Real Art Ways | Independent Cinema | Contemporary Art | Live Art

Science on Screen: Agent of Happiness (2024)

Real Art Ways’ new season of Science on Screen® invites you to experience the creative pairing of a feature film and a thought-provoking talk from a notable area scientist. This year, we will be presenting this series at the Connecticut Science Center.

Film Synopsis

How is happiness measured? Can satisfaction with one’s life be rated on a scale from one to ten? The Kingdom of Bhutan’s famous and highly exoticized government policy measuring its nation’s Gross National Happiness operates on the idea that the basic tenets of fulfillment can and should be quantified when calculating its nation’s development.

Happiness Agent Amber Gurung embarks on a journey through the Himalayan mountains to survey the contentment of citizens from different households and lifestyles. While Amber dutifully administers this census, he, too is forced to confront his own struggles with fulfillment, and question what makes him happy. A “quiet, gently absorbing documentary” (The Guardian), AGENT OF HAPPINESS is a holistic exploration of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness index, using “meaningful visual contrast to scrutinize Bhutan’s narrative about itself” (Variety).

Filmmakers Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó carefully craft a visually stunning, tender narrative around the age-old quest to find the purpose of life.

Program

3:00 pm: Dr. Paola Sachetti will lead a talk that delves into the role dopamine plays in our mental health and the ever-elusive search for happiness.

3:30 pm: Screening of Agent of Happiness

About Dr. Paola Sachetti

Dr. Sachetti is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Hartford. Her research focuses on neuroscience and molecular biology. She studies how transcription factors control the expression of genes important for the development of brain cells. Her work focuses on dopamine neurons, the cells that die in patients affected by Parkinson’s disease.

Science on Screen is an initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.

Science on Screen: Wall-E (2008)

Real Art Ways’ new season of Science on Screen® invites you to experience the creative pairing of a feature film and a thought-provoking talk from a notable area scientist. This year, we will be presenting this series at the Connecticut Science Center.

Film Synopsis

WALL-E, short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class, is the last robot left on Earth. He spends his days tidying up the planet, one piece of garbage at a time. But during 700 years, WALL-E has developed a personality, and he’s more than a little lonely. Then he spots EVE, a sleek and shapely probe sent back to Earth on a scanning mission. Smitten WALL-E embarks on an adventure when he follows EVE across the galaxy.

Program

3:00 pm: Dr. Shalabh Gupta will discuss how robotics is changing our world in every way for good and ill.

3:30 pm: Screening of Wall-E

About Dr. Shalabh Gupta

Dr. Gupta is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He heads the Laboratory of Intelligent Networked Systems and Robotics (also known as LINKS); his interests are built around various problems related to Cyber-physical Systems. His work focuses on Data Analytics, Information Fusion, Resilient Infrastructures, Distributed Intelligent Systems, Networked-control Systems, Swarm Robotics, Sensor Networks, Smart Grids, Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles, Adaptive Navigation & Path Planning, and Diagnostics & Prognostics in Complex Systems.

Science on Screen is an initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.

Science on Screen: Point Break (1991)

Real Art Ways’ new season of Science on Screen® invites you to experience the creative pairing of a feature film and a thought-provoking talk from a notable area scientist. This year, we will be presenting this series at the Connecticut Science Center.

Film Synopsis

After a string of bizarre bank robberies in Southern California, with the crooks donning masks of various former presidents, a federal agent, Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), infiltrates the suspected gang. But this is no ordinary group of robbers. They’re surfers, led by the charismatic Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), who are addicted to the rush of thievery. When Utah falls in love with a female surfer, Tyler (Lori Petty), who is close to the gang, it complicates his sense of duty.

Program

3:00 pm: Dr. Natale Sciolino, UConn

3:30 pm: Screening of Point Break

About Dr. Natale Sciolino

Dr. Sciolino is the Assistant Professor of Physiology & Neurobiology at the University of Connecticut and leads the Neural Circuits in Motivated Behavior research group. Her work focuses on understanding how central norepinephrine (NE) signaling regulates motivated behaviors, including the pursuit of reward and the avoidance of danger. Specifically, her research aims to identify the NE circuits and receptors involved in behaviors, such as feeding and responses to threat.

Science on Screen is an initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.

Science on Screen: Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Real Art Ways’ new season of Science on Screen® invites you to experience the creative pairing of a feature film and a thought-provoking talk from a notable area scientist. This year, we will be presenting this series at the Connecticut Science Center.

Film Synopsis

Harried paleontologist David Huxley (Cary Grant) has to make a good impression on society matron Mrs. Random (May Robson), who is considering donating one million dollars to his museum. On the day before his wedding, Huxley meets Mrs. Random’s high-spirited young niece, Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn), a madcap adventuress who immediately falls for the straitlaced scientist. The ever-growing chaos, including a missing dinosaur bone and a pet leopard, threatens to swallow him whole.

Program

3:00 pm: Professor Bhart-Anjan Bhullar

3:30 pm: Screening of Bringing Up Baby

About Professor Bhullar

Professor Bhart-Anjan Bhullar is the Associate Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Yale University and the Associate Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology and Vertebrate Zoology for the Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven. His work focuses on great transitions in the history of vertebrates.

Science on Screen is an initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.

Science on Screen: My Octopus Teacher (2020)

Real Art Ways’ new season of Science on Screen® invites you to experience the creative pairing of a feature film and a thought-provoking talk from a notable area scientist. This year, we will be presenting this series at the Connecticut Science Center.

Film Synopsis

A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.

Program

3:00 pm: Dr. Elizabeth Casterly will lead a discussion on the fantastic and alien life form that is the cephalopod. She will talk about the complexities of interspecies communication and how relating to disparate life forms teaches us more about humanity.

3:30 pm: Screening of My Octopus Teacher

About Dr. Elizabeth Casterly

Dr. Elizabeth Casterly is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Trinity College. Her research and teaching focus on human cognition, particularly with respect to speech and communication. These are inherently interdisciplinary topics – understanding the mind requires knowledge from neuroanatomical connections and electrophysiology to schools of philosophical thought and contemporary computer science. Her particular study of language has involved physics, engineering, formal linguistics, fieldwork on Scandinavian languages in the North Atlantic, computer science, psychology, and the speech and hearing sciences. She believes that it is only when we bring these diverse views together that we can hope to unpack the complexities of humanity’s cognitive underpinnings.

Science on Screen is an initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.

Science on Screen: Proforestation: Letting Forests Grow Old (2026)

Real Art Ways’ new season of Science on Screen® invites you to experience the creative pairing of a feature film and a thought-provoking talk from a notable area scientist. This year, we will be presenting this series at the Connecticut Science Center.

Film Synopsis

The evolution of forests has helped to optimize the fundamental conditions for life on Earth – an oxygenated atmosphere, fresh water on land, a stable, moderate climate, food, shelter, timber resources, etc. Yet, the exploitation and manipulation of forests continue to increase, threatening the stability of those conditions locally and globally.

This film introduces the concept of “proforestation” – a scientific term that was developed to address a gap in the research literature. Proforestation is a practice whereby some existing forests are allowed to evolve and adapt as Nature directs, with limited human intervention, and with benefits for climate, ecology, and health.

Program

3:00 pm: Dr. Susan Masino will discuss the lifecycle of old-growth forests and how new models of conservation look to heal forest habitats.

3:30 pm: Screening of Proforestation

About Dr. Susan Masino

Dr. Masino is the Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of Applied Science at Trinity College and holds a joint appointment in Neuroscience and Psychology. Her research focuses on promoting and restoring brain health, with a particular interest in adenosine, and on the relationship among metabolism, brain activity, and behavior.

In addition to her lab research, Dr. Masino is interested in how public policies can improve brain health. Between 2018 and 2019, she was a Charles Bullard Fellow in Forest Research at Harvard and published the seminal paper on the benefits of proforestation for climate stabilization, biodiversity, and public health.

Science on Screen is an initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.

2026 Oscar Nominated Shorts

For the 21st consecutive year, ShortsTV presents the Oscar-Nominated Short Films! This year, we will be showing the full program at Cinestudio in Hartford.

With all three categories – Animated, Live Action and Documentary – this is your chance to predict the winners and have the edge in your Oscar pool)! An annual hit with audiences around the world, don’t miss this year’s selection of shorts. The Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 15, 7-10 pm. Mark your calendar to watch and see who wins!

For all showtimes and tickets, visit the Cinestudio website here.

DUE TO THE FORECAST FOR A WINTER STORM, CINESTUDIO WILL CANCEL THE SCREENINGS BELOW AND REFUND/EXCHANGE TICKETS PURCHASED IN ADVANCE:

Sunday, Feb 22 – Animated Shorts 6:30 pm

Monday, Feb 23 -Animated Shorts 3:30 pm; Documentary Shorts 7:00 pm

Please call the Box Office at Cinestudio for additional assistance: (860) 297-2544

Thank you for understanding, and stay safe out there!

BUTCHER’S STAIN by Meyer Levinson-Blount

Samir, an Arab Israeli working in a supermarket in Tel Aviv, is accused of tearing down hostage posters in the break room. He sets out to prove his innocence to keep this job that he desperately needs. 2025, Israel, in Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles, 26 minutes.

A FRIEND OF DOROTHY by Lee Knight

A lonely widow’s (Miriam Margolyes) quiet life is upended when a teenage boy accidentally kicks his football into her garden. 2025, U.K., 21 minutes.

JANE AUSTEN’S PERIOD DRAMA by Steve Pinder & Julia Aks

Set in England in 1813, in the middle of a long-awaited marriage proposal, Miss Estrogenia Talbot gets her period. Her suitor, Mr. Dickley, mistakes the blood for an injury, and it soon becomes clear that his expensive education has missed a spot. 2024, U.S., 13 minutes.

THE SINGERS by Sam Davis

An impromptu sing-off will decide the best singer in the bar tonight. 2025, U.S., 18 minutes.

TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALIVA by Alexandre Singh & Natalie Musteata

In a society where kissing is punishable by death and people pay for things by receiving slaps to the face, Angeline, an unhappy woman, shops compulsively in a department store where she becomes fascinated by a playful salesgirl. Despite the prohibition of kissing, the two become close, raising the suspicions of a jealous colleague. 2024, France/U.S., in French with English subtitles, 36 minutes.

Some films in this program contain adult language, adult themes and sensual images. Recommended for persons 17 and up.

PAPILLON (BUTTERFLY) by Florence Miailhe

As a man swims in the sea, memories come to the surface. The recollections are from his early childhood to his maturity all of which are linked to water. 2024, France, in French Arabic and German with English subtitles, 15 minutes.

FOREVERGREEN by Nathan Engelhardt & Jeremy Spears

An orphaned bear cub finds a home with a fatherly evergreen tree, until his hunger for trash leads him to danger. 2025, U.S., 13 minutes.

LA JEUNE FILLE QUI PLEURAIT DES PERLES (THE GIRL WHO CRIED PEARLS) by Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski

A haunting fable about a girl overwhelmed by sorrow, the boy who loves her, and how greed leads good hearts to wicked deeds. 2025, Canada, in English and French with English subtitles, 17 minutes.

RETIREMENT PLAN by John Kelly

In the throes of his overstimulated, energy poor midlife, Ray fantasizes about everything he’d love to do in retirement, once he finally has the “time.” 2024, Ireland, 7 minutes.

THE THREE SISTERS by Timur Kognov

Three sisters living on an isolated island must rent out one of their houses. 2024, Israel/Cyprus/Russia, 14 minutes.

ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS by Joshua Seftel

This film follows correspondent Steve Hartmand and photographer Lou Bopp as they embark on a seven-year-long project to document the empty bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. 2025, U.S., 34 minutes.

ARMED ONLY WITH A CAMERA: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BRENT RENAUD by Craig Renaud & Brent Renaud

An intimate chronicle about documentary filmmaker Brent Renaud, the first American journalist killed while reporting on the Russo-Ukrainian War. 2025, U.S., in English, Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, and Somali with English subtitles, 37 minutes.

CHILDREN NO MORE: “WERE AND ARE GONE” by Hilla Medalia

Israeli peace activists hold silent vigils in Tel Aviv, displaying photos of Gaza’s young victims. Despite facing public backlash, their wordless demonstrations powerfully highlight war’s human cost. 2025, U.S./Israel/U.K., in Hebrew with English subtitles, 36 minutes.

THE DEVIL IS BUSY by Geeta Gandbhir & Christalyn Hampton

At an Atlanta abortion clinic besieged by protesters, the director of operations takes necessary risks to safeguard staff and patients. 2024, U.S., 31 minutes.

PERFECTLY A STRANGENESS by Alison McAlpine

In the dazzling incandescence of an unknown desert, three donkeys discover an abandoned astronomical observatory and the universe. A sensorial, cinematic exploration of what a story can be. 2024, Canada/Chile, 15 minutes.

Old Growth Forest: Nature’s Biotic Water Pump

UPDATE as of Monday, 2/23: We will reschedule this event due to the unsafe weather conditions of the storm. Please stay tuned for the new date that will be announced soon. Thank you for understanding, and stay safe!

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A New England Forests film, directed by naturalist, local nature documentary filmmaker, and friend of Real Art Ways, Ray Asselin. Old Growth Forest: Nature’s Biotic Water Pump is the next film in Asselin’s New England Forests series for America 250.

The free screening will take place on Monday, February 23, at Simsbury Public Library and is co-sponsored by the Simsbury Grange and Simsbury Land Trust.

The film will be followed by a Q&A with Ray Asselin and Trinity College Professor and Hartford County’s Old Growth Forest Network Coordinator, Susan A. Masino.

Ray has screened various projects at RAW over the years, including MARVEL OF SEEDS, THE LOST FORESTS OF NEW ENGLAND, and the BEAVER POND WILDLIFE series.

Have you ever thought about where fresh water comes from? How it gets here? Yes, rainfall brings it, but do you know how and why rain falls across the breadth of the land? Or possibly, why it doesn’t?

For decades now, we’ve been hearing considerable discussion of how greenhouse gases, particularly CO2, cause climate change. What has been almost totally ignored is the effect that alteration of land cover has on our climate. It’s not just about carbon, and never was. The greenhouse gas effect is just one half of the climate change story. Land cover change is the other half, and just as important.

Keeping the land hydrated is crucial to terrestrial life, but that lesson has been learned the hard way. Many cultures have destroyed the very thing that makes the land habitable… forests. Places such as Egypt, Africa, Australia, and others have become deserts because their forests were cut to the point where the hydrological cycle was disrupted; the soil dried out and could not recover on its own (ie, it became a “landscape trap”).

That destructive behavior is still happening today in places like Canada, America, Chile, and the Amazon, putting those places also on the trajectory to desertification.

This film, together with “The Return of Old Growth Forests,” explains the role that forests play in making Earth a place where life thrives.

The 2nd Annual Hartford Film Showcase

You’re invited to the 2nd annual Hartford Film Showcase!

Presented by The Hartford Film Foundation, hosted at Cinestudio, in partnership with Real Art Ways, the showcase is an all-day event featuring some of Hartford’s filmmaking talent!

Hartford Film Company presents short and feature films spanning various styles and genres, made in Hartford or by filmmakers in the Hartford area. Stay for a filmmaker panel and talkback to learn how these films were made and get to know some of the creative talent in this region.

Cinestudio, 300 Summit Street, Hartford

Saturday, February 7, Noon-8 pm

While the event is free and open to the public, we recommend that you reserve your tickets in advance.

Learn more about the showcase and RSVP here.

This showcase is made possible by the generous support of the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

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Program schedule:

11:30a – Doors Open
12:00p – Short Films Block
- Finding Pa by Enrique Lebron
- Flashing Lights by Madonna Lewis
- Seguimos Aqui by Jon Cruz
- This Is for the Best by Derrick Christie
- Weight of a Warrior by Roodley Merilo
- Mag 2 – Do Not Open by Wally Sample
- The Mask by Octavius McGhee-Kelly
- The Knock Knock Game by Mac Hendrickson
2:00p – Short Films Discussion Moderated by Hartford’s Director of Arts and Culture Taneisha Duggan
2:30p – Free lunch provided by Red Rock Tavern in Hamlin Hall
3:30p – Screening Episodes 1 + 2 of The Artist, followed by a talkback, moderated by TJ Noel-Sullivan
6:00p – “Special Sneak Peek Screening”
8:00p – Event Ends

BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (Screening & Audience Discussion)

Please join us for a special screening on Friday, January 2nd, at 7 pm, and stay for an audience activation and discussion facilitated by Rodneyna Hart, Deputy Director of The Amistad Center for Art & Culture.

For advance tickets, please click here.

If you’ve watched the film, you’re welcome to join the audience discussion post-screening (without a ticket). We’ll host the discussion in our Real Room gallery starting at 9pm. All are welcome.

Rodneyna M. O. Hart is a community-centered cultural leader with nearly 20 years of experience advancing museums and arts organizations as platforms for education, equity, and public engagement. As Deputy Director of The Amistad Center for Art & Culture in Hartford, Connecticut, she plays a central role in developing mission-driven programs, exhibitions, and partnerships that expand access to Black art, history, and cultural expression for diverse and intergenerational audiences.

Hart works closely with artists, educators, civic leaders, and community organizations to create programming rooted in collaboration, cultural accountability, and shared stewardship. Her leadership focuses on strengthening institutional sustainability while ensuring museums remain responsive, welcoming, and relevant to the communities they serve.

Previously, Hart served as Museum Division Director for the Louisiana State Museum system, overseeing four museums statewide. In that role, she expanded public programming, increased attendance, strengthened earned revenue, and advanced equitable access to cultural resources across urban and rural communities. Across her career, she has consistently centered community relevance, operational excellence, and public trust.

Hart holds a BFA in Studio Art and an MBA from Louisiana State University, bringing a rare blend of creative vision and fiscal acumen to her work. Appointed by the Governor to the Louisiana State Arts Council and Folklife Commission, she has helped shape cultural policy while advocating for artists, cultural workers, and community-based institutions.

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“Khalil Joseph radically reimagines the world through a Black lens, while self-reflexively observing the difficulties of doing so. The film is a pulsing, essayistic docu-fiction piece that defies categorization.” – Variety

100% on Rotten Tomatoes

Adapted from Kahlil Joseph’s renowned video art installation, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions is a distinctive cinematic experience that mirrors the sonic textures of a record album, weaving fiction and history in an immersive journey where the fictionalized figures of W. E. B Du Bois and Marcus Garvey join artists, musicians, Joseph’s family, and even Twitter chats, in a vision for black consciousness.

The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (2015)

“Strangers” offers an inspiring look at creative people from very different walks of life who nonetheless communicate beautifully with one another. They don’t need to speak a common language: Their dazzling music says it all.” – Washington Post

“What drives the narrative is the musicians’ mutual desire to forge meaningful connections across cultures, an affirmative answer to Leonard Bernstein’s question of whether music can truly serve as a “universal language.” – Chicago Reader

“An irresistible kaleidoscope of music and good fellowship…” – Seattle Times

“A highly-polished, musically delightful portrait” – The Hollywood Reporter

From filmmaker Morgan Neville, the director of the Oscar-winning documentary “20 Feet from Stardom,” comes the extraordinary story of the renowned international musical collective, The Silk Road Ensemble, created by legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

The Wild Robot (2024)

Tickets for this animated film screening include a cereal buffet. Come get your fix of nostalgic favorites…cut fruit and milk will be available. Coffee and tea (for exhausted parents) will be sold separately.

This is a family-friendly event – feel free to come in your pajamas. All ages are welcome!

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“The lessons of The Wild Robot are simple, but the artistry it uses to get there is anything but. It’s the kind of kids movie that feels all too rare with its painterly backdrops and genuine earnestness. The whole family is likely to fall in love.” – The Daily Beast

“Family audiences rejoice! The Oscar for Best Animated Film belongs right here in this enchanting tale of a robot, voiced by the amazing Lupita Nyong’o, who finds herself playing mother to a baby goose. The result is spectacular in every sense of the word.” – ABC News (2024)

“It’s a breathtakingly human film — about a bird and a bot.” – New York Post

97% on Rotten Tomatoes

The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot–ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short – that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

Old Forest or Young Meadow – The Marvel of Seeds

A New England Forests film, directed by naturalist, local nature documentary filmmaker, and friend of Real Art Ways, Ray Asselin.

This will be the theater premiere of Old Forest or Young Meadow – The Marvel of Seeds, and will kick off a series of Ray’s screenings for America 250 in the region. Ray has screened various projects at RAW over the years, including THE LOST FORESTS OF NEW ENGLAND and the BEAVER POND WILDLIFE series.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Ray Asselin and Trinity College Professor and Hartford County’s Old Growth Forest Network Coordinator, Susan A. Masino.

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Have you ever thought about how, almost magically, a brown, bulldozed piece of land turns green with plants again? How do all those plants get there so quickly? Where did they come from? It’s amazing that nature has developed this process of having new plants always ready to go, in tiny embryonic packages.

Seeds allow us to readily raise crops. They replenish the forests we take down. They make burned habitat or lava-covered ground productive again.

Plants, like all life forms, do not live forever, so they must reproduce. They cast themselves into the future via the seeds they produce, which can wait out poor or impossible growth conditions until such time as conditions become favorable. That could be days, weeks, years, even millennia.

Since the parent plant can’t move around to place seeds here and there, it has to have some other way to get the seeds dispersed. And that’s the subject of the new film, Old Forest or Young Meadow – the Marvel of Seeds.

Plants have evolved over many millions of years. In that time, nature has devised some fascinating methods for them to colonize new sites. Some are rather mundane, but others are intriguing; some are surprising and quite entertaining.

This film describes the evolution of plants on Earth, and features many of the fascinating ways seeds are dispersed. Some are curious, some are downright delightful. Some, we guarantee, you have never witnessed.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

“…a hoot with heart.” – Detroit News

“Warmly funny and deeply delightful.” – Screen International

“Director Taika Waititi proves expert in his management of tone, such that the farcical elements, however numerous, don’t detract from the very real friendship the renegades develop as they elude the world’s most dedicated social services officer.” – San Diego Reader

“Hunt for the Wilderpeople has been a huge audience favourite at festivals this year and you can see why, with its brand of dark New Zealand humour, coupled with a boy’s own adventure story that goes not merely off the rails, but off-road and off-grid.” – The Times (UK, 2016)

“There’s brilliant chemistry between Dennison and Neil, the pair quite obviously bouncing off each other; a joy to watch on screen, and as the story progresses you begin to feel like a member of their special pack, gleefully part of the adventure.” – Independent (UK)

97% on Rotten Tomatoes

Raised on hip-hop and foster care, defiant city kid Ricky (Julian Dennison) gets a fresh start in the New Zealand countryside. He quickly finds himself at home with his new foster family: the loving Aunt Bella, the cantankerous Uncle Hec (Sam Neill), and dog Tupac.

When a tragedy strikes that threatens to ship Ricky to another home, both he and Hec go on the run in the bush. As a national manhunt ensues, the newly branded outlaws must face their options: go out in a blaze of glory or overcome their differences and survive as a family.

Equal parts road comedy and coming-of-age drama, director Taika Waititi masterfully weaves lively humor with emotionally honest performances by Sam Neill and Julian Dennison.

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

This is the last movie we will show at Real Art Ways before we begin construction in 2026.

You’re invited to enjoy this classic Italian film with our staff and community of movie lovers in our cinema.

A “farewell” affogato will be available for purchase.

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“Still rapturous after all these years, Cinema Paradiso stands as one of the great films about movie love.” – Washington Post

“A cinema-lover’s delight.” – Metro (UK)

“Where the original release was an essay in childish delight and adolescent longing, topped off by a muted coda implying that you really can go home again, the reissue is a fully realized epic of the heart.” – Boston Globe

“In the director’s cut, the film is not only a love song to the movies but it also is more fully an example of the kind of lush, all-enveloping movie experience it rhapsodizes.” – Houston Chronicle

Won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards in 1990.

90% on Rotten Tomatoes

Young Salvatore Di Vita (Salvatore Cascio) discovers the perfect escape from life in his war-torn Sicilian village: the Cinema Paradiso movie house, where projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret) instills in the boy a deep love of films. When Salvatore grows up, falls in love with a beautiful local girl (Agnese Nano) and takes over as the Paradiso’s projectionist, Alfredo must convince Salvatore to leave his small town and pursue his passion for filmmaking.

Charade

“Few thrillers create as much sheer joy and happiness as Charade, in which Cary Grant spoofs his Alfred Hitchcock persona, Audrey Hepburn exudes her usual magnetic charm, and Paris is as scenic as ever.” – San Francisco Chronicle

“A terrifically entertaining comedy-thriller.” – Chicago Reader

“Firsttime teaming of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, a natural, gives the sophisticated romantic caper an international appeal, plus the selling points of adventure, suspense and suberb comedy.” – Variety

“Charade still feels fresh, quick-witted…” – Salon.com

95% on Rotten Tomatoes

After Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) falls for the dashing Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband’s World War II cronies, Tex (James Coburn), Scobie (George Kennedy) and Gideon (Ned Glass), who are after a quarter of a million dollars the quartet stole while behind enemy lines. But why does Peter keep changing his name?

Mississippi Masala

“Mississippi Masala appears to have been produced on a modest (by Hollywood standards) budget, but it is a big movie in terms of talent, geography and concerns.” – NYT

“It moves in fits and starts and it isn’t obsessively tidy about each and every loose end, but in its sweet, slightly melancholy, gently humorous way, it fills the screen with the freshest, most winning love story we’ve seen in ages.” – Boston Globe

“…amazingly fresh and lively.” – Chicago Tribune

“The movie is both wonderfully tender and wryly funny. Nair perfectly captures the contrasting lifestyles… She treats all her characters with such playful affection and obvious sensitivity that they are hard to resist.” – NY Daily News

92% on Rotten Tomatoes

The vibrant cultures of India, Uganda, and the American South are blended and simmered into a rich and fragrant fusion feast in Mira Nair’s luminous look at the complexities of love in the modern melting pot. Years after her Indian family was forced to flee their home in Uganda by the dictatorship of Idi Amin, twentysomething Mina (Sarita Choudhury) finds herself helping to run a motel in the faraway land of Mississippi. It’s there that a passionate romance with the charming Black carpet cleaner Demetrius (Denzel Washington) challenges the prejudices of their conservative families and exposes the rifts between the region’s Indian and African American communities. Tackling thorny issues of racism, colorism, culture clash, and displacement with big-hearted humor and keen insight, Nair serves up a sweet, sexy, and radical celebration of love’s power to break down the barriers between us.

Exhibition on Screen: Caravaggio

“Articulate & intelligent… Beautifully crisp and detailed closeups of the work, well-informed and articulate talking-heads, and a nicely judged overall approach that is intelligent but not indigestible.” – The Guardian

“The documentary succeeds on all fronts: creativity blended with insight that progresses our understanding of the artist. Exhibition on Screen has another hit on its hands.” – The Reviews Hub

“Probably the greatest film I’ve ever seen on Caravaggio. There’s no better way to learn about this artist and his work – besides a university degree – than this documentary.” – Walter Francisco, Director, Chichester International Film Festival

Mystery, intrigue, beauty, passion, murder – shine a new light on Caravaggio in this dramatic biography…

Five years in production, this is the most extensive film ever made about one of the greatest artists of all time – Caravaggio. Featuring masterpiece after masterpiece and with first-hand testimony from the artist himself on the eve of his mysterious disappearance, this beautiful new film reveals Caravaggio as never before.

Multi-award-winning filmmakers David Bickerstaff and Phil Grabsky delve into the hidden narratives of Caravaggio’s life, piecing together clues embedded within his incredible art. The intriguing self-depictions within his works — sometimes disguised, sometimes in plain sight — offer a rare window into his psyche and personal struggles. Join us as we unravel the story of one of history’s most brilliant, complex and controversial figures.

Caravaggio’s masterpieces are some of art’s most instantly recognisable. No one else uses his signature blend of dramatic light, intense naturalism and bold, striking figures. His incredible paintings have captivated audiences for centuries. But there lies a deeper mystery — one that still beckons us to explore. What do these masterpieces reveal about the man behind the brush? Join us as we explore the intriguing clues that help us to finally understand the life – and death – of this remarkable man.

One Battle After Another

“Anderson elicits memorable inflections of dialogue, intent glances, brazen thrashes of energy and outbursts of fury from his charismatic cast, making “One Battle After Another” a feast of inspired and dedicated acting.” – Richard Brody, The New Yorker

“…one of the most thrilling cinema events of the year.” – Wendy Ide, Observer (UK)

“Not only does [Paul Thomas Anderson] push himself and really try different things, both visually and narratively, it just feels like everything works together so precisely. Very entertaining. Completely riveted.” – Monica Castillo, Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR)

“One Battle After Another, as great an American movie as I’ve seen this year, doesn’t simply meet the moment; with extraordinary tenderness, fury, and imagination, it forges a moment all its own, and insists that better ones could still lie ahead.” – Justin Chang, The New Yorker

95% on Rotten Tomatoes

Bob is a washed-up revolutionary who lives in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited and self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces, and Willa goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her as both father and daughter battle the consequences of their pasts.

Eternity

“It’s not just the thought-through ingenuity of the set-up but also the gloss and grandness of the filmmaking, an A24 production that feels like it should have the Touchstone Pictures logo at the start.” – Benjamin Lee, Guardian

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with (Miles Teller) and her first love (Callum Turner), who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.