Legendary actor Udo Kier stars as retired hairdresser Pat Pitsenbarger, who escapes the confines of his small-town Sandusky, Ohio nursing home after learning of his former client’s dying wish for him to style her final hairdo. Soon, Pat embarks on an odyssey to confront the ghosts of his past — and collect the beauty supplies necessary for the job. SWAN SONG is a comical and bittersweet journey about rediscovering one’s sparkle, and looking gorgeous while doing so.
“Udo Kier’s best performance.” – FilmWeek
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
Fueled by artistic expression and limited only by their runtime, short films transcend traditional storytelling. They are a significant and popular way artists can connect with audiences. From documentary to animation, narrative to experimental, the abbreviated form is no longer just for the novice. Shorts have and will continue to be an important part of cinema, storytelling, and culture. The Sundance Film Festival has always been proud to treat short films with the highest regard and to give a home to new (and old) projects for audiences to discover and celebrate.
The 2021 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is comprised of 7 short films selected from the 2021 Sundance Film Festival program, widely considered the premier showcase for short films and the launchpad for many now-prominent independent filmmakers for close to 40 years. Including fiction, documentary and animation from around the world, the 2021 program offers new audiences a taste of what the Festival offers and shows that short films transcend traditional storytelling.
Films:
BJ’s Mobile Gift Shop / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Jason Park) — A young Korean-American hustler runs throughout the city of Chicago making sales out of his “mobile gift shop.”
Black Bodies / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Kelly Fyffe-Marshall) — A Black man laments as he comes face-to-face with the realities of being Black in the 21st century.
The Criminals / France, Romania, Turkey (Director and Screenwriter: Serhat Karaaslan) — In a town in Turkey, a young couple is looking for some privacy. They are rejected from the hotels because they do not have a marriage certificate. When they think they found a way, the situation gets out of hand. The Criminals received the 2021 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Writing.
KKUM / South Korea, U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Kang-min Kim) — My mother’s dreams have always been strong premonitions for important moments in my life. I rely on her dreams more than any religion.
To Know Her / U.S.A., Hong Kong (Director: Natalie Chao) — A poetic exploration of the camera’s gaze and a family’s relationship with the filmmaker’s mother.
White Wedding / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Melody C. Roscher) — Amidst a racially tense Southern wedding, a biracial bride has the chance to confront her estranged Black father after accidentally hiring his wedding band to perform.
Wiggle Room / U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Sam Guest, Julia Baylis) — Determined to save her wheelchair ramp from repossession, Daisy confronts the shady insurance agent who owes her money. Wiggle Room received the 2021 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Acting.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
“An elegant, impressionistic primer.” – Los Angeles Times
“A haunting portrait of what it means to be an artist.” – San Fransisco Chronicle
Alvin Ailey was a pioneer for African American dancers. Many know the name Alvin Ailey, but how many know the man? Ailey’s commitment to searching for truth in movement resulted in enduring choreography that centers on African American experiences. Director Jamila Wignot’s resonant biography grants artful access to the elusive visionary who founded one of the world’s most renowned dance companies, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
What is normal? How far would a mother go to reverse her child’s fate? Based on writer/director Ann Hu’s story, that’s the question facing Lan (Zhu Zhu), who travels with her 9-year-old daughter Meimei (Harmonie He) from their small town in China to New York City.
Inflicted with a learning disability, Meimei is considered a strange and dumb girl, an outcast in her school and community. What no one recognizes, however, is that she possesses a gift waiting to be unlocked. The world seen through her eyes is unique and filled with magic. When her mother learns that Meimei suffers from dyslexia, as do 1 in 10 people worldwide, she will stop at nothing to help her, including leaving her life in China behind and venturing alone with Meimei to New York City, braving a place she knows nothing about and speaking not a word of English.
Director’s Statement:
I became a mom fifteen years ago. My baby girl was such a little living wonder that she never failed to wow me.
I can still remember the day when I left China for America, with an urgency to find a school that could teach children with dyslexia, a learning disability that was unheard of in China, but crippled the future of millions of children around the world.
Along my journey, I encountered many parents and children with similar struggles from all around America, China and the world. And I heard their stories. I was humbled by their experiences and determination, and shocked by how big the dyslexic population is (about 10-30%) internationally, and how little the world understands dyslexia, and how amazingly gifted these people are, and how few, even today, of us know that we have the tools to overcome it with proper guidance at an early age!
I learned this was a universal story. I began to write about what I saw, which became this film today.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
“metaphysical grace and hints of fantasy … haunting and powerful.” – New York Times
Director Emma Dante is a prolific opera director, having staged works of Gioachino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Georges Bizet, Francis Poulenc and others.
Dante is also a screenwriter. The Macaluso Sisters is adapted from her prize-winning stage play of the same name. This moving, decades-traversing drama follows a family of five orphaned sisters living in Palermo. When a sudden catastrophic seaside event alters the family dynamic, they are left grappling with the outcome. The delicate balance of sisterhood is tested in this accomplished, generation-spanning three-act feature film.
Premiered in competition at the 2020 Venice International Film Festival where it won the Pasinetti Awards (given by the National Union of Italian Journalists) for Best Film and Best Actress (awarded to the ensemble cast playing the sisters).
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
CatVideoFest is a compilation reel of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. CatVideoFest is a joyous communal experience, only available in theaters, and raises money for cats in need through partnerships with local cat charities, animal welfare organizations, and shelters to best serve cats in the area.
CatVideoFest is committed to raising awareness and money for cats in need around the world. A percentage of the proceeds from each event go to local animal shelters and/or animal welfare organizations. In 2019, over $50,000 was raised for local shelters in addition to adoptions, fostering and awareness raised at shows.
By focusing our fundraising efforts on behalf of local shelters and organizations, we’re able to divert money and attention directly to the places and causes that need it most. We trust local people working on behalf of cats to know and understand the problems that need to be solved.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
“This picture freshly demonstrates that a conventionally structured documentary can pack the fascination and wallop of an expertly executed fictional thriller.” – New York Times
“Lively and engrossing.” – Film Threat
“It plays like a thriller, like a heist.” – FilmWeek
Synopsis:
THE LOST LEONARDO tells the inside story behind the Salvator Mundi, the most expensive painting ever sold at $450 million, claimed to be a long-lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci.
From the moment it is purchased from a shady New Orleans auction house, and its buyers discover masterful brushstrokes beneath its cheap restoration, the fate of the Salvator Mundi is driven by an insatiable quest for fame, money and power. But as its price soars, so do questions about its authenticity. Is this multi-million dollar painting actually by Leonardo – or do certain power players simply want it to be?
Unraveling the hidden agendas of the world’s richest men and most powerful art institutions, THE LOST LEONARDO reveals how vested interests became all-important, and the truth secondary.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
Ben, a young Irish boy, and his little sister Saoirse, a girl who can turn into a seal, go on an adventure to save the spirit world.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
Akeelah, an 11-year-old girl living in South Los Angeles, discovers she has a talent for spelling, which she hopes will take her to the National Spelling Bee. Despite her mother’s objections, Akeelah doesn’t give up on her goal. She finds help in the form of a mysterious teacher, and along with overwhelming support from her community, Akeelah might just have what it takes to make her dream come true.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
“Shows the optimism and self-awareness that can come from creativity.” – NY Times
“True Art” – Los Angeles Times
Synopsis:
LIYANA is a genre-defying documentary that tells the story of five children in the Kingdom of Eswatini who turn past trauma into an original tale about a girl named Liyana who embarks on a perilous quest to save her young twin brothers. The film weaves her animated journey together with poetic documentary scenes to create an inspiring story of perseverance and hope.
LIYANA has played at festivals around the world, including the British Film Institute’s London Film Festival and MoMA’s Doc Fortnight, and has won more than 35 jury and audience awards so far.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
“Kubo offers visceral thrills and visual splendor, but it also champions the importance of kindness, forgiveness, and embracing humanity’s many imperfections.” – The Atlantic
Synopsis:
Young Kubo’s (Art Parkinson) peaceful existence comes crashing down when he accidentally summons a vengeful spirit from the past. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) to unlock a secret legacy. Armed with a magical instrument, Kubo must battle the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) and other gods and monsters to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
“It’s glorious, gorgeous, and more than a little profound.” – New York Magazine
Synopsis:
In a time of superstition and magic, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe, journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night.
As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the “Wolfwalkers” and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
“Even without Wallace and Gromit, most of the trademark joys are here: the compound of squashy creatures and heavy machinery, the wide, open-ended rictus of a toothy smile, and the great Parkian gulp.” – Anthony Lane, New Yorker
Synopsis:
This engaging stop-motion, claymation adventure tells the story of an American rooster who falls in love with a gorgeous hen on a British farm. The couple decides to run away from the farm, but they must first contend with the evil farmer who is intent on keeping them under her control. The chickens decide to attempt an escape so they don’t get turned into chicken pot pies.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
“It’s very compelling, and all the more so because it actually happened.” –NPR
“One of the most remarkable espionage stories of the 20th century.” –New York Magazine/Vulture
Synopsis:
THE COURIER is a true-life spy thriller, the story of an unassuming British businessman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) recruited into one of the greatest international conflicts in history. At the behest of the UK’s MI-6 and a CIA operative (Rachel Brosnahan), he forms a covert, dangerous partnership with Soviet officer Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze) in an effort to provide crucial intelligence needed to prevent a nuclear confrontation and defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
2017 Academy Award Nominee, Best Animated Feature, and Best Foreign Language Film
“An example of the kind of movie magic that’s always hard to find.” – Los Angeles Times
“A bittersweet celebration of friendship and empathy.” – NY Times
Synopsis:
“Zucchini” is befriended by a police officer, Raymond, who accompanies him to his new foster home.
At first, Zucchini struggles to find his place in this strange environment. But with Raymond’s help and his newfound friends, he eventually learns to trust and love, as he searches for a new family of his own.
Brought to life through memorable character designs and expressive stop-motion animation, the story soars with laughter, sorrow, and joy. It stands as a testament to the resilience of the human heart.
Voiced by Will Forte, Nick Offerman, Elliot Page, and Amy Sedaris.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
“The greatest Spider-Man epic of them all-and the coolest.” – Rolling Stone
“Two hours of thoroughgoing delight. Take the kids. Better yet, take the kid in yourself.” – Boston Globe
Synopsis:
Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realizes that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
“It’s moving and empowering, a reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we have to go.” –RogerEbert.com
Synopsis:
American jazz musician Billy Tipton developed a reputable touring and recording career in the mid-twentieth century, along with his band The Billy Tipton Trio. After his death in the late 80s, it was revealed that Tipton was assigned female at birth, and his life was swiftly reframed as the story of an ambitious woman passing as a man in pursuit of a music career.
The genre-defying documentary NO ORDINARY MAN seeks to correct that misrepresentation by collaborating with trans artists. As they collectively celebrate Tipton’s story as a musician living his life according to his own terms, they paint a portrait of a trans culture icon. NO ORDINARY MAN features leading voices and breakout stars in the trans community, including Marquise Vilsón, Scott Turner Schofield, Susan Stryker, C. Riley Snorton, and Thomas Page McBee, among others.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
“Jörg Adolph uses the sensorial capacities of cinema to thrillingly visualize a German forester’s contention that trees are social, sentient beings.” – NY Times
Synopsis:
Based on the best-selling book, renowned forester and author Peter Wohlleben discusses the life, death, and regeneration of trees.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
In the late 80s and early 90s, the streets of downtown Manhattan were the site of a collision between two vibrant subcultures: skateboarding and hip hop. Narrated by Zoo York co-founder Eli Gesner with an original score by legendary hip-hop producer Large Professor (Nas, A Tribe Called Quest), All the Streets Are Silent brings to life the magic of the time period and the convergence that created a style and visual language that would have an outsized and enduring cultural effect.
From the DJ booths and dance floors of the Mars nightclub to the founding of brands like Supreme, this convergence would lay the foundation for modern street style. Paris Is Burning meets Larry Clark’s KIDS, All the Streets Are Silent is a love letter to New York—examining race, society, fashion, and street culture.
Featuring never-before-seen archival footage from the era and interviews with celebrated characters from both worlds and figures from the downtown scene including Rosario Dawson, Harold Hunter, Justin Pierce, Keith Hufnagel, Darryl McDaniels (Run-D.M.C.), Jefferson Pang, Bobbito Garcia, Stretch Armstrong, Kool Keith, Leo Fitzpatrick, Mike Hernandez, DJ Clark Kent, Kid Capri, Mike Carroll, Moby, Fab 5 Freddy, Peter Bici, Yuki Watanabe, Clayton Patterson, Beatrice Domond, Tyshawn Jones, and more.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger, and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger. From visionary filmmaker David Lowery comes a fresh and bold spin on a classic tale from the knights of the round table.
Safety In Our Cinema:
As you return to our physical space, your health and safety is our top priority. To learn about all the steps we have taken to prepare and our new procedures visit ourWelcoming You Back page.
Real Art Ways Cinema is designated Cinema Safe. Learn more about Cinema Safe HERE
