
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
A Royal Air Force pilot who has jumped from a burning plane to his imminent end must make the case to the celestial court as to why he should stay on Earth after falling in love with an American radio operator when his escort to the other world misse...

BLUE VELVET
There's something going on behind the white picket fences of Lumberton, North Carolina. And after stumbling upon a severed human ear in a field, mystery-loving college student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle Maclachlan) is determined to find out what.

LUNATICS - A LOVE STORY
You have to be a little crazy to fall in love. Hank's downright insane. They're lunatics and they're in love!

MULHOLLAND DR.
David Lynch’s seductive and scary vision of Los Angeles’s dream factory is one of the true masterpieces of the new millennium, a tale of love, jealousy, and revenge like no other.

LADY AND THE TRAMP
The romantic tale of a sheltered uptown Cocker Spaniel and a streetwise downtown mutt.

STORIES OF COMMUNITY 5

Come celebrate the neighborhoods portrayed in the Stories of Community short film series. And stick around after to enjoy some soup and help us vote for the winner!

ROMEO + JULIET
A modern twisted version of William Shakespeare's play about two young people from opposite families who fall in love in secret. Multiple events will shape their lives that will leave them and their families in trouble and punishment in the city.

BONJOUR TRISTESSE
Otto Preminger directs this sumptuous adaptation of the provocative best-seller by Françoise Sagan about a jaded 17-year-old (Jean Seberg) who wreaks havoc when she begins manipulating her playboy father's (David Niven) love life.

WE ALWAYS COME HERE
In this poetic meditation on the half-century history of the Ped Mall, Iowa City artist Ian Bennett reassembles archival film and video, found footage and photos, interviews through the ages, and contemporary reflections. A video loop that is both of...

THE PEOPLE'S JOKER ON 35MM
An aspiring clown grapples with her gender identity and combats a fascistic caped crusader when she moves to Gotham City to make it big as a comedian.

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM

Two tales of terror from the master of mystery and the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe.

CURIOUS WORLD: THE SHORT FILMS OF JESSE MCLEAN
Jesse McLean has dedicated her creative research and art practice to exploring what it is to be human in relation to what is not. This special event highlights a selection of her experimental work.

ONE BOOK TWO BOOK 2025
Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature’s annual One Book Two Book Children’s Literature Festival offers the chance for children and their families to hear from published authors about their work, celebrate the cultural impact of children's literatur...

HUESERA: THE BONE WOMAN
Valeria's joy at becoming a first-time mother is quickly taken away when she's cursed by a sinister entity. As danger closes in, she's forced deeper into a chilling world of dark magic that threatens to consume her.

MINNESOTA MEAN
Minnesota Mean follows the powerful women of the Minnesota RollerGirls for a season as they balance life, friendship, and roller derby.

HEAVEN CAN WAIT
A deceased turn-of-the-century playboy (Don Ameche) must make his case to get into Hell by recounting his past transgressions—particularly his dalliances with women—to a bemused Satan in this sophisticated comedy of manners.

LOVE GODDESSES OF BLOOD ISLAND
A sun-baked, kitsch-gore horror classick restored uncut from 35mm elements assembled from Something Weird, Library of Congress, and Harvard Film Archive.

BLUE CARPET BASH 2025
An annual FilmScene tradition! No matter who you’re cheering for on Hollywood’s biggest night, there’s only one place to watch the ceremony - at FilmScene with a community of cinema lovers. And it’s free!

THE ZERDA AND THE SONGS OF FORGETTING
Algerian novelist and translator Assia Djebar uses French colonial propaganda of Pathé-Gaumont newsreels to recapitulate the colonization of the Maghreb people in a poetic essay film that reveals the resistance behind the mask.

PULP FICTION

Writer/Director Quentin Tarantino's tribute to hard crime capers redefined pop cinema.

THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES

Writer/Director and inaugural Refocus Film Festival guest, Jason Pitts (Voorhees: Night of the Beast) returns to FilmScene to present his new tale of horror and survival.

BABE: PIG IN THE CITY
Babe’s kind and steady heart achieves miracles once again as he, Ferdy and Mrs. Hoggett travel to the city where they must turn enemies into friends and raise enough money to save the farm.

SPRING BREAK DAY CAMPS 2025
Tell your own animated stories with FilmScene! At Spring Break Day Camp, camper creations come to life! Join us for five unique days of spring break animation camp.

THRUST! THE PUNK CUT

Writer/Director Victor Bonacore and producer Bork Torkleson join us at FilmScene to present the Punk Cut on VHS of this post-apocalyptic underground, girl-gang wokesploitation film. So wild it has to be seen on VHScious Video.

ANIMATION IN BLOOM: THE FILMS OF EZRA WUBE
Ezra Wube is a cross-disciplinary Ethiopian artist who works in video, drawing, painting, and installations. This program highlights Wube's climate change/ecological works through a survey of stop-motion animated film.

FOLLOW THAT BIRD
After well-meaning do-gooder Miss Finch sends Big Bird to the suburban Dodo family for adoption, the gawky, gullible eight-footer runs away and heads back to Sesame Street.

MOTHER'S NATURE: THE BODY BEAUTIFUL + DREAMING RIVERS
The relationship between mother and child is a sacred and delicate one. This pair of powerful shorts examines the specific relationships of the filmmakers and their mothers with beautifully poetic works of art that only they could create.

A GOOFY MOVIE
This classic blend of irresistible characters, unforgettable music, and an endearing modern-day story follows the lovable Goofy as he bonds with his teenage son Max on a hilarious cross-country road trip.

MINIATURE CONSTRUCTION CAMP 2025
In this week-long camp, campers will learn the history of miniature making, study design, and create their own miniature set pieces, including buildings, terrain, and more! Curriculum includes 3D printing.

ANIMATION CAMP 2025
Tell your own animated stories with FilmScene! At Animation Camp, campers imagine and create their own animations, totally from scratch. Each day, campers learn the key principles of animation and explore the styles of 2D paper, 3D object, Pixilation...

ADVANCED ANIMATION CAMP 2025
Take your stop motion skills to the next level in our advanced class! Confident campers who have attended at least one, preferably two camps, are invited to work on honing acquired skills, learn more challenging techniques, and apply knowledge to lon...