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

There's always something interesting happening here—check out our ongoing events.

Past Events

Infinity Room

Thursday, June 14–Sunday, July 15, 2018

Step into an otherworldly portal and envelop yourself in distorted light and perpetually morphing visuals. Watch the walls melt away as the barrier between the material and virtual realms blur into infinity.

Untitled Solar Array

Thursday, June 14–Monday, August 20, 2018

In this commissioned artwork from Oakland-based artist Chris Fraser, the museum’s historic Pier 15 Bulkhead is the site of a large-scale light study that subtly traces the movement of the Sun.

After Dark: LIVE with the InSight Lander Roadshow and Videons

Thursday, April 19, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Join a live stream with NASA/JPL scientists to learn about the InSight Lander's mission to Mars. Also, enjoy a screening and conversation with pioneering video artist Steve Beck about his work, vision, and the convergence of art and technology.

Saturday Cinema: Labor of Love

Saturday, March 31, 2018 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.

This gripping collection of shorts considers love beyond romantic love, and celebrates its everyday expression in work.

After Dark: One Strange Rock and Nickel

Thursday, March 15, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Join us for an exclusive preview screening from National Geographic's new series One Strange Rock from award-winning filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and explore the versatility of nickel and watch a nickel electroplating demonstration.

Saturday Cinema: The Grand Moving Mirror of California

Saturday, March 3, 2018 • 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m.

This exquisitely rendered painted scroll will unroll complete with live Foley effects and narration, imparting the thrills and dangers undertaken on a seaboard trip around South America to reach Gold Rush–era California.

After Dark: Extended Cinemas

Thursday, March 1, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Contemplate cinema’s continuum at After Dark. Traverse a timeline of motion-picture technology, from the earliest hand-drawn, hand-cranked experiments to cutting-edge experiences that aim—again—to redefine what cinema may be.

After Dark: Peanuts, The Humidors, and Labor of Love

Thursday, February 8, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Learn about life-saving, cutting-edge allergy research at Pairings: Peanuts and watch gripping short films at Cinema Arts: Labor of Love. Plus, hear The Humidors' eight-piece band stir up an infectious, polyrhythmic stew.

Reinscriptions for "Line Describing a Cone"

Saturday, January 20, 2018 • 3:00–5:00 p.m.

In this Prepared Projection Performance from artists Sandra Gibson + Luis Recoder, a reprojection and reframing of McCall’s work will be explored through projecting two prints of Line Describing a Cone in a cinematic experiment.

Obscurus Projectum

Saturday, January 20, 2018 • 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Simple, centuries-old technology reframes the recognizable San Francisco Bay in Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder’s Obscurus Projectum, a temporary art installation transforming the Exploratorium’s Kanbar Forum into a giant camera obscura.

After Dark: Iron, Mechanical Paper Contraptions, and The Florestine Collection

Thursday, January 18, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Explore iron’s historical importance and amazing metallurgical properties at Everything Matters. Create mechanical sculptures from everyday materials. Join us for a rare screening of a charming, moving documentary recounting a story of love and loss.

Paul Clipson and Zachary James Watkins’ Black Field

Thursday, December 14, 2017 • 7:30 p.m.

Black Field intertwines Clipson and Watkins' inventive approaches to their crafts through an original, long-form film and live musical performance projected in glistening 16mm, with sound sonically diffused across the Kanbar Forum’s multichannel sound system.