Lightbox Film Center

Celebrate the centennial year of "the father of African film," Ousmane Sembène. Three newly restored films "Emitaï," "Xala," and "Ceddo" screen this Friday and Saturday.

Please join us this Thursday for a special screening of Konrad Wolf's 1971 biopic "Goya or the Hard Way to Enlightenment" presented in partnership with the Arthur Ross Gallery at UPENN.

This year is the 100th birthday of visionary artist Harry Smith. Next Wednesday, we'll celebrate this milestone by presenting an evening of his films on 35mm introduced by John Szwed, author of the new book "Cosmic Scholar: The Life and Times of Harry Smith."

Tonight! Our brand new restoration of Nancy Savoca's "Household Saints" hits the big screen followed by a conversation with Savoca and producer Rich Guay. We'll also be announcing our next film restoration premiere. See you tonight!

We return next week with our biggest screening of the season! Don't miss our brand new restoration of Nancy Savoca's "Household Saints" on Nov. 29. Savoca and producer Richard Guay will be here to discuss the film along with Dennis Doros and Amy Heller of Milestone Films.

Rick Charnoski's latest feature film "Warm Blood" is a dystopian melange of gritty documentary style and punk nihilism with a touch of ecological commentary and b-movie hyperbole. Catch it this Wednesday, along with the skate classic "The Body Corporate," as the director joins us for a Q&A afterwards.

What do Hurricanes, Rowan & Martin, and Dutch Wonderland all have in common? Find out tomorrow when returns to Lightbox with a cavalcade of archive discoveries, all on 35mm!

Halloween may be over, but horror movies are always in season! “The Sacrifice Game” is a holiday slasher spectacular directed by Jenn Wexler BFA ’08 (Writing for Film and TV) coming to Lightbox Film Center next week!

Wexler will also do a special Q&A after the screening—how lucky are we? Get tickets for Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. here: https://bit.ly/46WSVGT

Two stunning new restorations are coming to Lightbox this week. Russian/Ukrainian filmmaker Kira Muratova produced more than a dozen films in her lifetime, and is often hailed as one of the most distinctive directors of world cinema. "Brief Encounters" from 1967 screens this Thursday, followed by "The Long Farewell" on Friday.

A political conspiracy that’s completely outrageous and yet oddly familiar: “Winter Kills” boasts an all-star ensemble cast that includes Jeff Bridges, Sterling Hayden, and Toshiro Mifune. Don't miss the chance to see it in 35mm this Friday!

We're thrilled that Julius-Amédée Laou will join us next Wednesday to present two of his films. Lightbox recently restored the 1985 short film "Mist Melodies of Paris (Mélodie de brumes à Paris)" which will be followed by the 2003 feature "French Wedding, Caribbean Style (Zouk, Mariage et Ouélélé!!!)"

Get to know the rarely screened French auteur Jean Grémillon as we present two of his best films "Lady Killer" and "The Strange Mister Victor" later this week.

Although he was best known for his two feature films "Touki Bouki" (1973) and "Hyenas" (1992), Djibril Diop Mambéty completed two more short films before his untimely death. "Le Franc" and "The Little Girl who Sold the Sun" are finally back on the big screen, newly restored and every bit as extraordinary as his feature films. One night only! Next Wednesday, Oct. 11.

If you happen to be attending the New York Film Festival, be sure to catch "Household Saints." The film has just been restored by Lightbox in partnership with Milestone Films. If you can't see in in New York, mark your calendars for Nov. 29 when director Nancy Savoca and producer Richard Guay will screen the film here at Lightbox!

More than 50 years after it was made, Michael Roemer's comedy about a Jewish gangster is finally getting a proper release! Catch "The Plot Against Harry" this Wednesday at 7 p.m.

https://bit.ly/464V0jv

We're thrilled to present two films by long-overlooked Japanese filmmaker Shinji Somai this Saturday. A brand new restoration of the director's award winning "Typhoon Club" screens at 7 p.m., and don't miss our matinee screening of Somai's "P.P. Rider" earlier in the day.

This Friday is Silent Movie Day! Get ready for awkward dinner parties, rowdy house guests, and the greatest pie fight ever filmed as we present some of the earliest shorts by beloved comedy duo Laurel & Hardy.

In case you haven't heard the news, Lightbox is a Pew Center for Arts & Heritage grantee. Our project "Raw Material: The Art and Life of Susan Kleckner" will encompass film screenings, a gallery exhibition, a live performance, and a scholarly monograph. The first major survey of this overlooked artist's work will take place in the fall of 2025. Stay tuned for more details.

One of the most controversial figures in Philadelphia's political history is the subject of Robert Mugge's 1979 documentary, "Amateur Night at City: The Story of Frank L. Rizzo." Mugge joins us at Lightbox next Friday to introduce the film and discuss his new memoir "Notes from the Road: A Filmmaker's Journey through American Music." Get tickets here: https://bit.ly/3PnWEWo

Despite only having made two feature length narrative films before his untimely death in 1980, Jean Eustache had an enormous impact on the world of filmmaking. Lightbox is thrilled to present a brand new 4K restoration of the French auteur's masterpiece "The Mother and the W***e" this Saturday, as well as selections of other key works by Eustache beginning this Thursday. The film event of the season has arrived, don't miss it!

Starring Carrie Hamilton and featuring opening titles designed by Keith Haring, the film "Tokyo Pop" is a love letter to the vibrant underground Tokyo rock scene in the '80s with cameos by metal band X Japan. Screening one night only, this Saturday at Lightbox!

Next Week, don't miss Claire Simon's latest documentary "Our Body." This film is an extraordinary look at what it means to be a woman in all stages of life. Get tickets at the link in our bio!

We're into the final weeks of summer, and as you shift gears into "autumn mode" don't forget to check out what's on offer at Lightbox in the coming months. There's definitely something for almost everyone. Visit the link in our bio to learn more!

from deep within the Lightbox archives, this is a lovely poster from Blackwood films highlighting two documentaries on art/dance!

The first Peruvian feature film directed by a woman, "The Wind of Ayahuasca," avoids the genre film cliches and psychedelic effects of drug films. Instead, it uses a series of elegantly composed tableaus to offer an authentic and honest depiction of an ayahuasca healing ceremony. Screening this Friday at 7 p.m.

The late Juliet Berto's short-lived career as a filmmaker is finally getting the attention it deserves thanks to Fun City Editions who have restored her first film "Neige." This neon lit journey through Paris' Pigalle district is filled with unforgettable characters caught in a downward spiral. Catch it this Wednesday.

Ken Loach maps the rise and fall of the English welfare state in "Spirit of '45," don't miss this rare opportunity to see it tonight at Lightbox!

ONE NIGHT ONLY! Béla Tarr’s mesmerizing parable of societal collapse has been restored and is screening this Saturday, June 10 at Lightbox. Don't miss this chance to catch it on the big screen!

Marleen Gorris is perhaps best known for her 1995 indie hit "Antonia's Line." Her feature debut "A Question of Silence" is a powerful feminist statement that has been overlooked for too long. See the new restoration this Friday at 7 p.m.

We're looking forward to seeing you at Lightbox this summer! We've got some exceptional films that you won't see anywhere else, including a new restoration of Bela Tarr's "Werkmeister Harmonies" and a rarely seen Ken Loach documentary. Plan your trips to the beach accordingly!

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of groundbreaking filmmaker, artist, and provocateur Kenneth Anger.