CURATED
FILM
SERIES
SUMMER SERIES AT LIBBEY BOWL
2014-Present | 26+ Screenings
2025
Dir. Cristina Costantini; documentary, 1h 43min.
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.
SALLY
Dir. Wolfgang Petersen; fantasy, 1h 37min.
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 36min.
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.
THE GREATEST NIGHT IN POP
Dir. Colin Higgins; comedy, 1h 50min.
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; doc., 1h 44min.
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.
SPEAK.
Dir. Steven Spielberg; sci-fi, 2h 17min.
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 28min.
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 56min.
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 44min.
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 42min.
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 Jones; documentary, 1h 35min.
Follow Maya Gabeira on a quest to break a world record in the Portuguese town of Nazaré, known for its big waves.
MAYA AND THE WAVE
Dir. John M. Chu; musical, 2h 23min.
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
MORE SCREENINGS
Going Varsity in Mariachi | The Princess Bride | Blinded by the Light | Singin’ in the Rain | Beasts of the Southern Wild | Wild Life | Dirty Dancing | Summer of Soul | Yesterday | E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial | Fire of Love | 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. Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw; documentary, 1h 24min.
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
Dir. Werner Herzog & Clive Oppenheimer; documentary, 97 min.
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
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
2015-2017 | SATURDAYS AT 4:30 PM
3 YEARS x 62 SCREENINGS
The Hollars | The Last King | A Man Called Ove | In Her Name | The First Monday In May | For The Love of Spock | Being 17 | Chicken People | Disorder | Sweet Bean | The Man Who Knew Infinity | West of The West | Ixcanul | Song of Lahore | Sing Street | Last Cab to Darwin | The Kind Words | A League of Their Own | Ferris Bueller's Day Off | The Big Lebowski | Chinatown | City of Gold | The Shopkeeper | Theeb | In Harmony | Spotlight | Room | Mustang | Trumbo | Hockney | Iris | Amy | Jafar Panahi's Taxi | Phoenix | Heart of a Dog | The End of the Tour | Hippocrates: Diary of a French Doctor | A Second Mother | Meru | Mr. Holmes | Number One Fan | Ex Machina | Viva La Liberta | The Salt of the Earth | Love & Mercy | Grease | Alive Inside | I'll See You in My Dreams | Woman in Gold | Dior and I | Selma | Seymour: An Introduction | Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem | Amira & Sam | Citizenfour | St. Vincent | Deli Man | The Third Man | Two Days, One Night | Pride | Telluride MountainFilm on Tour | A Most Wanted Man | Life Itself
SUNDAYS AT THE OJAI PLAYHOUSE
1989-2014 | Sundays at 4:30 PM
25 YEARS x 300+ SCREENINGS
Chef | Belle | Like Father, Like Son | The Lunchbox | The Rocket | The Invisible Woman | The Crash Reel | Sweet Dreams | The Incredible Shrinking Man | Cinema Paradiso | Time of the Gypsies | Sweetie | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Drugstore Cowboy | The Man With Two Brains | Raging Bull | Longtime Companion | Aguirre, Wrath of God | Tom Jones | The Adventures of Milo and Otis… to name a few!