UCLA Film & Television Archive’s summer screenings celebrate cinematic art and community

The UCLA Film & Television Archive, a division of the UCLA Library, is thrilled to announce its summer public programs, featuring a diverse lineup of domestic and international moving images. Celebrating the art of cinema and television, the lineup features partnerships and in-person special guests, a cornerstone of the Archive's public programming.

The Food and Film and Family Flicks programs, both in collaboration with the Hammer Museum, return alongside new co-presentations like "(Dis)placement: Fluctuations of Home" with the UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy; and Art Deco in Cinema in collaboration with the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, as well as an encore tribute to maestro David Lynch with Vidiots.

"This summer's invitation to the big screen is an offering to look at our notions of safety and home, our conceptions of beauty and design, and our humanity when we pour ourselves into the stories of others. The Archive is proud to serve as a vista point, where we encourage audiences to take in the views and lives of others," said May Hong HaDuong, director of the Archive.

Food and Film: Pather Panchali

Co-presented with the Hammer Museum, the quarterly Food and Film program, where each program pairs a movie with Alice Waters' latest culinary special dinner at Lulu restaurant, will take place July 12. This summer's event features renowned chef and restaurateur Waters in person, and a screening of Satyajit Ray's directorial debut, "Pather Panchali" (India, 1955), a masterwork of world cinema.

(Dis)placement: Fluctuations of Home

Co-presented by the UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy, a highlight of the summer will be the four-night series "(Dis)placement: Fluctuations of Home," running from July 13 to Aug. 17. This series will explore the concept of being housed and feeling at home among ongoing displacement from South Central Los Angeles to Palestine. Examining home as shelter, identity, belonging and collective memory, "Fluctuations of Home: Short Films From L.A. to D.C.," opens this program July 13, with Filmmaker Lupita Limón Corrales in person. The evening includes films by UCLA alumni: "L.A. Rebellion" movement filmmakers Charles Burnett ('69, M.F.A. '77) and Shirikiana Aina (M.A. '82), Los Angeles Filmforum programmer and educator Diego Robles ('06) and 2025 UCLA Luskin Institute Activist-in-Residence filmmaker Limón Corrales. Other special guests include "Moonlight" (2016) co-writer Tarell Alvin McCraney and "Razing Liberty Square" director Katja Esson July 18; and director Ephraim Asili Aug. 17.

Family Flicks

In collaboration with the Hammer Museum, the Archive will also continue its popular Family Flicks matinee series July 20 and Aug. 10, showcasing new and classic family-friendly films from around the world, including "Flow" (Latvia/Belgium/France, 2024) and "The Wild Robot" (2024), recommended for ages 6 and up.

Archive Talks: I May Destroy You: On Women and Anger; and Love, Queenie: Revisiting Merle Oberon

This quarter, the Archive Talks series will feature two engaging discussions. "'I May Destroy You': On Women and Anger" takes place July 19, with professor Kathleen McHugh, from the department of English and the department of film, television and digital media, discussing Michaela Coel's HBO Max television series and its exploration of female anger post-#MeToo. The event will feature the screening of three episodes exploring trauma, consent and survival. On Aug. 2, Archive Talks features "Love, Queenie: Revisiting Merle Oberon," with a screening of "Dark Waters" (1944) and a conversation with Mayukh Sen, author of "Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood's First South Asian Star," moderated by film programmer Miriam Bale.

The Devil Finds Work: James Baldwin's Cinema of the Mind

From July 25 to Aug. 15, the Archive is honored to present a series celebrating the writings of James Baldwin, "The Devil Finds Work: James Baldwin's Cinema of the Mind." This six-night series features films from 1932 to 1973 critiqued in his book-length essay "The Devil Finds Work," documentaries about his life and in-person dramatic readings by guests. July 25 brings the screening of the documentary on Baldwin's life, "James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket" (1985); July 27 will feature "A Tale of Two Cities" (1936), an adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel, significant to Baldwin's early life; Aug. 3, the Archive will show "In This Our Life" (1942), the Bette Davis film critiquing racial injustice; Aug. 8, we'll feature "Tales of Manhattan" (1942), a film praised by Baldwin. On offer Aug. 10 is "The Exorcist" (1973), Baldwin's critique on human violence disguised as supernatural evil. Then, Aug. 15, we'll feature "In The Heat of the Night" (1967), the racially charged noir starring Sidney Poitier and more.

Robert Altman's America: A Centennial Review

Presented by the Archive and the Hugh M. Hefner Classic American Film Program from Aug. 1 to Sept. 26, "Robert Altman's America: A Centennial Review" is a retrospective that reflects on his vision of egalitarian cinema. Altman's hallmark techniques democratized the film image, challenging classical Hollywood norms. Screenings include, Aug. 1, "Nashville" (1975); Aug. 16, "3 Women" (1977) and "Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" (1982); Aug. 24, "M*A*S*H*" (1970) and "Brewster McCloud" (1970); Sept. 13, "The Long Goodbye" (1973) and "California Split" (1974); Sept. 14, "Thieves Like Us" (1974) and "Kansas City" (1996); Sept. 19 "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971) and "Popeye" (1980); Sept. 20, "The Player" (1992); Sept. 26, "Short Cuts" (1993)

Art Deco in the Movies: A Centennial Celebration

This three-night series, from Aug. 17-23, presented by UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, celebrates the centennial of the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. It highlights art deco's influence in cinema. Film titles to be announced. The series opens off-site at The Saban Theater, Beverly Hills.

Archive Television Treasures

Made possible by the John H. Mitchell Television Programming Endowment, these programs, from July 26 to Sept. 27, are from the Archives' archival television collections, the largest in the U.S., with over 170,000 holdings. Screening July 26 is "Space Age Television Rarity: William Shatner starring in 'Night of the Auk'"(5/2/1960). Aug. 9 we have "Psychedelic Noir: Dragnet 1967-68," a trio of episodes exploring the flower-child era in the 1960s: "Dragnet: 'The Big LSD'" (1/12/1967), "Dragnet: 'The Big Prophet'" (1/11/1968) and "Dragnet: 'The Big High'" (11/2/1967). Then, Sept. 27, the Archive brings you an eclectic mix of television programming celebrating beloved icon Vincent Price, titled "Beyond Terror: Vincent Price on Television." The event will feature an in-person Q&A with author Victoria Price, Vincent Price's daughter. Among the titles screening are "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: 'The Perfect Crime'" (10/20/1957), "Night Gallery: 'Class of '99'" (9/22/1971), rare talk show appearances and much more.

Silent Movie Day 2025

Celebrate Silent Movie Day Sept. 28 with Mary Pickford and Cecil B. DeMille's wartime classic "The Little American" (1917). Angela (Pickford) is torn between two lovers fighting on opposite sides in WWI, presented in 4K digital restoration and with a new musical score composed by Adam Chavez. The program also features UCLA associate motion picture curator and co-founder of Silent Movie Day, Steven K. Hill, in person.

Additionally, co-presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and Vidiots, join us for an encore tribute to maestro David Lynch to see all seven episodes of the cult-classic television series "On the Air" (1992), June 5. This event will be held off-site, hosted by Vidiots at the Eagle Theatre in Eagle Rock. Also, July 11, come see the last program of the "Beyond Barbie" series, as it reexamines girlhood, with the rescheduled screenings of "Summer 1993" (2017) and "System Crasher" (2019), featuring an introduction by and Q&A with "System Crasher" director Nora Fingscheidt (via video).

Screenings held at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum are free through June 2026, thanks to a gift from an anonymous donor.

For details on all programs and admission information, please visit cinema.ucla.edu. Schedules and guest speakers are subject to change.