The Petaluma Cinema Series is back for Fall semester, with a diverse lineup of blockbusters, international and independent films Wednesday evenings in the Carole L. Ellis Auditorium on the SRJC Petaluma Campus.
Kicking off the Cinema Series is A24 darling “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” written and directed by the Daniels, tonight at 6:30 p.m.
“It’s an amazing movie,” said Mike Traina, SRJC film and media studies instructor and Cinema Series founder. “Every season, we create an entirely new lineup that is diverse and includes films from across film history, leaning toward more contemporary work, world cinema and independent cinema.”
Traina described the Cinema Series as a unique interdisciplinary forum that serves to promote cinema, educate and entertain. “I’m excited to share film experiences people can’t get by going to the local multiplex. We’re playing several amazing international films that I’m sure are largely unknown to the general public,” Traina said.
The Cinema Series runs from 6-10 p.m. starting with an optional pre-film program at 6 p.m. followed by a film screening, usually beginning an hour later. It concludes with a post-screening discussion.
“The first hour is our time to fill the audience with film techniques and historical perspectives that might be helpful in analyzing the film or looking at it through a new lens,” Traina said. “The last hour of the evening is their time to drive a discussion about the work, raise questions and offer comments about the movie under the microscope that night.”
There’s a lot for the audience to look forward to, from a Q&A session with Lissette Feliciano, director of “Women is Losers” to a special live musical event. “It’s always a treat when we have guest artists in the house,” Traina said.
The series includes “Safety Last,” one of the greatest silent film comedies of all time with live music accompaniment. “People have often never seen someone perform piano right under the screen so that will be a really fun evening,” Traina said.
Cost for the Cinema Series is $6 for general admission, $5 for students and free for Cub Card Premium members.
Fall Cinema Series line-up:
September 7: Everything Everywhere All at Once – One of the most popular films of the year starring Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Wang, a Chinese-American laundromat owner who tries to save the world due to a rupture in the multiverse.
September 14: Dune – Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the iconic sci-fi novel.
September 21: Petite Maman – Céline Sciamma’s surreal and mesmerizing tale of childhood whimsy, memory and loss.
September 28: Safety Last – A silent film widely acknowledged as one of the greatest silent comedies in the history of cinema. The film will be presented with live musical accompaniment by Frederick Hodges.
October 5: Monos – A surreal allegory exploring Colombia’s war-plagued history where child soldiers barely understand what they’re fighting for.
October 12: A Place In the Sun – Academy Award winning drama starring Elizabeth Taylor.
October 19: I, Tonya – The tale of one of the most infamous scandals in sports history, following the life of Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding and the events leading up to the attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan.
October 26: Lamb – An Icelandic horror about a couple that raises a human-sheep hybrid.
November 2: Bay Area Environmental Shorts Showcase – An impressive collection of documentary shorts focused on keeping our local plant, animal, insect and sea life in balance.
November 9: Women is Losers – A coming-of-age story set in San Francisco during the ‘60s of a Latina woman who faces a society that is constantly against her. Writer and director Lissette Feliciano will participate in an onstage interview at 6 p.m. and answer questions following the 7 p.m. screening.
November 16: The Truffle Hunters – A documentary that follows a group of aging men and their canine companions as they scour the forest of Piedmont, Italy in search of an expensive and highly sought-after mushroom.
November 30: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – A Steven Spielberg classic where a boy befriends an extraterrestrial dubbed E.T. who is left behind on Earth.
For more information, including COVID protocols visit petalumafilmalliance.org
