This month, MoMI presents a centenary celebration of Soviet Armenian master filmmaker Sergei Parajanov; a screening series exploring the trans image in cinema co-programmed by Caden Mark Gardner and Willow Catelyn Maclay, authors of the new book Corpses, Fools, and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema; the ninth edition of See It Big: 70mm, New York City’s only annual 70mm film festival; the continuation of See It Big at the ’90s Multiplex; special appearances by filmmakers; and more.

Throughout the summer, our Open Worlds initiative continues with free access to the lobby and courtyard during operating hours and a slate of free community programs including talks by artists and entertainment industry professionals, live music, dance parties, and more.

We also just installed new exhibits: Coin-Operated Treasures: Black-Cast Soundies from the Astoria Studio, featuring a Panoram—a fascinating object that might be described as a jukebox that plays movies—alongside projected "soundies" in our Amphitheater Gallery; and Jane Henson in Performance in the Video Screening Amphitheater. In our lobby, as part of a new partnership with the Tezos Foundation, visitors can see Sabato Visconti's b a r b i e ~ w o r l d ~ b r e a k d o w n on the Schlosser Media Wall, the first artist of five as part of the Easel Engine, and go online to collect a digital fragment of his work minted on Tezos; and at a new station in our lobby, you can view Auriea Harvey's Echo: Core and collect this work as a free open edition, minted on Tezos at no cost. Find a list of all current exhibitions here.

Find out more below!

Please note: the Museum will be closed on Thursday, July 4, for the holiday. See the July schedule at a glance here.

See It Big at the ’90s Multiplex
Through July 21
Celebrate an essential decade of cinema. These are movies that worked as jumper cables for an entire generation of ecstatic cinephiles—none of them tentpoles or sequels—and each deserves to be seen on the big screen. Upcoming films: Thelma & Louise (1991), Strange Days (1995), Speed (1994), Menace II Society (1993), and Pulp Fiction (1994).

100 Years of Parajanov
July 6–7 (with one encore screening on July 26)
Born to Armenian parents in multicultural Tbilisi, Georgia, Sergei Parajanov was a troubadour of aesthetic finesse whose versatile genius with the moving image is distinguished through atmospheric mise-en-scène, sumptuous colors, opulent settings, and unforgettable imagery. MoMI celebrates Parajanov’s distinctive oeuvre on the centenary of his birth featuring four of his greatest feature films: Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964), The Color of Pomegranates (1968), Ashik Kerib (1988), The Legend of Suram Fortress (1985), and a selection of shorts. The series also features a program of two films by Parajanov’s friend and collaborator Mikhail Vartanov: the newly restored documentary Parajanov: The Last Spring (1992) and The Color of Armenian Land (1968). Programmed by Dorota Lech, who will introduce all screenings on July 6–7.

From the Margins: The Trans Film Image
July 13 & 20
Critics Caden Mark Gardner and Willow Catelyn Maclay have programmed a film series in conjunction with the publication of their new book Corpses, Fools, and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema (2024, Repeater). Drawing on themes from the book, the series features Alain Berliner’s Ma vie en rose (1997), introduced by Gardner and followed by a book-signing; director Isabel Sandoval in person with her film Lingua Franca (2019); Robert Altman’s Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982); and Rosa von Praunheim’s City of Lost Souls (1982).

See It Big: 70mm!
July 18–August 18
New York City’s only annual 70mm film festival, MoMI’s See It Big: 70mm returns for its ninth edition. The series features a thrilling selection of classic and contemporary titles, opening with the East Coast premiere of a new 70mm print of John Ford’s enduring 1956 masterpiece The Searchers, followed by Jacques Tati’s unparalleled work of large-scale comedy Playtime (1967); Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); Christopher Nolan’s time-bending action thriller Tenet (2020); David Lean’s sweeping historical drama Lawrence of Arabia (1962); and Ron Howard’s grandiose and lush epic Far and Away (1992). Presenting Sponsor: MUBI.

Junk Dump Film Festival
July 27–28
MoMI will co-present Junk Dump Magazine’s fourth annual short film festival, which features work by emerging and underrepresented filmmakers working at the intersection of video art and storytelling. The two-day program will include narrative, animated, and experimental short films made by artists using unique processes to tell singular and engaging stories. The screenings will be followed by discussions with the filmmakers. This year’s films were selected by Maya Moravec and Izzie Nadah (One & Other Productions) and Yoni Azulay and Zach Rineer (Bluestone Pictures). Junk Dump Magazine is a not-for-profit arts organization that produces a semi-annual print publication and events like Junk Dump Film Festival.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

ray ferreira’s An echo wails, whispers an undulating pattern
Video installation, artist talk, and reception
Friday, July 12, 7:00 p.m.
Exploring the connections between queerness, embodiment, and speculative fiction, ray ferreira’s work looks at bodies as sources of labor power, ideological constructions, and sites of possibility granted by history and indeterminate futures. Join MoMI for an artist talk with ferreira moderated by artist-writer Daniella Brito and see ferreira’s installation on the Schlosser Media Wall Lobby Wall, 8:00–10:00 p.m. with a reception featuring music by DJ Aguapanela Mami. Part of Open Worlds free community programs.

Ma vie en rose, introduced by critic/author Caden Mark Gardner
Followed by book signing
Saturday, July 13, 1:00 p.m.
Dir. Alain Berliner. 1997. 35mm. A young trans child, Ludo (Georges Du Fresne), explores their gender identity and faces harsh transphobic fallout from family and community alike in wanting to express their feminine side. Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Foreign-Language Film, Berliner’s film saw its message and reach in the United States curbed due to an R rating. Following the screening, Gardner will sign copies of their new book, co-authored with Willow Catelyn Maclay, Corpses, Fools, and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema. Part of From the Margins: The Trans Film Image.

Lingua Franca, introduced by writer-director-star Isabel Sandoval
Followed by a Q&A with Sandoval and critic/author Caden Mark Gardner
Saturday, July 13, 5:45 p.m.
Dir. Isabel Sandoval. U.S./Philippines. 2019, 89 mins. DCP. Lingua Franca contains the rarest of onscreen trans depictions: a genuine romantic melodrama in the vein of Fassbinder and Wong Kar-wai. Writer-director Isabel Sandoval stars as Olivia, a trans woman and undocumented immigrant in need of a green card and caught in the red-tape of outmoded trans documentation. Part of From the Margins: The Trans Film Image.

A Celebration of Richard Hunt: Panel and Book Signing
Sunday, July 14, 1:00 p.m.
Muppet performer Richard Hunt brought many beloved characters to life, including Scooter, Janice, Statler, Beaker, Sweetums, and countless others. Jim Henson called him “the most sensational perpetual teenager in the world.” Join MoMI for a special panel discussion, with clips, celebrating his life and work, featuring Jessica Max Stein, author of the 2024 book Funny Boy: The Richard Hunt Biography; Sesame Street performer Pam Arciero; Jan Nelson, wife of Muppet performer Jerry Nelson; and Debi Spinney, wife of the legendary Sesame Street performer Caroll Spinney. Followed by a book signing. Part of Jim Henson’s World.

Black Rio! Black Power!
Sunday, July 21, 1:00 p.m.
Dir. Emilio Domingos. 2023, 70 mins. This fascinating Brazilian documentary explores the transformative power of soul music in 1970s Rio de Janeiro, where dance events became crucial spaces for the political affirmation and resistance of the young black community. Part of Last Premieres, co-presented with Cinema Tropical. This program is also co-presented with Brasil Summerfest.

Bambi
July 20–27
Dir. David Hand, plus sequence directors James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Arthur Davis, Clyde Geronimi, Graham Held, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Norman Wright. 1942, 70 mins. DCP. Disney’s classic tale of the circle of life is one of the most gorgeously animated hand-drawn films of all time, following the adventures of a fawn named Bambi and his young friends. Part of World of Animation.

Toying with the Movies
Sunday, July 21, 3:00 p.m.
Pull back the curtain and learn the shocking secrets behind bringing toys, prop replicas, and collectibles from the big screen to your home. Industry veterans Mike Drake and Sam Furst will reveal harrowing true tales of their unique art, working with major corporations to produce licensed merchandise. Part of Open Worlds free community programs.

Speed Racer
July 27 & 28
Dirs. Lilly Wachowski and Lana Wachowski. 2008, 135 mins. Sitting behind the wheel of his Mach 5, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a young and brilliant racer and one of the track’s hottest stars. The Wachowskis’ candy-colored extravaganza is a vibrant and kinetic underrated action gem. Part of Disreputable Cinema.