Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival, but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting.

Winner of Best Director (Kleber Mendonça Filho) and Best Actor in Cannes, THE SECRET AGENT is currently nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Actor Drama, Best Foreign Language Film, and is Brazil's pick for Oscar submission.

"'The Secret Agent' suggests something more consequential with its gripping portrait of political resistance: that survival is a matter of both watching and watching over one another." (Washington Post)

"The period detail is a marvel, the era’s music a most excellent groove, and the cast a top-to-bottom wowzer of interesting faces and eclectic bodies." (Austin Chronicle)

"This smart, brutal, often funny thriller uses the travails of one ordinary man to capture a reactionary era in its daily realities and surreal absurdities, its public cruelty and private decency." (NPR)

"Fiery and relentlessly paced (its 158 minutes don’t contain a minute of bloat), the political thriller pivoting around themes of paranoia and resistance feels perfectly tuned to the moment." (Globe and Mail)

Saturday, January 17
Doors 11:30 pm | Movie 12:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE SECRET AGENT "O Agente Secreto"  (Kleber Mendonça Filho, 2025 / 141 mins / 14A / Brazilian Portuguese w. EST) In 1977, a technology expert flees from a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in search of peace. He soon realizes that the city is far from being the refuge he seeks.

Set in modern-day Tokyo, RENTAL FAMILY follows an American actor (Oscar winner Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.

"The main reason to see it is Brendan Fraser. He is perfectly cast in this role." (FilmWeek)

"This is a beautiful and contemplative film, with lovely messaging and a couple of sly twists." (RogerEbert.com)

Saturday, January 17
Doors 3:00 pm | Movie 3:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

RENTAL FAMILY (Hikari, 2025 / 110 mins / PG) An American actor in Tokyo struggling to find purpose lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. He rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the beauty of human connection.

Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star. Suddenly, the two sisters must navigate their complicated relationship with their father -- and deal with an American star dropped right into the middle of their complex family dynamics.

The latest tragi-comedy / family drama from acclaimed Danish-Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier finds him re-teaming with actress Renate Reinsve (THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD) in SENTIMENTAL VALUE, which is one of the most lauded films of 2025. It won the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. With Stellan Skarsgård (who won a Golden Globe for his performance), Elle Fanning.

"A fantastic showcase for Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård, and another strong piece from director Joachim Trier, this is a moving drama that lingers long." (Empire Magazine)

"Trier’s film overflows with the kind of genuinely impactful potential that we go to the movies for, the type that leaves us feeling understood more than it makes us feel good." (Salon.com)

Wednesday, January 14 
Doors 5:45 pm | Movie 6:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

SENTIMENTAL VALUE "Affeksjonsverdi" (Joachim Trier, 2025 / 133 mins / PG / Norwegian and Swedish w. EST) An intimate exploration of family, memories, and the reconciliatory power of art.

"Wendy, I'm home!"

Join us at the Rio Theatre dim the lights and get scared with some classic winter terror, courtesy of Stanley Kubrick's cinematic masterpiece, THE SHiNiNG.

Based on Stephen King's 1977 novel "The Shining," Stanley Kubrick's film is widely regarded as a work of true cinematic genius (although King himself, famously, does not).  Jack Nicholson and the late, great Shelley Duvall star as a husband and wife (Jack and Wendy Torrance) who ditch the city for a gig as winter caretakers at an isolated hotel. While Jack hopes to get his creative juices flowing so that he can write a book, the family (which also includes their young son Danny) instead encounters an eerie and foreboding spiritual presence. Commence cinema's most nightmarishly creepy twins, a mesmerizing carpet, the memorable view from Room 237, a messy elevator, REDRUM, psychic visions, a Big Wheel that keeps on turnin', and a chaotic descent into a spiraling maze of violence. Also starring Danny Lloyd and Scatman Crothers.

Of note: This particular edition of THE SHiNiNG was remastered in 2019 for the film's 40th Anniversary, using a new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging. The color grading was done by Janet Wilson with supervision from Kubrick’s former personal assistant, Leon Vitali.

"The Gothic heroine, the woman trapped in the menacing haunted home, must exhibit courage in the face of danger, remaining resolute while also being susceptible to the evil that lurks around every corner. Without that tension, we wouldn’t be kept in suspense. In the film, Duvall is waifish, eyes wide, hair flat and scraggly, and it’s hard not to believe she’s going to die. Her only objective is to save her son, Danny, from his father, who — we learn early on — previously broke Danny’s arm in an alcoholic rage. This evil she is fighting is malevolent and abusive and real, a threat she has seen in action before, only now it carries an ax.

But plenty able to scream. Speaking with the critic Roger Ebert in 1980, Duvall revealed nuanced feelings about the shoot, likening the experience to primal scream therapy. “In my character I had to cry 12 hours a day, all day long, the last nine months straight, five or six days a week,” she explained. But “I went home very contented,” she added. “It had a very calming effect. During the day I would have been absolutely miserable.” (New York Times)

Saturday, January 17
Doors 8:45 pm | Movie 9:15 pm *Please arrive on time. Start time subject to change.

THE SHINING (Stanley Kubrick, 1980 / 144 mins / 14A) Jack Torrance becomes winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer's block. He settles in along with his wife, Wendy, and his son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), who is plagued by psychic premonitions. As Jack's writing goes nowhere and Danny's visions become more disturbing, Jack discovers the hotel's dark secrets and begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac hell-bent on terrorizing his family.

"In 9 hours and 23 minutes... You'll be mine."

The late, great David Bowie makes all kinds of music, magic and mischief as a Goblin King who kidnaps a baby while tormenting a young Jennifer Connelly in director Jim Henson's wildly imaginative and highly entertaining puppet-filled 80s classic LABYRINTH. We're tipping our hat to the beloved icon with a prime time, tribute screening on his birthday, Wednesday, January 8 (with an encore on January 10).

Fifteen-year-old Sarah (Connelly) resents her baby brother Toby and secretly wishes that he will just disappear. Whilst babysitting Toby, Sarah's wish comes true when goblins kidnap the baby. Feeling responsible and guilty about his abduction, she sets forth to retrieve him - and finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime. To rescue her brother, she must sneak into the castle of the Goblin King (Bowie), which is in the center of a fantastical labyrinth. The task is easier said than done, as the maze is filled with strange creatures, mind-bending puzzles, and nothing is really as it seems...

"A remarkable achievement." (The New York Times)

"One of the undeniable triumphs of pure fantasy in live-action cinema." (Antagony & Ecstasy)

Sunday, January 18
Doors 12:15 pm | Movie 12:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

LABYRINTH (Jim Henson, 1986 / 101 mins / PG) | Frustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah - a teenager with an active imagination - summons the Goblins from her favourite book, "Labyrinth", to take the baby stepbrother away. When little Toby actually disappears, Sarah must follow him into the world of the fairytale to rescue him from the Goblin King...

The Allies, led by the unyielding chief prosecutor, Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon), have the task of ensuring the Nazi regime answers for the unveiled horrors of the Holocaust while a US Army psychiatrist (Rami Malek) is locked in a dramatic psychological duel with former Reichsmarschall Herman Göring (Russell Crowe).

"Well-paced, expertly performed, and an urgent call to stand up to fascism, Nuremberg is a powerful, sweeping story of the attempt to bring an unthinkable evil to justice." (Empire Magazine)

"You can feel archival poring that went into the research. It lends authenticity and intellectual rigour to this extraordinary, century-defining event. Crowe and co do the rest." (Time Out)

"This movie isn’t consumed with self-importance, despite some obvious parallels to current events. This is entertainment that happens to be rooted in reality about a day of reckoning the likes of which the world hasn’t seen in a long, long time" (Leonard Maltin)

"'Nuremberg' works best when it’s loud, urgent, and almost hysterically earnest in its messaging, not because it’s a particularly new message, but because it once again feels like something someone must scream from the rooftops." (AV Club)

Sunday, January 18
Doors 2:45 pm | Movie 3:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

NUREMBERG (James Vanderbilt, 2025 / 148 mins / 14A) As the Nuremberg trials are set to begin, a U.S. Army psychiatrist gets locked in a dramatic psychological showdown with accused Nazi war criminal Hermann Göring.

Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi's IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT seems to mine much of its inspiration from his own life as a noted political dissident, with its plot centered on a former political prisoner who believes he has found his torturer. The film follows Vahed, an unassuming Azerbaijani mechanic and former prisoner who has a chance encounter with Eghbal, an Iranian man he strongly suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor on account of his wooden leg. Vahed gathers other ex-prisoners, including a photographer and a couple on their wedding day, to confirm Eghbal's identity and decide if and how how to seek revenge.

The narrative explores themes of trauma, the morality of revenge, and how different people cope with systemic abuse, often using a blend of thriller, road comedy, dark social satire, and moral debate. At its core, Panahi's latest is a deeply felt moral thriller, where high stakes tension combines with unexpected flurries of humor and thoughtful, sometimes devastating questions regarding persecution and revenge. With Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr.

Cannes Film Festival Winner - Palme d'Or

"'It Was Just an Accident' plays like an ideal melding of the filmmaker Panahi was and the filmmaker he’s been forced to become. It’s an endlessly fascinating and extraordinarily powerful work." (New York Magazine / VULTURE)

"The first film Panahi made after his 2022 arrest, the most recent of his many conflicts with the Iranian government, 'It Was Just an Accident' is both typically uncompromising and, for long stretches, disarmingly funny." (The Reveal)

"Bursting with humanity and dark humor, it’s a sharply well-acted, written and directed modern thriller that grapples with urgently existential questions of justice, violence and resistance." (Seattle Times)

"If anyone has the right to make a revenge fantasy, it’s Jafar Panahi. And yet, this movie isn’t that. Panahi doesn’t make statement films; he makes question films, designed to instigate soul-searching and debate." (Washington Post)

"Panahi reaches some kind of terrible career high. This is a movie born out of a lifetime that no one should have been forced to endure. And yet, the film world is stronger for the suffering." (Globe and Mail)

Monday, January 12
Doors 5:45 pm | Movie 6:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT "Yek tasadef sadeh" (Jafar Panahi, 2025 / PG / 102 mins / Farsi w.EST) In Iran, a man bumps into the man he believes to be his former torturer. However, faced with this person who fiercely denies having been his tormentor, doubt sets in.

"Hey, pretty girl. Time to wake up."

David Lynch wrote and directed this story in the City of Dreams about two women (including Naomi Watts, in her star-making turn) who find themselves walking a fine line between truth and deception in the beautiful but dangerous netherworld of Hollywood.

Blonde Betty Elms (Watts) has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia (Laura Harring). Meanwhile, as the two set off to solve the second woman’s identity, filmmaker Adam Kesher (Justin Theroux) runs into ominous trouble while casting his latest project. 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. With Ann Miller, Michael J. Anderson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Angelo Badalamenti, Robert Forster, Rebekah Del Rio.

"You can discover a lot about yourself by getting lost in 'Mulholland Drive.' It grips you like a dream that won't let go." (Rolling Stone)

"A bone fide masterpiece. An erotic, deeply unsettling, darkly comic journey through the subconscious city of night." (Empire Magazine)

"Lynch gets dreams like almost no other filmmaker, because he understands that dreams are not metaphors, but irrationally assembled spaces in which we can’t help but look for symbolism and logic." (AV Club)

Sunday, January 18
Doors 8:30 pm | Movie 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch, 2001 / 18A / 147 mins) After a car wreck on Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.

Set in modern-day Tokyo, RENTAL FAMILY follows an American actor (Oscar winner Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.

"The main reason to see it is Brendan Fraser. He is perfectly cast in this role." (FilmWeek)

"This is a beautiful and contemplative film, with lovely messaging and a couple of sly twists." (RogerEbert.com)

Monday, January 19
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

RENTAL FAMILY (Hikari, 2025 / 110 mins / PG) An American actor in Tokyo struggling to find purpose lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. He rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the beauty of human connection.

"You know, this is — excuse me — a damn fine cup of coffee!"

Despite David Lynch's critically acclaimed cult-classic TWIN PEAKS only running on television for two seasons (1990-1991), the show managed to make an enormous impact upon both its devoted audience and the greater pop-culture landscape when the series' slavish fan following got the big-screen adaptation they were hoping for in 1992, when TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME was released.

Though the film is often considered a prequel to the events contained within the TV show's premise surrounding the mysterious death of high school student Palmer and the special FBI agent tasked with the the investigation, TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME effectively answers many of the deep questions fans had following the show's cancellation.

Since the re-booted third season in 2017, a new generation of log-lovers has been brought into the Elk's Point fold, resulting in renewed audience requests to revisit everyone's favourite, weirdo Washington town - home to mares eating oats, cherry pie, and more - on our gib neercs. Get ready for Lynch's ever-present quirky aesthetic, a fantastic score from the late, great Angelo Badalamenti, and a star-studded cast including Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Peggy Lipton, Heather Graham, Mädchen Amick, Chris Isaak, Kiefer Sutherland, Miguel Ferrer, Moira Kelly, Kiefer Sutherland, Harry Dean Stanton, and David Bowie.

Monday, January 19
Doors 8:30 pm | Movie 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (David Lynch, 1992 / 135 minutes / 18A) | A young FBI agent disappears while investigating a murder miles from Twin Peaks that may be related to the future murder of Laura Palmer; the last week of the life of Laura Palmer is chronicled.

"We've met before, haven't we?”

Like so many movie-lovers around the world, we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of filmmaker David Lynch, whose contribution to arts and culture is immeasurable. His monumentally beloved catalogue is its own impressive, cinematic legacy rich with old friends and oddball characters who make regular visits upon our silver screen. In the wake of his passing, there is no better way for us to pay tribute to his enigmatic career than by raising a glass, dimming the lights, and firing up the projector in his honour with a selection of some of his best loved works on the big screen, as he undoubtedly intended.

From an inventory of imagery, master filmmaker David Lynch fashions a thrilling neo-noir of two separate but intersecting stories, one about a jazz musician (Bill Pullman), tortured by the notion that his wife is having an affair, who suddenly finds himself accused of her murder. The other is a young mechanic (Balthazar Getty) drawn into a web of deceit by a temptress who is cheating on her gangster boyfriend. These two tales are linked by the fact that the women in both are played by the same actress (Patricia Arquette). With Robert Blake, Henry Rollins.

Originally released in 1997, LOST HIGHWAY was beautifully restored and remastered (under Lynch's direct supervision) as part of the film's 25th Anniversary in 2022.

"It looks fantastic, it has a wildly eclectic cast, and most of all, its pure, unadulterated Lynch." (Tilt Magazine)

"Lynch brings the movie’s febrile and violent artifice to life in visual compositions of a poised, painterly authority and interrupts them with quick bursts of hallucinatory frenzy." (New Yorker)

"It's pensive male anxiety, and for some cultural reason it's easier for audiences to accept female hysteria than the insecurities of men." (Slant Magazine)

"Marking a further escalation in David Lynch's surrealist style, Lost Highway is a foreboding mystery that arguably leads to a dead end, although it is signposted throughout with some of the director's most haunting images yet." (Rotten Tomatoes)

Tuesday, January 20
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

LOST HIGHWAY (David Lynch, 1997 / 137 mins / 18A) Anonymous videotapes presage a musician's murder conviction, and a gangster's girlfriend leads a mechanic astray.

Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival, but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting.

Winner of Best Director (Kleber Mendonça Filho) and Best Actor in Cannes, THE SECRET AGENT is currently nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Actor Drama, Best Foreign Language Film, and is Brazil's pick for Oscar submission.

"'The Secret Agent' suggests something more consequential with its gripping portrait of political resistance: that survival is a matter of both watching and watching over one another." (Washington Post)

"The period detail is a marvel, the era’s music a most excellent groove, and the cast a top-to-bottom wowzer of interesting faces and eclectic bodies." (Austin Chronicle)

"This smart, brutal, often funny thriller uses the travails of one ordinary man to capture a reactionary era in its daily realities and surreal absurdities, its public cruelty and private decency." (NPR)

"Fiery and relentlessly paced (its 158 minutes don’t contain a minute of bloat), the political thriller pivoting around themes of paranoia and resistance feels perfectly tuned to the moment." (Globe and Mail)

Wednesday, January 21
Doors 5:30 pm | Movie 6:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE SECRET AGENT "O Agente Secreto"  (Kleber Mendonça Filho, 2025 / 141 mins / 14A / Brazilian Portuguese w. EST) In 1977, a technology expert flees from a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in search of peace. He soon realizes that the city is far from being the refuge he seeks.

“Heineken? Fuck that shit! Pabst Blue Ribbon!”

Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rosselini and Dennis Hopper turn in some of the best performances of their respective careers in director Lynch’s ultra cool and very cult 1986 neo-noir mystery thriller BLUE VELVET, which also features a standout performance from the late, great Dean Stockwell. As such, we thought it a fitting time to re-visit his turn in this oft-requested classic.

Strange, sexy, brilliant and surreal, BLUE VELVET is widely regarded as one of the best films of that decade, earning him his second Best Director Oscar nomination. The film is very much a showcase for Lynch’s stylish visuals and occasional bouts of disturing (if not weird) imagery, its moody aesthetic enhanced further by a memorable score from Badalementi (who also supervised the soundtrack). Also starring Laura Dern, and a severed human ear.

"Every viewing yields new insights. A berserko modern classic." (Little White Lies)

"Three decades after its initial release, David Lynch's 'Blue Velvet' has lost none of its power to derange, terrify, and exhilarate." (Village Voice)

"The charged erotic atmosphere makes the film something of a hallucination, but Lynch's humor keeps breaking through, too." (Pauline Kael, New Yorker)

Wednesday, January 21
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

BLUE VELVET (David Lynch, 1986 / 120 mins / 18A) 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 is determined to find out what. Teaming up with the daughter of a local police detective, Jeffrey's investigation leads him into a strange world of sensuality and violence, with the intrigue of the missing ear seemingly stemming from the relationship between a troubled nightclub singer and a sociopathic sadomasochist.

"Oh, hai Mark!"

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Thursday, January 22 with host Greg Sestero - star of the pop-culture phenomenon THE ROOM, and author of the best-selling memoir "The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made" - for a double bill featuring both the 2017, Golden Globe winning feature adaptation of Sestero's memoir followed by Tommy Wiseau's notorious debut feature.

For the uninitiated: A marvel of modern cinema, Tommy Wiseau's THE ROOM is so powerful that it will, literally, "tear you apart." (Or, maybe just your brain. And occasionally your eyeballs.) In the pantheon of you-gotta-see-it-to-believe-it, best-worst movies, it's quite possible that nothing tops THE ROOM. It's the CITIZEN KANE of bad movies! And truly, truly, the best (trust!) way to experience this "masterpiece" is in the dark, on the big screen, and with a packed audience of confused (and enthused) lovers of director Wiseau's bizarre cinematic oddity that has morphed into a pop-culture phenomenon. Having Sestero (who parlayed his portrayal of "Mark" in THE ROOM into an acclaimed best-seller that was ultimately adapted into the THE DISASTER ARTIST) on-hand to answer audience questions and provide unique insight makes for a very, very memorable night.

Facts: In November of 2013, while filming THE INTERVIEW in Vancouver, actor James Franco saw THE ROOM for the very first time at the Rio Theatre. That screening was hosted by Sestero, who was discussing his recently released memoir, "The Disaster Artist." The rest, as they say, is history...

With THE DISASTER ARTIST, director James Franco transformed the tragicomic true-story of aspiring filmmaker and infamous Hollywood outsider Wiseau—an artist whose passion was as sincere as his methods were questionable—into a celebration of friendship, artistic expression, and dreams pursued against insurmountable odds. Based on Greg's own best-selling tell-all about the making of the cult-classic "disasterpiece" - “The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made” - THE DISASTER ARTIST is a hilarious and welcome reminder that there is more than one way to become a legend—and no limit to what you can achieve when you have absolutely no idea what you're doing.

"THE DISASTER ARTIST is an endearing tale of friendship and chasing your dreams that packs a surprisingly poignant punch." (Screen Rant)

"Oh, hai Mark. THE DISASTER ARTIST is a surprisingly poignant and charming movie-about-a-movie that explores the creative process with unexpected delicacy." (Rotten Tomatoes)

Greg will be available before the films, during intermission, and after to sign merch and take photos! It's a night of movies, insight, conversation and laughs. (And... merch! There will be sweet, sweet merch.)

Thursday, January 22

An Evening with Greg Sestero
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE ROOM
Movie 9:30 pm *As this is a double feature, the start time is approximate.

THE DISASTER ARTIST (James Franco, 2017 / PG / 104 mins) The real life story of writer/director Tommy Wiseau, the man behind what is often referred to as "The Citizen Kane of Bad Movies," THE ROOM, is brought to life, chronicling the odd film's troubled development and eventual cult success.

THE ROOM (Tommy Wiseau / 2003 / 99 mins / 14A) Johnny is a successful banker with great respect for and dedication to the people in his life, especially his future wife Lisa. The happy-go-lucky guy sees his world being torn apart when his friends begin to betray him one-by-one.

"Oh, hi Mark!"

Join us at the Rio Theatre for a very special screening of one of the best experiences you can have in a darkened theatre: Tommy Wiseau's epic, pop-culture masterpiece THE ROOM.

What a story! A marvel of modern cinema, Tommy Wiseau's THE ROOM is so powerful that it will, literally, "tear you apart." (Or, maybe just your brain. And occasionally your eyeballs.) In the pantheon of you-gotta-see-it-to-believe-it, best-worst movies, it's quite possible that nothing tops THE ROOM. It's the CITIZEN KANE of bad movies! And truly, truly, the best (trust) way to experience this "masterpiece" is in the dark, on the big screen, and with a packed audience of confused (and enthused!) lovers of director Wiseau's bizarre cinematic oddity that has morphed into a pop-culture phenomenon.

Fun Fact: In 2014, while James Franco was in town shooting THE INTERVIEW, he came to the Rio Theatre for a screening of THE ROOM and a live reading from THE DISASTER ARTIST, hosted by Greg Sestero. Franco was so taken by Greg’s memoir and the rapturous response of the crowd, that they shook on the making of the feature that very night!

THE ROOM is easily the Rio Theatre audiences' all-time, hands-down forever favourite "so bad, it's good" movies. In fact, among our collective guiltiest cinematic pleasures, it may just be the bestest "best-worst" films of all time!

Thursday, January 22
Movie 9:30 pm *As this film is screening as part of a double bill, the start time subject to change.

THE ROOM (Tommy Wiseau, 2003 / 99 mins / 18A) Johnny is a successful banker with great respect for and dedication to the people in his life, especially his future wife Lisa. The happy-go-lucky guy sees his world fall apart when his friends begin to betray him one-by-one.

Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival, but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting.

Winner of Best Director (Kleber Mendonça Filho) and Best Actor in Cannes, THE SECRET AGENT is currently nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Actor Drama, Best Foreign Language Film, and is Brazil's pick for Oscar submission.

"'The Secret Agent' suggests something more consequential with its gripping portrait of political resistance: that survival is a matter of both watching and watching over one another." (Washington Post)

"The period detail is a marvel, the era’s music a most excellent groove, and the cast a top-to-bottom wowzer of interesting faces and eclectic bodies." (Austin Chronicle)

"This smart, brutal, often funny thriller uses the travails of one ordinary man to capture a reactionary era in its daily realities and surreal absurdities, its public cruelty and private decency." (NPR)

"Fiery and relentlessly paced (its 158 minutes don’t contain a minute of bloat), the political thriller pivoting around themes of paranoia and resistance feels perfectly tuned to the moment." (Globe and Mail)

Friday, January 23
Doors 2:45 pm | Movie 3:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE SECRET AGENT "O Agente Secreto"  (Kleber Mendonça Filho, 2025 / 161 mins / 14A / Brazilian Portuguese w. EST) In 1977, a technology expert flees from a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in search of peace. He soon realizes that the city is far from being the refuge he seeks.

"Gimme some sugar, baby!"

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Friday, January 23 to for back-to-back screenings of one of our favourite franchises with one of our most requested movie marathon events - Sam Raimi's glorious EVIL DEAD trilogy.

Horror icon Bruce Campbell (so groovy, baby!) stars in this much loved series that includes THE EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD II: DEAD BY DAWN and ARMY OF DARKNESS (aka, "The Medieval Dead").

See one film, or see them all for one groovy price!

Costumes welcome - and encouraged! (Show us what you've got, kid.) All seating is General Admission and first come, first served. We anticipate a busy night, so we recommend coming early for great seats!

Friday, January 23
THE EVIL DEAD
Doors 6:15 | Movie 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time to get great seats.
Single Film & Marathon Tickets Available!

EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN
Movie 9:00 pm *As this is screening as part of a triple feature, the start time is subject to change.

ARMY OF DARKNESS (aka "The Medieval Dead")
Movie 11:00 pm *As this is screening as part of a triple feature, the start time is subject to change.

THE EVIL DEAD (Sam Raimi, 1981 / 14A / 85 min) Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.

EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN (Sam Raimi, 1987 /14A / 84 min)  The lone survivor 1of an onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits holds up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack.

ARMY OF DARKNESS (Sam Raimi, 1992 / 14A / 96 min) In the third and final installment of Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD trilogy, intrepid hero Ash (Bruce Campbell) finds himself trapped in medieval times. He must quest for the Necronomicon, a book of evil which can return him to his time. Unfortunately, he releases the evil trapped inside the book and unleashes an "army of the dead."

"Gimme some sugar, baby!"

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Friday, January 23 to for back-to-back screenings of one of our favourite franchises with one of our most requested movie marathon events - Sam Raimi's glorious EVIL DEAD trilogy.

Horror icon Bruce Campbell (so groovy, baby!) stars in this much loved series that includes THE EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD II: DEAD BY DAWN and ARMY OF DARKNESS (aka, "The Medieval Dead").

See one film, or see them all for one groovy price!

Costumes welcome - and encouraged! (Show us what you've got, kid.) All seating is General Admission and first come, first served. We anticipate a busy night, so we recommend coming early for great seats!

The final entry in Raimi's original trilogy, ARMY OF DARKNESS, is a staple offering on any respectable midnight movie marquee. This cult-classic horror comedy finds intrepid hero Ash (aka, "groovy" Bruce Campbell) trapped in medieval times. He must quest for the Necronomicon, a book of evil which can return him to his time. Unfortunately, he releases the evil trapped inside the book, and unleashes an army of the dead.

"The movie's insistence on pushing horror to the side in favor of sheer goofiness was a risk, though, and perhaps that's why Army of Darkness is more of a cult classic." (Polygon)

Friday, January 23

ARMY OF DARKNESS (aka "The Medieval Dead")
Movie 11:00 pm *As this is screening as part of a triple feature, the start time is subject to change.

Late Night Date Night! Bring a friend or date and get 2-for-1 entry to ARMY OF DARKNESS!

ARMY OF DARKNESS (Sam Raimi, 1992 / 14A / 96 min) In the third and final installment of Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD trilogy, intrepid hero Ash (Bruce Campbell) finds himself trapped in medieval times. He must quest for the Necronomicon, a book of evil which can return him to his time. Unfortunately, he releases the evil trapped inside the book and unleashes an "army of the dead."

"Gimme some sugar, baby!"

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Friday, January 23 to for back-to-back screenings of one of our favourite franchises with one of our most requested movie marathon events - Sam Raimi's glorious EVIL DEAD trilogy.

Horror icon Bruce Campbell (so groovy, baby!) stars in this much loved series that includes THE EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD II: DEAD BY DAWN and ARMY OF DARKNESS (aka, "The Medieval Dead").

See one film, or see them all for one groovy price!

Costumes welcome - and encouraged! (Show us what you've got, kid.) All seating is General Admission and first come, first served. We anticipate a busy night, so we recommend coming early for great seats!

Horror icon Bruce Campbell (so groovy, baby!) stars in Raimi's horror-comedy EVIL DEAD II: DEAD BY DAWN, which burst on to the scene in 1987 - shocking audiences with gore and laughs for  almost 40 years since! This "parody" sequel, the second of the iconic trilogy franchise, has also been gore-geously remastered in a frightfully crisp 4K restoration.

After playing a recording of the Book of the Dead found in a seemingly abandoned cabin in the woods and unleashing an evil force that possesses his girlfriend, Ash is forced, once again, into a macabre battle for his life against horrifying demons. After discovering an audiotape left by a college professor that contains voices reading from the Book of the Dead, Ash's girlfriend Linda (Denise Bixler) becomes possessed by evil spirits that are awakened by the voices on the tape. Ash soon discovers there is no escaping the woods.

"Rampant inventiveness and manic energy have ensured that it will endure as a cult classic." (A.V. Club)

"A ghoulish splatter comedy that uses wildly excessive gore to provoke the kind of shock that lies between a laugh and a scream." (Dave Kehr)

"Just when things start getting too grisly, Raimi rushes in with a hilarious, sendup joke to remind us that all this blood and guts is meant in spooky Grand Guignol fun." (Los Angeles Times)

"Evil Dead 2's increased special effects and slapstick-gore makes it as good -- if not better -- than the original." (Rotten Tomatoes)

Friday, January 23
Movie 9:00 pm *As this is screening as part of a triple feature, the start time is subject to change.

EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN (Sam Raimi, 1987 /14A / 84 min)  The lone survivor 1of an onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits holds up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack.

Since its release in 2001, Hayao Miyazaki's SPIRITED AWAY still remains one of the most explosively original and enchanting animated films ever made - and it's even better on the big screen!

Enter a captivating world of witches, dragons and spirits, in a critically-acclaimed story that became a worldwide phenomenon. The film followed a ten year old girl who wanders away from her parents along a path that leads to a world ruled by strange and unusual monster-like animals, only to discover that they have been changed into pigs along with others inside a bathhouse full of these creatures.

"Artful but not arty, SPIRITED AWAY is a handcrafted cartoon, as personal as an Utamaro painting, yet its breadth and heart give it an appeal that should touch American viewers of all ages." (Time Magazine)

"Miyazaki's luminescent, gorgeously realized world is relatively safe for children, but it also acknowledges blood, pain, dread, and death in ways that other animated films wouldn't dare." (AV Club)

"Knock me down with a feather, it turns out to be terrific; maybe not a masterpiece, but certainly aglitter with invention, excitement and a mysterious kind of wit." (The Independent)

Saturday, January 24 This screening is the English dub.
Doors 10:45 a, | Movie 11:15 am *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Family Pricing in Effect! All tickets $10

SPIRITED AWAY (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001 DCP / 125 mins / PG) 10-year-old Chihiro is on another seemingly-boring trip with her parents. However, when they stop at a mysterious village, her parents undergo a puzzling transformation, and she is whisked into a world of fantastic spirits, shape-shifting dragons and a witch who never wants to see her leave. Chihiro must call on the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world.

Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival, but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting.

Winner of Best Director (Kleber Mendonça Filho) and Best Actor in Cannes, THE SECRET AGENT is currently nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Actor Drama, Best Foreign Language Film, and is Brazil's pick for Oscar submission.

"'The Secret Agent' suggests something more consequential with its gripping portrait of political resistance: that survival is a matter of both watching and watching over one another." (Washington Post)

"The period detail is a marvel, the era’s music a most excellent groove, and the cast a top-to-bottom wowzer of interesting faces and eclectic bodies." (Austin Chronicle)

"This smart, brutal, often funny thriller uses the travails of one ordinary man to capture a reactionary era in its daily realities and surreal absurdities, its public cruelty and private decency." (NPR)

"Fiery and relentlessly paced (its 158 minutes don’t contain a minute of bloat), the political thriller pivoting around themes of paranoia and resistance feels perfectly tuned to the moment." (Globe and Mail)

Saturday, January 24
Doors 1:30 pm | Movie 2:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE SECRET AGENT "O Agente Secreto"  (Kleber Mendonça Filho, 2025 / 161 mins / 14A / Brazilian Portuguese w. EST) In 1977, a technology expert flees from a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in search of peace. He soon realizes that the city is far from being the refuge he seeks.

A copious cavalcade of top notch talent and captivating cabaret await at The Rio Theatre Burlesque and Variety Show on Saturday, January 24.

Local luminary April O’Peel has curated a show full of wonder sure to dazzle and delight our fun loving audience! The theme is NO THEME! That’s right! These talented performers will each be performing one act of their choosing! What act will they decide to bring to The Rio Theatre Burlesque & Variety Show!? Find out on Saturday, January 24 as these stars align for one night only!

Saturday, January 24
Doors 8:00 pm | Show 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

EARLY BIRD tickets just $20, till midnight, January 5!

General Admission $30 + s/c | $35 + s/c at the door
VIP tickets (Rows A-C, centre section) $40+ s/c
Squad Pass (Group of Four Tickets – online only) $100+ s/c

With Featured Performances By:

April O'Peel | Dame Derriere | Forrest Rump | Heathen | Jalebia Majora | Little Brit Naughty | Poly Pocket & Glitter Stache
Ruby Revel & Iggy Tart | Teresa Riley | Yoshi Chladny

Hosted by Dandy!

Usamljeni Zoran (Andrija Kuzmanović) ima veoma odgovoran posao: na monitorima u režiji rijaliti programa gleda učesnike kako spavaju. Ovu ''uzbudljivu'' svakodnevnicu promene iznenadne životne okolnosti, koje ga ponovo povežu sa otuđenim ocem i povedu na emotivno, poslednje zajedničko putovanje.

Zoran's life, including a pothead roommate, an unavailable ex-girlfriend and a job on reality TV, turns upside-down when his intolerable father is diagnosed with terminal illness and he is committed to help him through his final weeks.

Sunday, January 25
Doors 12:15 pm | Movie 12:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Režija/Director: Vladimir Tagić
U glavnim ulogama/Stars: Andrija Kuzmanović, Nikola Pejaković, Hana Selimović, Snježana Sinovčić Šiškov, Jana Milosavljević, Jovana Stojiljković, Bojana Stojković, Vahid Džanković
Žanr/Genre: Drama
Trajanje/Run time: 112min
Scenario/Writers: Milan Ramšak Marković, Vladimir Tagić
Direktor fotografije/DP: Aleksandar Karaulić
Producer: Marija Stojanović
Producentska kuća/Production Company: Sense Production (Serbia), Contrast Films (Bulgaria), La Belle Affair (France), Eclectica (Croatia), Adriatic Western (Montenegro)
Distribution: Art Vista

Festivals & Awards:
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actor Sarajevo Film Festival, 2025
Golden Mimosis for Best Actor Montenegro Film Festival, 2025
Best Debut Film Džada Fest, 2025
Best Film CinEdays Film Festival Skopje, 2025

The lead actor Andrija Kuzmanović received the Special Jury Award for the leading male role / CinEdays Film Festival Skopje, 2025

YUGO FLORIDA (Vladimir Tagić, 2025 / 118 mins / NR / English subtitles) Zoran's life, including a pothead roommate, an unavailable ex-girlfriend and a job on reality TV, turns upside-down when his intolerable father is diagnosed with terminal illness and he is committed to help him through his final weeks.

www.systementertainment.com

Set in modern-day Tokyo, RENTAL FAMILY follows an American actor (Oscar winner Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.

"The main reason to see it is Brendan Fraser. He is perfectly cast in this role." (FilmWeek)

"This is a beautiful and contemplative film, with lovely messaging and a couple of sly twists." (RogerEbert.com)

Sunday, January 25
Doors 3:00 pm | Movie 3:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

RENTAL FAMILY (Hikari, 2025 / 110 mins / PG) An American actor in Tokyo struggling to find purpose lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. He rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the beauty of human connection.

Join us at the Rio Theatre as we pay tribute to the late, great filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner by dimming the lights and firing up the projector for a screening of one of  his most accclaimed titles, the 1992 courtroom drama A FEW GOOD MEN. Adapted by Aaron Sorkin from his hit play of the same name, the film ably demonstrated Reiner's incredible range and versatility as a filmmaker; one who was as adept at crafting a tense legal drama as he was a mockumentary about an English rock band. Nominated for numerous Oscars (including Best Picture), the film was very much a showpiece for its all-star cast, including Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Pollack, and Kevin Bacon.

Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Cruise) is a military lawyer defending two U.S. Marines charged with killing a fellow Marine at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Although Kaffee is known for seeking plea bargains, a fellow lawyer, Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway (Moore), convinces him that the accused marines were most likely carrying out an order from a commanding officer. Kaffee takes a risk by calling Col. Nathan R. Jessep (Nicholson) to the stand in an effort to uncover the conspiracy.

"That the performances are uniformly outstanding is a tribute to Rob Reiner (Misery), who directs with masterly assurance, fusing suspense and character to create a movie that literally vibrates with energy." (Rolling Stone Magazine)

"With outstanding performances throughout the cast, superb direction by Rob Reiner and a fine, taut screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, who adapted his own Broadway success, the movie marches by at double-time." (St. Louis Dispatch)\

"A brisk and familiar courtroom drama of the old school, as pleasant to watch as it is predictable, "Men" more than anything else is a tribute to pure star power." (Los Angeles Times)

Sunday, January 25
Doors 5:30  pm | Movie 6:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

A FEW GOOD MEN (Rob Reiner, 1992 / 138 mins / 14A) A military lawyer intends to prove that two US Marines charged with murdering a fellow Marine were only following their base commander's orders.

Let's face it dahlings, it's 2026 and one of the scarcest resources available is PURE JOY! We've got you covered in the The Happiest Drag Show on Earth—a full-throttle celebration of queer joy, camp, and community. Every act is meticulously designed to tickle your funny bone and warm your gay little heart!  It's a glitter soaked love fest, dahhhlings, where everyone is welcome, no one has to “fit in,” and you leave feeling hotter, happier, and more yourself than when you walked in. This glam spectacle is the perfect way to start the new year-  with the BIGGEST and BEST (award winning!) drag show in East Van. Hosted by social media sensation and local legend DANDY!

Friday, January 30
Doors 7:00 PM | Show 8:00 PM *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

EARLY BIRD, Save $10 off tickets until January 2, midnight.

Main Floor Assigned $30+ s/c in advance |  $35+ s/c at the door
VIP (Priority Seating & Prop Bag) $40+ s/c
Happiest 4-pack on Earth!  – Save $20! (Available online only)

Featured Performers

Glimmer Rouge
Queen Kong
Banana Delvey
Miss October
Burna Dart
Dumplin
Black Ice
Leviticus
Celeste

Hosted by DANDY!

About your Host:

Dandy (he/him) is the award-winning host made popular on TikTok for his viral videos promoting queer joy! Winner of Host of the Year 2024 for Vancouver International Burlesque Festival and awarded runner up in the Georgia Straight’s BEST OF VANCOUVER for his show Drag Attack! – you can catch him regularly on stage in his shows at the iconic Rio Theatre in Vancouver, or touring this Fall between LA and New York City. His all new series Dandyland, which highlights businesses, organizations, and artists in the lower-mainland’s LGBT Community, premiered this Summer on Optik TV and was nominated by the Costume Designers Guild Awards for Excellence in Short Form Design 2024, and WON a CAFTCAD Award for Excellence in Webseries 2024 thanks to already award winning, multi-talented Costume Designer, Rafaella Rabinovich.

@dandyandfriends

Mark Fischbach (aka YouTube creator and influencer Markiplier to his legions of fans) is unleashing his highly-anticipated debut feature horror film, IRON LUNG, into the cinematic sphere on January 30. In a post-apocalyptic future after "The Quiet Rapture" event, a convict explores a blood ocean on a desolate moon using a submarine called the "Iron Lung" to search for missing stars/planets.

Friday, January 30
Doors 11:00 pm | Movie 11:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

IRON LUNG (Mark Fischback, 2026 / 125 mins / 18A) Survivors of the apocalypse launch an expedition to a barren moon with an ocean of blood.

Mark Fischbach (aka YouTube creator and influencer Markiplier to his legions of fans) is unleashing his highly-anticipated debut feature horror film, IRON LUNG, into the cinematic sphere on January 30. In a post-apocalyptic future after "The Quiet Rapture" event, a convict explores a blood ocean on a desolate moon using a submarine called the "Iron Lung" to search for missing stars/planets.

Sunday, February 1
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

IRON LUNG (Mark Fischback, 2026 / 125 mins / 18A) Survivors of the apocalypse launch an expedition to a barren moon with an ocean of blood.

With his senses-ravishing third feature, visionary Chinese writer-director Bi Gan (LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT) takes his deepest plunge yet into the realm of pure cinematic dreamscape. In a world where humans have forsaken dreams in exchange for immortality, a dreaming monster (Jackson Yee) embarks on a shape-shifting odyssey through illusion, beauty, and terror that takes him across the twentieth century and to the end of time. Unfolding in five dazzlingly imagined chapters that encompass everything from silent-cinema expressionism to film noir to a delirious vampire love story shot in one of Bi’s signature long takes, RESURRECTION is a work of breathtaking imagination in which cinema is the ultimate portal to the unconscious mind.

Winner, Special Jury Prize Cannes Film Festival 2025

“A magnificent and dizzying dreamscape… delicately, meticulously, and slowly envelopes you.” (The Globe and Mail)

“A dreamlike, head-spinning ride.” (Toronto Star)

“A fantastical trip for—and about—the senses.” (Original Cin)

Tuesday, February 2
Doors 7:45 pm | Movie 8:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

RESURRECTION "Kuangye shidai" (Bi Gan, 2025 / 160 mins / 14A / Mandarin w. EST) In a society where people stop dreaming to extend their lifespan, some dangerous individuals still dream, warping the fabric of time. We experience five dreams, for each of the senses, each chronologically representing a period of cinema.

THE DONN OF TIKI is a documentary film about Donn Beach, also known as Don the Beachcomber, creator of the tiki bar. But his story goes much deeper than that. He was an American maverick, constantly creating his own opportunities, reinventing himself many times over, and was well known for embellishing the details of his extraordinary life.

This film takes on the task of separating fact from exaggeration to finally tell his story. There are slivers of truth to his tales- a youth spent in Jamaica, running rum during prohibition, hunting down cigars and liquor for troops in World War II, and bringing the first commercial lū‘au to Hawai‘i. Interviews from historians, scholars of indigenous politics, as well as the tiki community, paint a complicated portrait of an optimistic man from Texas, who became a champion for authenticity, both in his work, and within himself.

Presented in partnership with The Shameful Tiki Room Vancouver. Taste the Tiki with specially curated cocktails and event themed drink specials!

Tuesday, February 3
Doors 6:00 pm | Event 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Tickets $22 + s/c

Genre: Documentary, Pop Culture, Bio-pic
Web Site: https://www.thedonnoftiki.com
Runtime: 100
Language: English
Rating: NR
Director: Alex Lamb, Max Well
Producer: Alex Lamb, Taryn Roraback, Max Well
Writer(s): Alex Lamb, Max Well, Tim 'Swanky' Glazner
Cast: Donn Beach

The East Van Laugh Riot is pleased to welcome back comedian Ian Bagg, who is returning to the Rio Theatre's stage for a night of laughs on Friday, February 6.

Friday, February 6
Doors 6:00 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Most comedians have a monologue; Ian has a dialogue. Attend a show immediately and see why his high school history teacher asked Ian's parents if there was something he should know about Ian.

Presented by System Entertainment.

Nikola Kojo se vraća liku Miše Pavlovića posle više od 30 godina. Miši u Srbiju dolaze sinovi koje dugo nije video, jer žive sa Natašom u Moskvi, ali kada stignu momci koji nose imena svojih pradeda - Žike i Milana, počinje nova luda godina, prepuna smeha, avanture, ali i porodičnih vrednosti.

A violinist named Misha struggles to support his family by playing at weddings. He has two sons, each named after their grandfathers. The boys are navigating the challenges of puberty as their father tries to make ends meet.

English subtitles.

Saturday, February 7
Doors 1:30 pm | Film 2:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

General Admission - $25.50 + s/c

Režija: Milan Konjević
U glavnim ulogama: Nikola Kojo, Danijela Dimitrovska, Nikola Brun, Gavrilo Ivanković Srđan Timarov, Mladen Sovilj, Jovo Maksić, Vesna Čipčić, Vladimir Petrović, Gala Videnović, Slobodan Boda Ninković…
Žanr: Komedija
Trajanje: 100 min
Scenario: Milena Marković
Producenti: Milan Todorović, Ognjen Rakčević, Jovan Marković, Goran Peković
Produkcija: Talking Wolf Productions, Olimp produkcija, FIT
Film podržali: Filmski centar Srbije, Apollon
Distribucija: Art Vista

The East Van Laugh Riot is pleased to welcome back comedian Ian Bagg, who is returning to the Rio Theatre's stage for a night of laughs on Friday, February 6 & 7.

Saturday, February 7
Doors 6:00 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Most comedians have a monologue; Ian has a dialogue. Attend a show immediately and see why his high school history teacher asked Ian's parents if there was something he should know about Ian.

Guess who's back to keep Vancouver laughing in 2026... The East Van Laugh RioT is pleased to welcome the winter season return of comedian Sammy Obeid - with all-new material! We just can't keep him off our stage!

Tuesday, February 10
Doors 5:30 pm | Show 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Adult Balcony (General Admission) $39 + s/c Early Bird $30 Until December 21!
Adult Main Floor (Assigned Seating) $48+ s/c Early Bird $40 Until December 21!
VIP Meet n' Greet (Rows 2-6, centre section) $65+ s/c
VVIP Meet n' Greet (Front Row, centre section) $75+ s/c
Group Ticket Pricing (Minimum 4) $43 (ea)+ s/c (online only)

Lebanese-Palestinian American and born in Oakland California, Sammy Obeid double-majored in Business and Mathematics at UC Berkeley and then turned down a job at Google to be a comedian.

Now the host of 100 Humans on Netflix, he’s also appeared on NBC's Last Comic Standing and America's Got Talent, as well as TBS’s Conan, and is best known for his world record of performing comedy 1,001 nights in a row, a story featured in both Time Magazine and The New York Times.

Connect on Instagram @sammyobeid
Connect on Facebook
Connect on TikTok @sammyobeidthem
Connect on X @sammyobeid

Guess who's back to keep Vancouver laughing in 2026... The East Van Laugh RioT is pleased to welcome the winter season return of comedian Sammy Obeid - with all-new material! We just can't keep him off our stage!

Tuesday, February 10
Doors 8:30 pm | Show 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Adult Balcony (General Admission) $39 + s/c
Adult Main Floor (Assigned Seating) $48+ s/c
VIP Meet n' Greet (Rows 2-6, centre section) $65+ s/c
VVIP Meet n' Greet (Front Row, centre section) $75+ s/c
Group Ticket Pricing (Minimum 4) $43 (ea)+ s/c (online only)

Lebanese-Palestinian American and born in Oakland California, Sammy Obeid double-majored in Business and Mathematics at UC Berkeley and then turned down a job at Google to be a comedian.

Now the host of 100 Humans on Netflix, he’s also appeared on NBC's Last Comic Standing and America's Got Talent, as well as TBS’s Conan, and is best known for his world record of performing comedy 1,001 nights in a row, a story featured in both Time Magazine and The New York Times.

Connect on Instagram @sammyobeid
Connect on Facebook
Connect on TikTok @sammyobeidthem
Connect on X @sammyobeid

A performance night featuring the talents and artistry of Professional Showgirls!

Get yourself teased, tantalized and all worked up ahead of V-Day with a "hump-day" helping of flesh and sin from some of Canada's best and award winning professional showgirls on Wednesday, February 11 at Lovers and Haters: A Showgirl Cabaret!

Expect to see acts that celebrate both love and hate incorporating strip club culture like Flow, Pole Dancing, Aerials and Chains. With featured performances from award winning Flow and Aerial artist, Miss Nude Canada 2024, Miss Nude North America 2023 - Bree Vybes!

Wednesday, February 11
Doors 7:00 pm | 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

All tickets $25 + s/c
(Main floor assigned, Balcony GA)

Featuring performances by:

Bree Vybes @breevybes
Caroline @loup_pole
Demi Reign @demi.reign
Helena @hell.lena_bythelights
Josie Jett @josie_jett_dancer
Kitana @aerial.sushi
Lily Lux @lily.lux.xo
Misty Blue @itsmistyblue.x
Nina Nightblossom @nina.nightblossom
Oliv Oill @littlemissolivoill
Sienna Rogue @sienna.rogue
Skylar Blade @skylar.blade

It takes two to tango this Valentine's Day at the Rio Theatre!

The highly-anticipated Burlesque Duos returns to the Rio's stage on Saturday, February 14. This beloved (not to mention popular!) East Vancouver Valentine's Day tradition is the ultimate spectacle of partnership and creativity. Spice up your Valentine's Day with a night of never-before-seen pairings and innovative duets!

Saturday, February 14
Doors 8:00 pm | Show 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

EARLY BIRD only $30 + s/c. Offer expires January 12, midnight!

Balcony -General Admission $30 + s/c in advance | $35+ s/c at the door
Main Floor - Assigned $40 + s/c in advance | $45+ s/c at the door
VIP Tickets $50+ s/c
Menage 4-pack of tickets - Save $40(Available online only)

Perfect for singles and couples alike, the evening's marquee will include unforgettable performances from eight of Vancouver’s top teasers, including:

Scarlet Delirium & Manda StroyerApril O'Peel & Angora Phobia
Diva the Violet Femme & Homo Hardware
Cherry Ontop & Chelsea Hart

Hosted by:
Sparkle Plenty & Dee Twenty

Presented by Pacific Canada Heritage Centre - Museum of Migration Society 

Directed by Robbie Hart, "Shining Light: A Vietnamese-Canadian Legacy" is an extraordinary documentary that chronicles the powerful mother-daughter story of Chieu-Anh Vu and her mother, Mui. The film follows their harrowing escape from war-torn Vietnam, Chieu-Anh’s birth aboard a sinking cargo ship, and their heroic rescue at sea before eventually finding a new life in Canada. Through personal narratives and historical context provided by diplomats and journalists, the documentary explores themes of courage, migration, and the resilience of the refugee experience.

Sunday, March 8
Doors: 12:00 pm | Movie: 12:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

SHINING LIGHT (Robbie Hart, 2025 / 30 min / NR) An extraordinary mother–daughter documentary story, their escape from war-torn Vietnam, a birth on a sinking ship, a heroic rescue at sea, and a new life in Canada.

Get prepared to laugh your arse off! On Saturday March 14th, Clare Voyeur presents the 6th installment of WHAT’S THE CRAIC? - A Night of Irish Devilry.

This variety show is the precursor celebration to Paddy’s Day, packed with acts full of hilarity, sexiness and the spirit and lore of the Emerald Isle! With a rotating cast, the show features comedy, live music, burlesque, games and more! Ask your mammies to say a prayer for you, this show is about to get wild! Say another rosary, count your lucky shamrocks and wear your best greens in honor of the big man himself, St. Patrick!

Saturday, March 14
Doors 8:15 pm | Show 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early bird tickets just $30 + s/c, available till midnight February 1!

General Admission $40 + s/c | $45+ s/c (At the door)
VIP $55+ s/c (Assigned seats in Rows A-E, centre section, and a themed goodie bag)

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Friday, March 20 for the second annual H Cupcake Productions Foundation's THE COSPLAY SWIMSUIT CONTEST, a charity variety show mixing comedy and sex appeal - for a good cause!

H Cupcake Productions was founded with the goals of bringing laughter and smiles to adults, while supporting the needs of children. While the world hasn't been the kindest place these past few years, the organization's mission is event-driven, with the goal of bringing as much joy as possible to as many people as possible. The group has been the main event for adult entertainment at Anime Revolution since 2012, with an average current attendance of 3,400 people.

We have a fabulous lineup of performers to excite and entertain you! Many of your favorites from our annual show at Anime Revolution will be joining us: Cookie._.Rush, JMRohCreations, Vancity_Ranger, Gothish.Rain, Milkiway.Cosplay, BadSheepCosplay, Brystak, Kamistry, Gavin, Sharkiekitty, Angora.Phobia and Im.JuneMonsoon.

Friday, March 20
Doors 7:00 pm | Show 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Adult Entry $15+ s/c (Until August 11) | $20+ s/c
VIP (Rows A-C) $30+ s/c (Until August 11) | $40+ s/c

This Cosplay Swimsuit Contest will benefit BC Children's Hospital, with proceeds going towards purchasing a soft stuffed animal for a child in need at BC Children's. (When else are you going to get to see Burlesque, Singing, Dancing, Feats of Athletics and get to feel good about funding a charity!)

Come view our past events at our website at: www.hcupcakeproductions.org

Community Trail Running presents:
The Trail Running Film Festival

After a great debut in 2023, and an even better follow-up in 2024-2025, the Trail Running Film Festival is back on tour in 2026 and coming to Vancouver once again! Expect another amazing evening of films, performance, inspiration, and community.

Our amazing sponsors will ensure you have an awesome evening. Big thanks to 5 Peaks, Odlum Brown, Sinister Sports, Coast Mountain Trail Running, RunGo and more!

Come and help us celebrate our incredible sport as we explore individual and collective potential. The festival will also have a 50/50 in support of BC AdventureSmart and include prizes and giveaways to add to our celebration!

We’re excited to bring you stories from around the world by filmmakers sharing their work of adventure, inclusivity, wilderness, art, and diversity across the trail and ultra community. Trail running is awesome and so is this film festival!

Thursday, April 2
Doors 6:00 pm | Event 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Tickets (Early Bird $30+ s/c until January 1) | $40 + s/c
Squad Pass Group Pricing (Group of Four $140+ s/c - Available online only)

Rogue Folk Club presents
Dervish

Music from the West of Ireland with passionate vocals and dazzling instrumentals.

Dervish have been bringing Irish traditional music to the world for more than 30 years, and received the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Lifetime Achievement Award. Described by the BBC as “an icon of Irish music”, the band have played festivals from Rock in Rio to Glastonbury, toured with the Irish President and struck up tunes on the Great Wall of China.

Dervish’s lineup features some of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians. Fronted by one of the country’s best-known singers, Cathy Jordan, joined by some of Ireland’s finest trad musicians - Shane Mitchell (accordion), Liam Kelly (flute/whistle), Brian McDonagh (mandola/mandolin), Michael Holmes (bouzouki) and Tom Morro (fiddle).

Exceptional musicianship, breath-taking vocals, vibrant sets of tunes and instantly compelling songs all come together to make Dervish as complete a band as are to be found anywhere in the tradition.

Sunday, April 26
Doors 6:30 pm | Show 7:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early Bird Tickets $42+ s/c (Until January 1 )
Tickets $47+ s/c | $52+ s/c at the door

Tickets on sale November 28 10:00 am

Frank Zappa’s music – reimagined!

Zappostrophe’…dares to take on Zappa’s weird and wonderful world - recreating his tunes with jaw-dropping musicianship, and a wink to his irreverent humour (CHEK TV, Victoria, 2024)

Zappostrophe' is a Vancouver-based 8-piece band, playing favourites and lesser-known works from Frank Zappa's eclectic recordings.

Our shows include a variety of FZ’s music – from favourites like Don't Eat the Yellow Snow and Montana to complex compositions like Inca Roads, with some high energy instrumentals to keep things interesting. Expect virtuoso playing, tight vocals and humour!

Plus...

LUNATICS ON THE GRASS - TRIBUTE TO PINK FLOYD pays homage to the legendary Progressive Rock band Pink Floyd.

Get ready to immerse yourself in Pink Floyd’s mesmerizing music, and Lunatics on The Grass's visuals and mind-blowing original animations !

The band will perform The Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety, as well as other iconic Pink Floyd classics.

The band will transport you to another dimension where the spirit of Pink Floyd lives on.

Don't miss out on this epic experience !

Saturday, May 16
Doors 8:00 pm | Show 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early bird tickets just $45, available till midnight March 1!

Main Floor Assigned - $50
Seniors - $45
VIP Reserved (First 5 rows) - $55

Zappostrophe’ is:

Blair Fisher  - vocals / trumpet / flute / keys
Blair Lewis – guitar / synths / vocals / rubber chicken
LJ Mounteney – vocals / kazoo
Nick Apivor – percussion / vocals
Guenter Schulz – guitar
Cole Tinney– keyboards
Brent Gubbels – bass
Jason Overy - drums

Lunatics on the Grass is:

Larry Bloom - keyboards
Joady Bell - keyboards
Carol Mason - vocals
Mike Krawchuk - vocals and sax
Lisa Dunn - vocals
Victor Yong - lead guitar
Kyle Legionhq Haynes- rhythm guitar and lap steel guitar
Kerry Paulicelli- drums
Kevin Krick - bass

This Rio Theatre gift certificate is good for entry to any single regular screening and includes two medium drinks, and one large popcorn. If you prefer a physical card, this gift certificate is also available for purchase from our conession stand during open business hours.

This Rio Theatre gift certificate is good for entry to any single regular screening and includes one medium popcorn, one medium fountain beverage, and one small candy. If you prefer a physical card, this gift certificate is also available for purchase from our conession stand during open business hours.