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October–November at MoMI: Frank Oz retrospective, Directors’ Fortnight in New York, Halloween programs, and more

October 7, 2024

three people are seated in the front seat of a car and just beyond them through the driver-side window is the silhouette of a person in the fog

This October and November, the Museum is presenting a comprehensive retrospective of the multitalented Frank Oz—puppeteer, performer, and director—with special appearances by Oz. Other upcoming series include a selection of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight films from 2024 and 1969; the New York Greek Film Expo, presented in collaboration with the Hellenic Film Society USA; the opening night of the Science New Wave Festival featuring the U.S. premiere of The Universe in a Grain of Sand with Mark Levinson and a panel of guests; a weekend of Argentine animation; a 70th anniversary salute to the King of the Monsters, Godzilla; and more.

Just added: Frank Oz will appear in person with a screening of The Dark Crystal on Saturday, October 12, 1:00 p.m.

Plus, the Open Worlds initiative, which offers free access to the Museum’s first floor spaces and free community programs, continues with a Voting Rights Trivia night hosted by Drag Ambassador Freeda Kulo (Oct. 11) and the MoMI Halloween Party (Oct. 19). Beverages, food, and snacks will be available from culinary partner Mon Amour in the Museum Café.

Throughout the month, the Museum will celebrate Halloween and the spooky season with screenings of The Fog (pictured above), The Seventh Victim, Ghost Cat Anzu (New York premiere), Little Shop of Horrors, The Dark Crystal, and Monsters, Inc.—something for all ages! Visitors can also explore the core exhibition Behind the Screen to see makeup and production materials from The Exorcist and other scary movies or visit monsters in The Jim Henson Exhibition; and on November 2, the Museum will present its fourth annual Day of the Dead celebration.

Highlights are included below and see a calendar view of upcoming events here.

SCREENING SERIES

The Magic of Oz: A Frank Oz Retrospective
October 4–November 30
Whether behind the camera or acting in front of it, creating a character with only his voice or animating one through puppetry, Frank Oz has been one of the most versatile, eclectic, influential, and industrious moving image artists of the last half-century. The Museum’s comprehensive retrospective, The Magic of Oz, will feature all 15 films for which he served as director, plus films in which he performed, and other special events. The festivities kicked off this past weekend with the director's cut of the musical Little Shop of Horrors, The Muppets Take Manhattan, and Muppet Guys Talking—all with Oz in person! In addition, Oz will appear at the Museum will screenings of The Dark Crystal (Oct. 12), Inside Out (Oct. 19 also with Dave Goelz in conversation), and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Nov. 9, also with Steve Martin—sold out). This month, the series also features Inside Out 2; Monsters, Inc.; What About Bob?; The Blues Brothers; an encore screening of Little Shop of Horrors (Director’s Cut), and much more.

New York Greek Film Expo 2024 at MoMI
October 11–13
The Hellenic Film Society USA was created to share the richness of Greek films with American audiences, to promote Greek filmmakers, and to help preserve the film heritage of Greece. Now in its seventh iteration, the New York Greek Film Expo, which takes place at venues around New York City from October 3–13, gives an overview of the range of current filmmaking in Greece, with films that will be of interest to a wide audience. Films showing at MoMI: Little Things That Went Wrong (Haris Vafeiadis, 2023), Fonissa (Murderess) (Eva Nathena, 2023), The Promotion (Periklis Choursoglou, 2023), and Yani Spanos: Behind the Marquee (Aris Dorizas, 2023).

Directors Fortnight: 1969
October 18–20
Directors’ Fortnight Extended
October 24–27 with Directors’ Fortnight Artistic Director Julien Rejl in person
Since its founding in 1969 by the French Directors’ Guild, the Directors’ Fortnight, also known as Quinzaine des cinéastes, has served as a vital and boldly independent counter program to the Cannes Film Festival. Famed for having introduced international audiences for the first time to Martin Scorsese, Chantal Akerman, Jim Jarmusch, and Sofia Coppola, among many others, the non-competitive Fortnight prioritizes the discovery of new talent, while also making space for daring works from established filmmakers. This year, the Directors’ Fortnight will take it on the road for the first time with Fortnight Extended, presenting locally curated selections of its 2024 program in venues across the globe. As the official New York venue, the Museum will present six exciting films from this year’s Fortnight over four days; preceded by a weekend showcase of five art-house classics from the Fortnight’s inaugural year as a preface.
Fortnight Extended is presented with support from Villa Albertine.

Reverse Shot presents Two Great Pumpkins: The Fog and The Seventh Victim
October 31 and November 1
Every October since 2006, MoMI’s house publication for criticism, Reverse Shot, has provided an annual week-long lineup of short essays celebrating seven great scary movies titled A Few Great Pumpkins. This Halloween, Reverse Shot will present two classic American horror movies from past Pumpkins: John Carpenter’s 1980 The Fog (recent 4K digital restoration) and Val Lewton/Mark Robson’s 1943 The Seventh Victim (archival 35mm print from the Library of Congress). Both brilliantly use off-screen space to create their terrifyingly atmospheric worlds. Bleak and beautiful, these are magnificently sinister films featuring breathtakingly evocative cinematography.

Godzilla vs. MoMI
November 1–3
First appearing in the 1954 Toho classic Gojira, Godzilla has reigned as King of the Monsters for 70 years. Inspired by American films like King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, this first film stood out from most contemporary Western science fiction films for the bleak tone captured in Ishiro Honda’s direction and Eiji Tsuburaya’s spectacular special effects, which would revolutionize the tokusatsu genre in Japan.  After the success of Gojira, Toho would revive Godzilla for 32 sequels, over the course of which, the kaiju would evolve into a hero (and back to villain again) and fight opponents who’d become icons in their own right. To honor Godzilla’s 70th anniversary, MoMI presents screenings of five Godzilla films; plus a surprise screening to top it all off on Sunday evening featuring the King of the Monsters rising from the depths! Also part of the ongoing series Disreputable Cinema.

The Many Wonderful Lives of Argentine Animation
November 2–3
Since its beginnings , Argentine animation has been a hub of inventors, storytellers, and tireless alchemists of the medium. Among the pioneering filmmakers are  Quirino Cristiani, Luis Bras, Manuel García Ferré, and Juan Pablo Zaramella. Characterized by elegance, visual power, anarchic spirit, and diversity , Argentine animation stands as one of the most vibrant corners of world cinema. This series of four programs, organized by guest programmer Juan Manuel Dominguez from the collection of the Museo del Cine Pablo Ducrós Hicken (Buenos Aires), features a range of films, from early 20th-century shorts for kids to popular TV shows, commercials, and contemporary work, all ripe for discovery. The programs are also part of the Museum’s ongoing series World of Animation.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS AND OTHER SCREENINGS

OPEN WORLDS FREE COMMUNITY PROGRAM
Voting Rights Trivia
Friday, October 11, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Celebrate the essential democratic process of voting with this free trivia event hosted by Drag Ambassador Freeda Kulo! Presented in partnership with Drag Out the Vote and National Voter Education Week, this event will explore connections between voting and the moving image. Form teams with your friends and family (6 team players max) for the chance to win MoMI membership, Museum guest passes, and special prizes, such as stress balls. Local organization Sunnyside Community Services will be available to answer questions on how to register to vote. Recommended for ages 13 and up.

The Universe in a Grain of Sand
Science New Wave Festival Opening Night with director Mark Levinson in person for discussion with Erin Espelie, Dr. Darío Gil, and Heather Berlin

Friday, October 18, 7:00 p.m.
Dir. Mark Levinson. 2024, 73 mins. U.S. How do technology and art bring us closer to understanding the world? The Science New Wave Festival kicks off its 17th year with the U.S. premiere of a film that gets to the core of why we’re here. Deftly intertwining a history of computation with a broad survey of experimental cinema, physicist and filmmaker Mark Levinson explores how experimentation in film and science together reshape our ability to represent and understand the world at its most fundamental level.  Part of Science on Screen.

Trio of Pixar films: Monsters, Inc. + Inside Out + Inside Out 2
October 19–25
As part of the Museum’s Frank Oz retrospective, Oz and Dave Goelz will participate in a conversation alongside a screening of Pixar’s Inside Out on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 1:00 p.m. (limited tickets are still available). Also, as part of the Oz retrospective and the ongoing World of Animation series, the Pixar films Monsters, Inc. and Inside Out 2, both featuring Oz as a voice performer, will be shown this month. On Sunday, October 20, visitors can catch back-to-back screenings of Monsters, Inc.; Inside Out; and Inside Out 2.

OPEN WORLDS FREE COMMUNITY PROGRAM
MoMI Halloween Party
Saturday, October 19, 8:00–11:00 p.m.
With spooky season in full swing, join MoMI for a Halloween event, featuring a magic lantern show, a DJ, raffle prizes, and more. Bring your dancing shoes and show off your costume with friends! In partnership with Yelp. MoMI members receive access to themed gallery tours and a free raffle and drink ticket. Become a member to enjoy these perks and year-round programs!

FREE COMMUNITY PROGRAM
Day of the Dead 2024
Saturday, November 2, 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Celebrate a vibrant Day of the Dead at Museum of the Moving Image with a performance of Aztec Mexica dance, ofrendas honoring beloved ones who have died, fun digital media activities for kids and families, and music from Indigenous dance troupe Yayauhki Tezcatlipoka. There will also be a face-painting session inspired by historical characters from Día de Muertos. All are welcome to join the festive event in the Museum’s courtyard, which will include a catrina and catrin contest hosted by artist historian Rosa Ruíz and Catrinamía. The celebration culminates in a 6:30 p.m. screening of Alejandro Amenabar’s The Others (2001; ticket purchase necessary, discount offered), featuring Nicole Kidman in one of the most elegant and devastating ghost stories of the 21st century.

ON VIEW IN THE GALLERIES

Recording the Ride: The Rise of Street-Style Skate Videos
September 7, 2024–January 25, 2025

Auriea Harvey: My Veins Are the Wires, My Body Is Your Keyboard
Through December 1

Museum Without Walls: Easel Engine
September 20–October 17: Ailadi
October 18–November 14: Lu Yang
Also, at a station in the lobby, collect an open edition of Auriea Harvey's Echo: Core (2024), a fragment of the artist's monumental sculpture Echo (2024), which is featured in the major survey of her work My Veins Are the Wires, My Body Is Your Keyboard. Presented in partnership with the Tezos Foundation.

The Jim Henson Exhibition
Ongoing
Find costume inspiration in the Museum’s dynamic exploration of Jim Henson’s groundbreaking work for film and television and his transformative impact on culture. The features a broad range of objects from throughout his remarkable career and reveals how Henson and his team of builders, performers, and writers brought to life the enduringly popular worlds of The Muppet Show, the Muppet movies, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth.

Behind the Screen
Ongoing
Of particular note, Horrible Sites: Makeup and Production Design for The Exorcist continues to be on view as part of the Museum’s core exhibition.