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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

Mar
2
A figure is silhouetted in front of a colorful display of projected light. Event: After Dark 3-2-2023
After Dark: Extended Cinemas

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.

Past Events
Off the Screen: Science as Cinema, Science as Photograph

Wednesday, September 25, 2013 | 7:00 p.m.

Ukichiro Nakaya and Iwanami Films
Saturday Cinema: Learning with the Lights Out

Saturday, September 7, 2013 | 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.

Saturday Cinema: One Click at a Time

Saturday, August 24, 2013 | 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.

Celebrate the essence of film—stop motion animation.
Experiments in Terrace: Seasonal Shifts

Wednesday, August 21, 2013 | 8:30 p.m.

Saturday Cinema: Trash

Saturday, August 17, 2013 | 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.

Trash can be a treasure! This selection of films showcases creative individuals re-purposing discarded materials to create valuable objects of art and diversion.
Saturday Cinema: Reflections and Light

Saturday, August 10, 2013 | 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.

Light always carries information in the form of images, and reflections, in some fashion, always mirror those images. This film program explores the physical and metaphorical potential of this essential jumping-off point.
Saturday Cinema: Geometry in Motion

Saturday, August 3, 2013 | 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.

Animations and handcrafted masterpieces explore the limitless potential of geometry with kaleidoscopic transformations, dancing patterns, dramatic narratives, and hypnotic shifts in space.
Films by the Fire

Saturday, July 20th, 2013 | 8:30 p.m.

The final night of Harrell Fletcher's expedition to Mount Diablo will include a gathering around the movie screen at base camp.

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.

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