38 YEARS CURATING
FILMS

SUMMER SERIES AT LIBBEY BOWL

2014-Present | 26+ Screenings

2025

Dir. Cristina Costantini; documentary, 1h 43m

Revealing the romance and sacrifices of their 27 years together, Sally Ride's life partner Tam O'Shaughnessy tells the full, iconic, and moving story of this complicated and legendary astronaut for the first time.

w/ Writer Tom Maroney in attendance.

SALLY

Dir. Wolfgang Petersen; fantasy, 1h 37m

A lonely young boy with a love of books becomes drawn into a timeless world of fabulous creatures, a world that only he can save from certain destruction, as he discovers that he is a hero of the NeverEnding Story.

THE NEVERENDING STORY

Dir. Bao Nguyen; documentary, 1h 36m

On one January night in 1985, music's biggest stars gathered to bring "We Are the World" to life in an unprecedented recording session. Behind the scenes of the historic event, the stakes could not be higher.

w/ Bao Nguyen, producers Amit Dey, Harriet Sternberg, and Julia Nottingham in attendance

THE GREATEST NIGHT IN POP

Dir. Colin Higgins; comedy, 1h 50m

This cult classic stars Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as three co-workers who plot a scheme to turn their corporate office into a place where women want to work.

9 TO 5

Dir. Jennifer Tiexiera & Guy Mossman; documentary., 1h 44m

Ambitious teen orators hone their craft, vying for glory in a prestigious global speech contest. Through dedication and artistry, they prepare to showcase their talents on the ultimate stage.

w/ Producer Pamela Griner in attendance.

SPEAK.

Dir. Steven Spielberg; sci-fi, 2h 17m

An Indiana electric lineman finds his quiet and ordinary daily life turned upside down after a close encounter with a UFO, spurring him to an obsessed cross-country quest for answers as a momentous event approaches.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

2024

Dir. Jonathan Demme; documentary, 1h 28m

The powerful show pulls you right into the musical landscape of Talking Heads: its politics, rebelliousness, stellar musicianship, and unforgettable songwriting.

STOP MAKING SENSE

Dir. Robert Zemeckis; narrative, 1h 56m

In this 1980s sci-fi classic, small-town California teen is thrown back into the '50s when an experiment by his eccentric scientist friend goes awry.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Dir. Taika Waititi; narrative, 1h 44m

With the World Cup qualifiers fast approaching, the American Samoa soccer team hires a down-on-his-luck, maverick coach hoping he will turn the world’s worst soccer team into winners.

NEXT GOAL WINS

Dir. Victor Fleming; narrative, 1h 42m

When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical Land of Oz.

THE WIZARD OF OZ

Dir. Stephanie Johnes; documentary, 1h 35m

Follow Maya Gabeira on a quest to break a world record in the Portuguese town of Nazaré, known for its big waves.

w/ Stephanie Johnes & producer Alexandra Johnes in attendance

MAYA AND THE WAVE

Dir. John M. Chu; musical, 2h 23m

In Washington Heights, a sympathetic New York bodega owner saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life.

IN THE HEIGHTS

2023

Dir. Alejandra Vasquez & Sam Osborn; documentary, 1h 45m

Team captains prove the value of the skills taught in the band room as they navigate life’s challenges on and off the stage.

West coast premiere.

GOING VARSITY IN MARIACHI

Dir. Rob Reiner; narrative, 1h 38m

A fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman and her one true love must battle the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin to be reunited with each other.

THE PRINCESS BRIDE

Dir. Gurinder Chadha; independent, 1h 53m

Springsteen's melodies inspire a poetry writing Pakistani teenager to find his voice and follow his dreams.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Dir. Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly; classic, 1h 43m

A lighthearted depiction of Hollywood in the late 1920s, with the three stars portraying performers caught up in the transition from silent films to "talkies".

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

Dir. Benh Zeitlin; independent, 1h 33m

Temperatures rise, the ice caps melt and fearsome prehistoric beasts called aurochs run loose. Rising waters threaten to engulf their community, sending Hushpuppy in search of her long-lost mother.

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Dir. Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth, Chai Vasarhelyi; documentary, 1h 33m

Spanning decades of work, Conservationist Kris Tompkins and her husband Douglas Tompkins make the largest private land donation in history.

WILD LIFE

2022

Dir. Emile Ardolino; classic, indie, 100m

Spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her family, Frances "Baby" Houseman falls in love with the camp's dance instructor, Johnny Castle.

DIRTY DANCING

Dir. Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson; documentary, 177m

The story of the cultural, social, and political changes that were brought about following the 1967 Summer of Love in San Francisco.

SUMMER OF SOUL

Dir. Danny Boyle; indie-foreign, 116m

After a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, a struggling singer-songwriter wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed.

YESTERDAY

Dir. Steven Spielberg; classic, 120m

After a gentle alien becomes stranded on Earth, the being is discovered and befriended by a young boy named Elliott.

E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL

Dir. Sara Dosa; documentary, 98m

Intrepid scientists and lovers unravel the mysteries of volcanoes by capturing the most explosive imagery ever recorded.

FIRE OF LOVE

2014-2016

INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK | CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND | A HARD DAY'S NIGHT

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

OJAI RANCHO INN

Dir. Sara Dosa; documentary, 93m

Renowned Icelandic poet and author Andri Snær Magnason is chasing something elusive. As the glacial ice of his homeland melts, he constructs a cinematic time capsule to hold onto this moment and send it to the future, before everything he loves slips away.

w/ Sara Dosa in attendance.

SPRING 2026 TIME AND WATER

Dir. Werner Herzog & Clive Oppenheimer; documentary, 97m

Since before we existed, meteors have haunted our planet. Fireball takes viewers into the mystery at the heart of these fallen stones, exploring their origins and their impacts on civilization.

SPRING 2023 FIREBALL: VISITORS FROM DARKER WORLDS

Dir. Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw; documentary, 1h 24m

An ensemble of iconic gauchos living beyond the boundaries of the modern world. It weaves together a mosaic of tales about gauchos confronting the fragility of their world in the face of unprecedented change.

SPRING 2025 GAUCHO GAUCHO

OJAI VALLEY MUSEUM

Dir. Roger Ross Williams; independent, 1h 47min.

Based on a true story of Saúl Armendáriz, a queer amateur wrestler from El Paso, who rises to international stardom after creating the character ‘Cassandro,’ the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.” In his quest, Saúl not only revolutionizes he macho wrestling world, but also transforms his own life.

SPRING 2024 CASSANDRO

Dir. Jesse Short Bull & Laura Tomaselli; documentary, 2h.

A chronicle of the Lakota Indians’ fight to reclaim control of the Black Hills, and a powerful investigation into how the sacred land was stolen in violation of treaty agreements, featuring interviews with Indigenous witnesses and survivors.

SPRING 2024 LAKOTA NATION VS. THE UNITED STATES

Dir. Brett Fallentine; documentary, 1h 24min.

After a mysterious fire wipes out the last public horse stable in South Central, Los Angeles, urban cowboys must rebuild their community and preserve their culture despite reigning gang violence.

SPRING 2024 FIRE ON THE HILL

THE MATILIJA AUDITORIUM & OJAI ART CENTER

3 YEARS x 62 SCREENINGS

2015-2017 | SATURDAYS AT 4:30PM

SUNDAYS AT THE OJAI PLAYHOUSE

1989-2014 | SUNDAYS AT 4:30PM

25 YEARS x 1,500+ SCREENINGS

38 YEARS CURATING FILMS