Arts Outdoor Screening

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 | 8:30 p.m.

On the cusp of the summer solstice we forget the fog and let the cinema screen give us a chance to bask in the sun.
D TOUR: A Rock-N-Roll Film About Life, Death, and Bodily Functions

Monday, May 27th, 2013 | 7:30 p.m.

Co-Presented by Exploratorium's Cinema Arts

"Leviathan" at SF International Film Festival

April 26, 28, and 29, 2013

"The Shaping Grows and Other Works" by Semiconductor

Ongoing through September 30, 2013

This mini-retrospective of work by internationally renowned British-based media artists and Exploratorium Artists-in-Residence Semiconductor (Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt) explores the material nature of our world and how we experience it.
Think Slow, Act Fast: Buster Keaton Shorts

Saturday, February 16, 2013 | noon

Our program features three early Keaton shorts—three of the funniest, most innovative comedies ever put on film!

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