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, 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.
Saturday, October 19, 2013 • 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 pm.
Celebrate the 11th annual Home Movie Day with screenings of amatuer-made cinema.
Thursday, October 17, 2013 • 8:30 p.m.
Cinema Arts is pleased to present this special screening of "The Future Starts Here" with filmmaker Tiffany Shlain and other special guests in attendance.
Saturday, October 12, 2013 | 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.
Immerse yourself in a range of oceanic narratives—from the microscopic lives of plankton to the complex relationships between humans and the world beneath the waves.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013 | 7:00 pm.
Four Films by Ken Paul Rosenthal with filmmaker Ken Paul Rosenthal in person
Saturday, October 5, 2013 | 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 pm.
With Hardly Strictly Bluegrass energizing San Francisco this weekend, Cinema Arts celebrates the synesthetic experience of cinema.
Thursday, October 3, 2013 | 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Join us for the premiere of filmmaker Sam Green's Fog City, a cinematic study of Bay Area fog.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013 | 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
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Saturday, September 28, 2013 | 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
10:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Symposium
7:00–8:30 p.m. Screening and Performance including Collusion by Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst
This day-long symposium focused on architectural and metaphorical conceptions of space.
Thursday, September 19, 2013 | 8:30 p.m.
Celebrating the tradition of filmmakers using computer technology to shape the cinematic experience.
Saturday, September 14, 2013 | 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.
Experience a kaleidoscope of color on the big screen. These dynamic shorts pop, dance, and spin through the color wheel—visualizing the unseen, exploring the expanses of our visual depth, and offering subtle insight into just how colors are made.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013 | 7:00 p.m.
Ukichiro Nakaya and Iwanami Films