Lewis Carroll's beloved fantasy tale is brought to life in this Disney animated classic. When Alice, a restless young British girl, falls down a rabbit hole, she enters a magical world. There she encounters an odd assortment of characters, including the grinning Cheshire Cat and the goofy Mad Hatter. When Alice ends up in the court of the tyrannical Queen of Hearts, she must stay on the ruler's good side -- or risk losing her head. Featuring the voices of Kathryn Beaumont, Sterling Holloway, Ed Wynn, Verna Felton.

"It's colourful, fun and as surreal as Disney is ever likely to get." (Empire Magazine)

"'Alice in Wonderland' remains one of the most interesting and unique additions to Disney's early filmography." (Buttered Popcorn)

"One of Walt Disney's best efforts. He has adhered to the Lewis Carrol classic, adding enough Disney humor to make it a delight for all ages." (Associated Press)

Saturday, August 2
Doors 11:30 am | Movie 12:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Family Day Long Weekend pricing in effect! All tickets $8!!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (Clyde Geronimi & Wilfred Jackson & Hamilton Luske / 1951 / G / 73 mins) Alice stumbles into the world of Wonderland. Will she get home? Not if the Queen of Hearts has her way.

"It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage."

Steven Spielberg’s monumentally awesome RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is a pop-culture touchstone for any 80s kid and is always on our list as a "must be seen on the big screen" because it was so intentionally crafted as a genuine cinematic celebration of the innocent adventure movies of an earlier era. Harrison Ford stars in this epic tale as the intrepid Professor Indiana Jones, renowned, intrepid archaeologist and expert in the occult with a penchant for whip-cracking and fedoras. He is hired by the U.S government and tasked with the critical quest of artifact retrieval - he must find the storied ark of the covenant, which is believed to still hold the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, Hitler's agents are also after the ark, meaning he must beat a band of Nazis to this uniquely powerful religious relic that is central to advancing their plans for world domination. Battling against a snake phobia and an angry ex-girlfriend, Jones is in constant peril while making hair's-breadth escapes at every turn, from Nepal to Cairo. Also starring Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Alfred Molina, Denholm Elliott.

Saturday, August 2
Doors 1:30 pm | Movie 1:50 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Kids pricing in effect, just $8!!

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (Steven Spielberg, 1981 / DCP, 115 mins / PG) Professional archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis get their hands on it.

Berlin, 1931. As Nazism rises in Germany, flamboyant American Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli, never better) sings in a decadent nightclub and falls in love with a British language teacher --whom she shares with a homosexual German baron. But Sally's small, carefree, tolerant and fragile cabaret world is about to be crushed under the boot of the Nazis as Berlin becomes a trap from which Sally's German friends will not escape in this ground-breaking, blockbuster film version of the Broadway musical Cabaret. With Michael York, Joel Grey, Helmut Griem, and Marisa Berenson.

Beautifully restored and remastered for its 50th Anniversary in 2022, CABARET was the winner of eight Academy Awards in 1972, including Best Actress (Minnelli), Best Director (Bob Fosse), and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Grey).

"It’s hard to believe it’s half a century since Cabaret first sashayed into cinemas: in look, sound and sensibility, it still feels fresh and daring, expanding the possibilities of what musicals can do and say at every turn." (Film of the Week)

COME AND SEE - the widely acclaimed film from Soviet director Elem Klimov - is a stunning, senses-shattering plunge into the dehumanizing horrors of war. As Nazi forces encroach on his small village in present-day Belarus, teenage Flyora (Aleksei Kravchenko, in one of the screen’s most searing depictions of anguish since Renée Falconetti’s JOAN OF ARC) eagerly joins the Soviet resistance. Rather than the adventure and glory he envisioned, what he finds is a waking nightmare of unimaginable carnage and cruelty—rendered with a feverish, otherworldly intensity by Klimov’s subjective camerawork and expressionistic sound design. Nearly suppressed by Soviet censors who took eight years to approve its script, COME AND SEE is perhaps the most visceral, impossible-to-forget antiwar film ever made. Originally released as "Idi i Smorti," COME AND SEE was the winner of the Grand Prix at the 1985 Moscow Film Festival.

"“The most harrowing horror film of all time is based on a true story. The film invites us to witness the atrocities of war as seen through the eyes of a child... The young star’s face changes dramatically over the course of the film." (Jordan Peele)

"I have rarely seen a film more ruthless in its depiction of human evil." (Roger Ebert)

"'Come and See' is a paradox: a visceral freefall into barbarism, but also a controlled, sometimes contemplative descent." (Los Angeles Times)

"A disorienting and undifferentiated amalgam of almost lyrical poeticism and expressionist nightmare." (Time Out)

Saturday, August 2
Doors 6:50 pm | Movie 7:20 pm *Time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

COME AND SEE "Idi i smotri" (Elem Klimov, 1985 / 142 mins / 18A / Russian with English subs) The invasion of a village in Byelorussia by German forces sends young Florya into the forest to join the weary Resistance fighters, against his family's wishes. There he meets a girl, Glasha, who accompanies him back to his village. On returning home, Florya finds his family and fellow peasants massacred. His continued survival amidst the brutal debris of war becomes increasingly nightmarish, a battle between despair and hope.

"Now, that's a bingo!"

We felt the time was right to scalp some Nazis and speak the King's, so we're revisiting Quentin Tarantino's quasi-historical fantasy INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS on our big screen on August 2.

Set in a fantasy universe that can only ever really exist in the films of Tarantino, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS begins in German-occupied France, where young Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the brutal execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz, in his Oscar-winning performance). Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent) narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as "The Basterds," Raine's squad (including Eli Roth, B.J. Novak, and Samm Levine) joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own. Like a WW2-era "spaghetti western," the film manages to be equal parts violent, fun and smart, with endlessly entertaining dialogue to punctuate the kind of non-linear story we've come to expect from one of cinema's most renowned filmmakers. As per usual, QT assembled an all-star cast that also includes Michael Fassbender, Mike Myers, Julie Dreyfus, and many others.

"Tarantino's tight script is playfully sharp in all languages." (The Georgia Straight)

Saturday, August 2
Doors 10:00 pm | Movie 10:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Quentin Tarantino, 2009 / 153 mins / 18A) In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds, lead by Lt. Aldo Raine, soon cross paths with a French-Jewish woman who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.

"He was the most extraordinary man I ever knew."

The epic of all epics, British director David Lean's triumphant masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia nobly retains its status in the pantheon of cinema as one of, if not the greatest film ever made - and for good reason.

Join us at the Rio Theatre for a screening of this classic (gorgeously restored for its 60th anniversary in 2022), a title which certainly counts among any cinephile's bucket list of, "films to experience on the big screen." Based on the life of English archaeologist, military officer and diplomat T.E. Lawrence, this historical drama holds a firm grasp on its audience with nearly four hours of grand scope, brilliant performances, and the kind of beautiful cinematography that can only truly (and properly) be enjoyed and appreciated on a big screen. Nominated for ten Academy Awards, it won seven including Best Director, Best Sound Editing, Best Film Editing, and Best Picture.

In what is easily the most venerated performance of his brilliant career, Peter O'Toole is remarkable as the enigmatic British Army lieutenant whose exploits carry him through service in the Arabian Peninsula during World War 1 to guerilla warfare, Turkish combat, and later involvement in the formation of the Arab National Council, pitting his increasing emotional conflict relative to his own conscience and allegiances vs. those of "duty" and "country." The film also features standout performances from Sir Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif, and José Ferrer.

"It is O'Toole who continually dominates the screen, and he dominates it with professional skill, Irish charm and smashing good looks." (Time Magazine)

Sunday, August 3
Doors 12:50 pm | Movie 1:20 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
*Please note: This movie screens with a brief intermission.

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (David Lean, 1962 / 227 mins / PG) An epic about British officer T.E. Lawrence's mission to aid the Arab tribes in their revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. Lawrence becomes a flamboyant, messianic figure in the cause of Arab unity, but his psychological instability threatens to undermine his achievements before uniting and leading the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes against the Turks.

When one of the greatest filmmakers of all time adapts one of the greatest literary works of all time, the result can only be described as epic. In 1985, iconic director Akira Kurosawa adapted William Shakespeare's 'King Lear' and crafted one of - if not the - best cinematic representations of the Bard's canon with RAN. Nominated for numerous Oscars, (including Best Director for Kurosawa, who was 75 years old at the time), the film won for Best Costume Design.

In this remarkable re-imagining, olde Britain is transposed into Medieval Japan, where at the age of seventy, after years of consolidating his empire, the Great Lord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) decides to abdicate and divide his domain amongst his three sons. Taro (Akira Terao), the eldest, will rule. Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu), his second son, and Saburo (Daisuke Ryu) will take command of the Second and Third Castles but are expected to obey and support their elder brother. Saburo defies the pledge of obedience and is banished.

"Akira Kurosawa's sprawling, epic take on 'King Lear' should be required viewing for fans of westerns, war movies, or period films in general." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"Spectacular! Among the most thrilling movie experiences a viewer can have!" (New York Times)

"RAN remains gripping because it depicts not only the long-ago past, but also our hellish present." (The Village Voice)

"An irresistible attraction that should be viewed on the biggest screen you can find." (Observer)

"This is one of the year's major cinematic events. It's well worth leaving the house for, should that opportunity arise." (The AV Club)

Sunday, August 3
Doors 5:30 pm | Movie 6:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

RAN (Akira Kurosawa, 1985 / 162 mins / PG / 4K / In Japanese w/ EST) Set in Japan in the 16th century (or so), an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them, or cause them to turn on each other...and him...

Mamoru Oshii's landmark 1995 anime film GHOST IN THE SHELL is a title that has evolved into something of a cultural phenomenon, spawning sequels, remakes, and even a live action feature. The story follows a cyborg policewoman named Motoko Kusanagi, who is herself a "ghost in a shell" (meaning her living consciousness is somewhere being projected into a organic/mechanical body). She struggles with what it means to be "alive" while searching for a master hacker known as “the Puppet Master” whose motivation goes beyond merely disrupting the status quo. Full of action, pathos, and glorious vistas of a city mixing tradition and futurism, GHOST IN THE SHELL is best experienced and appreciated when viewed on the big screen.

"... a pillar of the cyberpunk movement and a testament to visual realism in animation." (Nerdist)

"A stunning feat of modern animation, GHOST IN THE SHELL offers a thoughtful, complex treat for anime fans, as well as a perfect introduction for viewers new to the genre." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"For sheer mind-expanding sci-fi strangeness this is hard to beat." (Time Out)

"Most alluring are the crumbling neon cityscapes, real world/cyberspace fusion and the musings on identity." (Total Film)

Sunday, August 3
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

GHOST IN THE SHELL "Kôkaku kidôtai" (Mamoru Oshii, 1995 / 83 mins / 14 A / Japanese w/EST) In the year 2029, the barriers of our world have been broken down by the net and by cybernetics, but this brings new vulnerability to humans in the form of brain-hacking. When a highly-wanted hacker known as 'The Puppetmaster' begins involving them in politics, Section 9, a group of cybernetically enhanced cops, are called in to investigate and stop the Puppetmaster.

There is no better way to appreciate the magic of Studio Ghibli than on the big screen!

Movie-lovers of all ages adore the wonderful collection from Japan's famed Studio Ghibli, and Hayao Miyazaki's "breakthrough" film MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (1988) is one of their most popular titles This heartwarming and sentimental tale about sisters Satsuki and Mei encountering a mythical forest sprite and its woodland companions when they move to rural Japan is perfect for movie-lovers of all ages - minors very welcome in the balcony!

"An otherworldly tale of childhood and a definitive work of imagination." (Empire Magazine)

"One of the finest family films ever made." (Film4)

Monday, August 4 English dub.
Doors 12:45 pm | Movie 1:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Kids Pricing in Effect!

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO "Tonari no Totoro" (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988 / G / 89 minutes) When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wonderous forest spirits who live nearby.

"It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage."

Steven Spielberg’s monumentally awesome RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is a pop-culture touchstone for any 80s kid and is always on our list as a "must be seen on the big screen" because it was so intentionally crafted as a genuine cinematic celebration of the innocent adventure movies of an earlier era. Harrison Ford stars in this epic tale as the intrepid Professor Indiana Jones, renowned, intrepid archaeologist and expert in the occult with a penchant for whip-cracking and fedoras. He is hired by the U.S government and tasked with the critical quest of artifact retrieval - he must find the storied ark of the covenant, which is believed to still hold the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, Hitler's agents are also after the ark, meaning he must beat a band of Nazis to this uniquely powerful religious relic that is central to advancing their plans for world domination. Battling against a snake phobia and an angry ex-girlfriend, Jones is in constant peril while making hair's-breadth escapes at every turn, from Nepal to Cairo. Also starring Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Alfred Molina, Denholm Elliott.

Monday, August 4
Doors 3:00 pm | Movie 3:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (Steven Spielberg, 1981 / DCP, 115 mins / PG) Professional archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis get their hands on it.

Ain't nothing I can say to make it up to you. There's only things I can do to show you... that I am with you.

A benchmark of both 1980s British and new queer cinema, Stephen Frears' poignant Oscar®-nominated drama MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE celebrates its 40th spin cycle in 2025, and has been beautifully restored in a stunning digital transfer.

In a seedy corner of London, Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a young Pakistani, is given a run-down laundromat by his uncle (Saeed Jaffrey), who hopes to turn it into a successful business. Soon after, Omar is attacked by a group of racist punks, but defuses the situation when he realizes their leader is his former lover, Johnny (a "fresh-faced" Daniel Day-Lewis). The men resume their relationship and rehabilitate the laundromat together, but various social forces threaten to compromise their success.

"It’s an enormous pleasure to see a movie that’s really about something, and that doesn’t lay on any syrupy coating to make the subject go down easily." (The New Yorker)

"A brutally funny social comedy about the racial and social consequences of a Pakistani and an Englishman going into business and becoming lovers." (Detroit Free Press)

"The strength of the film is its vision -- cutting, compassionate and sometimes hilarious -- of what it means to be Asian, and British, in Thatcher's Britain." (Time Out)

"A fascinating, eccentric, very personal movie." (New York Times)

Saturday, July 26
Doors 5:45 pm | Movie 6:15 *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (Stephen Frears, 1985 / PG / 95 mins) An ambitious Pakistani Briton and his white boyfriend strive for success and hope when they open a glamorous laundromat.

The tale of a rogue who conned his way to the top and back again... returning to cinemas this summer to celebrate its landmark 50th anniversary!

With the ravishing new 4K restoration debuting at this year's Cannes Film Festival and closing out the Cannes Classics strand, Stanley Kubrick's Academy Award®-winning historical epic BARRY LYNDON is more breathtaking than ever at 50. The Rio Theatre is delighted to to be bringing that scoundrel Redmond Barry back to its big screen starting August 4.

Kubrick's lush (if not quietly satirical) adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's Victorian-era novel features a career-high performance from Ryan O'Neal as the titular protagonist in a complex story of a sensitive, intelligent, and ambitious man trapped in a society that, ultimately, has no use for him. Set in a rural Irish village in the 18th century, BARRY LYNDON follows the plight of a likeable young farm boy who changes into a conniving, manipulative rogue who finds himself homeless after taking part in a fake duel before being captured by a Prussian highwayman, meeting up with a spy, and having his fortunes change when he marries a wealthy, titled woman in order to secure his future. Also starring Marisa Berenson, Leon Vitali,

"Cynical, ironic, and suffused with seductive natural lighting, BARRY LYNDON is a complex character piece of a hapless man doomed by Georgian society." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"Stanley Kubrick's magisterial Thackeray adaptation now stands as one of his greatest and most savagely ironic films, not to mention one of the few period pieces on celluloid so transporting that it seems to predate the invention of cameras." (The Village Voice)

"The expressive authority of Kubrick's direction is breathtaking." (Total Film)

Monday, August 4
Doors 8:00 pm | Movie 8:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

BARRY LYNDON (Stanley Kubrick, 1975 / 184 mins / PG) In the Eighteenth Century, in a small village in Ireland, Redmond Barry is a young farm boy in love with his cousin Nora Brady. When Nora engages to the British Captain John Quin, Barry challenges him for a duel of pistols. He wins and escapes to Dublin, but is robbed on the road. Without any other alternative, Barry joins the British Army to fight in the Seven Years War.

Hong Kong, 1962: Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are formal and polite—until a discovery about their spouses creates an intimate bond between them.

For the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the film, Wong Kar Wai has revisited the original concept of the film. With this special edition he has offered the possibility of storytelling by adding an unseen chapter as a bonus to the original version.

Initially conceived as one third of a triptych about food, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE was expanded into a stand-alone feature that won immediate recognition as a modern-day classic. Another third—intended as the “dessert,” as Wong Kar Wai has put it—was, until now, only screened during his masterclass at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Now available in wide release for the first time, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE 2001 demonstrates the director’s masterful ability to generate palpable atmosphere and striking characterizations on a miniature canvas—with the film's stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Maggie Cheung Man Yuk once again providing the sizzling chemistry— evoking the mystery of transient, unexpected connections in the modern city through his inimitable romantic touch.

At once delicately mannered and visually extravagant, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE is a masterful evocation of romantic longing and fleeting moments. With its aching musical soundtrack and exquisitely abstract cinematography by Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping-bin, this film has been a major stylistic influence on the past decade of cinema, and is a milestone in Wong’s redoubtable career. (In Sight & Sound's most recent poll of The Greatest Films of All Time, the film finds itself ranked at #5.)

"Wong Kar Wai’s masterpiece is a heartbreaking story of illicit love that pulses with the ache of repressed desire." (BFI.org)

"So skillfully does the director brings us to a state of breathless expectation that when he refuses to deliver the goods he almost seems to have invented a new form of perversion." (New Yorker Magazine)

"Further complemented by the gentle lull of Nat King Cole songs, 'In The Mood For Love' casts a dreamy and melancholic spell that remains unbroken long after the closing credits have rolled." (AV Club)

"Stylized, set-designed to the last hair wisp, the film is a mixture of bold devices with delicate understatement that leave a remarkable aftereffect." (Globe and Mail)

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

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE 2001 (Wong Kar Wai, 2000 / PG / 107 mins / Cantonese with English subtitles) Hong Kong, 1962: A journalist, Chow and his wife move into a Hong Kong apartment, but his spouse is often away on business. Before long, the lonely Chow makes the acquaintance of an alluring neighbour whose own significant other also seems preoccupied with work. As the two friends realize their respective partners are cheating on them, they begin to fall for one another; however, neither wants to stoop to the level of the unfaithful spouses.

"There's a whole ocean of oil under our feet... No one can get at it, except for me!"

Loosely based on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil! is writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson's utterly magnificent epic THERE WILL BE BLOOD, starring Daniel Day-Lewis (in an Oscar-winning performance) as a ruthless oil prospector, is as much a historical drama as it is a very relevant and contemporary commentary on 21st century consumerism, family values, religious dogma, wealth, greed, and isolation. Anderson's work is a revelatory modern masterpiece with the stylish production value of old-school Hollywood; an edgy, comples opus featuring sweeping visuals (Robert Elswit rightly deserved his Best Cinematography Oscar), a phenomenally atonal (not to mention anachronistic) score courtesy of Johnny Greenwood (Radiohead), and a stellar turn from Paul Dano.

"Day-Lewis, no ifs, ands or buts, gives one of the great elemental performances in modern cinema." (Rolling Stone)

"This is a dark, uncompromising film, thrillingly original and distinctive, with a visionary passion. It is a movie against which all directors, and all moviegoers, will want to measure themselves. Paul Thomas Anderson is doing something new with cinema, and you can hardly ask for more than that." (The Guardian)

Tuesday, August 5
Doors 8:15 pm | Movie 8:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007 / 158 mins / 18A) When ruthless oil prospector, Daniel Plainview learns of oil-rich land in California that can be bought cheaply, he moves his operation there and begins manipulating and exploiting the local landowners into selling him their property. Using his young adopted son to project the image of a caring family man, Plainview gains the cooperation of almost all the locals with lofty promises to build schools and cultivate the land to make their community flourish. Over time, Plainview's gradual accumulation of wealth and power causes his true self to surface, and he begins to slowly alienate himself from everyone in his life.

"Yes, it really really really could happen."

blur: LIVE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM is a cinematic concert film immortalizing the Britpop icons' biggest shows to date. Recorded over three historic, incredible nights in 2023 for 150,000 fans in a transcendent, once-in-a-generation performance that delivered a sweep of ecstatic 5* reviews. Song highlights include The Narcissist and St Charles Square from the recent acclaimed #1 album, 'The Ballad of Darren', as well as "There's No Other Way," "Popscene," "Beetlebum," "Trimm Trabb," "Villa Rosie," "Coffee and TV," "Under the Westway," "Out of Time," "To the End," "Parklife," "Song 2," "This is a Low," "Girls and Boys," "Tender," and "The Universal." With Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James, Dave Rowntree and Phil Daniels.

"A glorious reunion." (The Guardian)

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

Why not keep the party going and stick around for a double bill with the 90's cult film, TRAINSPOTTING for one sweet price!

blur: LIVE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM (Toby L, 2024 / 128 mins / NR) Follows the concert of the band's 2023 show which was played for 150,000 fans.

"Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that?"

Not only did Danny Boyle manage to put Irvine Welsh's "unadaptable" novel 'Trainspotting' on celluloid, but he did it with such kinetic, frenetic and phenomenally stylish aplomb that he also managed to craft one of the 90s most singularly defining films - and stars of its fantastic ensemble. Ewan McGregor commands the lead role of heroin addict Mark Renton, who stumbles through bad ideas and sobriety attempts with his unreliable friends - including Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Begbie (Robert Carlyle), Spud (Ewen Bremner) and Tommy (Kevin McKidd). He even also has an underage girlfriend, Diane (Kelly Macdonald, in her film debut), along for the ride. After cleaning up and moving from Edinburgh to London, Mark finds he can't escape the life he left behind when Begbie shows up at his front door on the lam, and a scheming Sick Boy follows.

"A brutal, often times funny, other times terrifying portrayal of drug addiction in Edinburgh. Not for the faint of heart, but well worth viewing as a realistic and entertaining reminder of the horrors of drug use." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"TRAINSPOTTING, buoyed by a great Brit Pop soundtrack and Brian Tufano's agile cinematography, captures the stoned-out, gut-churning experience of hardcore addiction with hallucinogenic acuity." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Wednesday, August 6
Doors 8:45 pm | Movie 9:15 pm

TRAINSPOTTING (Danny Boyle, 1996 / 93 mins / 18A) Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends.

A stylish, subversive thriller from suspense maverick Kiyoshi Kurosawa (CURE, PULSE), concerning Yoshii, an ambitious, yet directionless, young factory worker from Tokyo who side hustles in the murky realm of black market reselling, cheating buyers and sellers alike. After swindling his way into loads of cash, Yoshii gradually attempts to disconnect from humanity, moving out of the city, shunning his girlfriend, and entrusting duties to his new, devoted assistant. Before long his life is plagued by a series of mysterious, sinister incidents that threaten to upend his success and bring about a most violent demise. A master of carefully simmering tension to a bloody crescendo, Kurosawa delivers a searing portrait of digital greed and vengeance.

"A brilliant action movie as only [Kurosawa] would think to make one." (Indiewire)

"[Kurosawa's] most unapologetically fun film to date." (Moveable Fest)

""Kurosawa’s latest film is a chilly and mystifying expression of a modern malevolence which hangs over our lives." (Empire Magazine)

Thursday, August 7
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

CLOUD "Kuraudo" (Kiyoshi, Kurosawa, 2025 / 125 mins / 14A / Japanese w/EST) Yoshii, a young man who resells goods online, finds himself at the center of a series of mysterious events that put his life at risk.

Renowned filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's bizarre, ultra-violent and allegorical EL TOPO is an acid-trip Western set in two halves that have widely been compared to the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. In the first half, writer-director Jodorowsky performs something of a hat trick in his role as a violent, black-clad gunfighter - the eponymous El Topo ("the mole"). Accompanied by his naked son, El Topo off on a murderous mission to challenge four Zen masters of gunfighting before learning from each of them a "Great Lesson" before they die. In the second half, El Topo sets out to find personal redemption, secluding himself in a subterranean community to learn the ways of peace, but unfortunately death is never far away.

In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono famously 'discovered' EL TOPO and were impressed with the surreal, visceral imagery which was presented in a ‘psychedelic-western’ theme of personal transformation. The film was so controversial that when The New York Times published a review dismissing it, outcries from the film’s supporters forced them to rethink their position. It was the first time in the venerable newspaper’s history where they bowed to public pressure and allowed a counter review. The legendary cult film was credited with starting the Midnight Movie phenomenon and firmly established Jodorowsky as a master of the outrageous and the profound. In the late 1960s, when Spaghetti Westerns were all the rage, Jodorowsky used the syntax and style of this genre as a vehicle to tell the surreal odyssey of mysticism and enlightenment.

After abandoning his young son, a brazen gunslinger attempts to defeat four masters and become preeminent, but he is betrayed and left for dead. Recused by an underground collection of socially shunned and forsaken dwarfs, paraplegic, and disfigured people, he finds redemption. When he attempts to return to the conventional world, he is confronted with a society of decadence and perversion. At the time, Mexico had strict rules about film-making, severely limiting production. Jodorowsky circumvented the restrictions by shooting the script as short films, which became ‘chapters’ in the final film. He also engaged in guerrilla production tactics, most notably using an abandoned Hollywood film set they stumbled upon in the Mexican desert and converting it for the final act.

"It's tempting to say they don't make films like this any more, but I'm not sure anyone has ever made them like Jodorowsky." (The Times UK)

"It's a bizarre head-trip festival of occult psychedelia, heatstroke visuals, Age-of-Aquarius nude dancing and violence through poster-paint fake blood splattered about the place." (Guardian)

"It remains an aesthetically intoxicating trip." (Time Out)

"The film is by turns comic and profound, hysterical and pompous, fully complex enough to deserve more than a simple yea or nay." (TIME Magazine)

Thursday, August 7
Doors 8:50 pm | Movie 9:20 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

EL TOPO (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970 / 125 mins / NR) An outlaw, `El Topo' defies the Four Masters of the Desert for the love of a woman. Having defeated them, his conscience rises until his wife betrays him, and his new life as a holy man begins.

When one of the greatest filmmakers of all time adapts one of the greatest literary works of all time, the result can only be described as epic. In 1985, iconic director Akira Kurosawa adapted William Shakespeare's 'King Lear' and crafted one of - if not the - best cinematic representations of the Bard's canon with RAN. Nominated for numerous Oscars, (including Best Director for Kurosawa, who was 75 years old at the time), the film won for Best Costume Design.

In this remarkable re-imagining, olde Britain is transposed into Medieval Japan, where at the age of seventy, after years of consolidating his empire, the Great Lord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) decides to abdicate and divide his domain amongst his three sons. Taro (Akira Terao), the eldest, will rule. Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu), his second son, and Saburo (Daisuke Ryu) will take command of the Second and Third Castles but are expected to obey and support their elder brother. Saburo defies the pledge of obedience and is banished.

"Akira Kurosawa's sprawling, epic take on 'King Lear' should be required viewing for fans of westerns, war movies, or period films in general." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"Spectacular! Among the most thrilling movie experiences a viewer can have!" (New York Times)

"RAN remains gripping because it depicts not only the long-ago past, but also our hellish present." (The Village Voice)

"An irresistible attraction that should be viewed on the biggest screen you can find." (Observer)

"This is one of the year's major cinematic events. It's well worth leaving the house for, should that opportunity arise." (The AV Club)

Friday, August 8
Doors 2:00 pm | Movie 2:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

RAN (Akira Kurosawa, 1985 / 162 mins / PG / 4K / In Japanese w/ EST) Set in Japan in the 16th century (or so), an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them, or cause them to turn on each other...and him...

"Koyaanisqatsi" is a Hopi word meaning "Life Out of Balance," which is both the subtitle and the theme of this intriguing documentary from filmmaker Godfrey Reggio. Released in 1982, the film weaves a hypnotic tapestry of time-lapse photography set to Philip Glass' trademark minimalist soundtrack, revealing how humanity has grown apart from nature. The viewer needs no voice over to get the point: man is an animal spinning out of control and taking the planet with him. The film is not for all tastes, but it is certainly an unforgettable cinematic experience. Featuring extensive footage of natural landscapes and elemental forces, the film gives way to many scenes of modern civilization and technology. Given its lack of narration and dialogue, the production makes its points solely through imagery and music, with many scenes either slowed down or sped up for dramatic effect.

"'Koyaanisqatsi' is an impressive visual and listening experience." (Roger Ebert)

Friday, August 8
Doors 5:20 pm | Movie 5:50 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

KOYAANISQATSI (Godfrey Reggio, 1982 / 86 mins / G) Drawing its title from the Hopi word meaning "life out of balance," this renowned documentary reveals how humanity has grown apart from nature. Featuring extensive footage of natural landscapes and elemental forces, the film gives way to many scenes of modern civilization and technology. Given its lack of narration and dialogue, the production makes its points solely through imagery and music, with many scenes either slowed down or sped up for dramatic effect.

"KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"

Logically, the Rio Theatre's Friday Late Night Movie series continues to boldly go where no other late night movie series goes with a STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN on August 8.

As Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Capt. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) monitor trainees at Starfleet Academy, another vessel from the United Federation of Planets is about to try out the planet-creating Genesis Device in a seemingly deserted portion of space. In the process, two of Kirk's officers are captured by Khan (Ricardo Montalban), an enemy Kirk thought he'd never see again. Once more, Kirk takes the Enterprise's helm, where he meets Khan's ship in an intergalactic showdown. With DeForest Kelley, Walter Koenig, George Takei, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, and Kirstie Alley.

"It was STAR TREK II that put the franchise on the right track as the spirit of Gene Roddenberry's 60s television series was harnessed to spectacular effect." (Empire Magazine)

"Considered by many fans to be the best of the STAR TREK movies, Khan features a strong plot, increased tension, and a sharp supporting performance from Ricardo Montalban." (Rotten Tomatoes)

Friday, August 8
Doors 10:30 pm | Movie 11:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Late Night Date Night! Bring your best friend, tribble, or nerdy Vulcan pal and get two-for-one entry!

STAR TREK 2: THE WRATH OF KHAN (Nicholas Meyer, 1982 / 113 mins / PG) Admiral James T. Kirk is feeling old; the prospect of accompanying his old ship the Enterprise on a two week cadet cruise is not making him feel any younger. But the training cruise becomes a a life or death struggle when Khan escapes from years of exile and captures the power of creation itself.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?"

Venture deep into the depths of the universe with Stanley Kubrick's monumentally epic 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (beautifully remastered for its 50th Anniversary in 2018). Perhaps more than any other, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY inhabits a sort-of poetic, celluloid dreamscape that simultaneously captures and is inspired by humanity's desire to learn about and explore space, an infinite marvel one fictional Captain described so aptly as, "the final frontier."

Kubrick's masterpiece, a visionary, cold-war era sci-fi view into a future that has yet to be written - is just as evocative today as it was upon its release in 1968. Widely regarded as one of the most influential films ever made, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY is a veritable cinematic Venn diagram with overlapping themes including human evolution, man's relationship to technology and the implications of artificial intelligence, as well as notions regarding life... beyond terra firma. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY is, unquestionably, the Mother of All Space Movies - and a definite big screen must-see. Minors very welcome in the balcony!

"Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY' is some sort of great film, and an unforgettable endeavor. Technically and imaginatively, what he put into it is staggering." (The New Yorker)

Saturday, August 9
Doors 12:00 pm | Movie 12:30 pm *Please arrive on time. Start time subject to change.

Please note: This film screens with a brief intermission.

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Stanley Kubrick, 1968 / 143 mins / G) An imposing black structure provides a connection between the past and the future in this enigmatic adaptation of a short story by revered sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke. When Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and other astronauts are sent on a mysterious mission, their ship's computer system, HAL, begins to display increasingly strange behavior, leading up to a tense showdown between man and machine that results in a mind-bending trek through space and time.

Christopher Nolan assembled a cinematic galaxy of some of Hollywood's biggest stars for his astounding 2014 space epic INTERSTELLAR, an odyssey boasting ambitious themes and complex scientific ideas, breathtaking visuals, and a striking emotional depth that delves into meaningful "sci-fi" ideas about love, human connection, and and humanity's own role in the cosmos. Set against the backdrop of Earth's imperiled near-future, mankind is grappling with a reality that includes a global crop blight and second Dust Bowl that are slowly rendering the planet uninhabitable. Matthew McConaughey takes the lead as Professor Brand, a brilliant NASA physicist, who is working on plans to save the planet by transporting Earth's population to a new home via a wormhole. But first, Brand must send former NASA pilot Cooper and a team of researchers through the wormhole and across the galaxy to find out which of three planets could be mankind's new home.

Enhanced by a lush score from Hans Zimmer, the film stars Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Ellen Burstyn, Timothée Chalamet, Topher Grace, John Lithgow.

"'Interstellar' represents more of the thrilling, thought-provoking, and visually resplendent filmmaking moviegoers have come to expect from writer-director Christopher Nolan, even if its intellectual reach somewhat exceeds its grasp." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"Staggeringly beautiful, bafflingly complex, this is proper event cinema." (Times UK)

"It's his [Nolan's] 'White Album,' overlong and overwritten, corny and self-important, and also a great movie. And yes, it can be all of those things at once." (Flavorwire)

"This is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen." (Richard Roeper)

Saturday, August 9
Doors 3:30 pm | Movie 4:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

INTERSTELLAR (Christopher Nolan, 2014 / 165 mins / PG) When Earth becomes uninhabitable in the future, a farmer and ex-NASA pilot, Joseph Cooper, is tasked to pilot a spacecraft, along with a team of researchers, to find a new planet for humans.

In Steven Spielberg's classic sci-fi adventure film, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (beautifully remastered for its 40th Anniversary in 2017), Richard Dreyfuss stars as cable worker Roy Neary, who along with several other stunned bystanders experience a close encounter of the first kind - witnessing UFOs soaring across the sky. After this life-changing event, the inexplicable vision of a strange, mountain-like formation haunts him. He becomes obsessed with discovering what it represents, much to the dismay of his wife and family. Meanwhile, bizarre occurrences are happening around the world. Government agents have close encounters of the second kind - discovering physical evidence of extraterrestrial visitors in the form of a lost fighter aircraft from World War II and a stranded military ship that disappeared decades earlier only to suddenly reappear in unusual places. Roy continues to chase his vision to a remote area where he and the agents follow the clues that have drawn them to reach a site where they will have a close encounter of the third kind - contact. With François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban.

"Time for another encounter." (Guardian)

"We can always use a shot of hope, a jolt of sweetness, and a chance to see a masterpiece of a certain age on a screen it deserves." (Wall Street Journal)

"A film of incredible power and intensity. It is also, and ultimately, reassuring." (The Hollywood Reporter)

"Years ahead of it's time in terms of SFX, it's a masterpiece of wide-eyed whimsy." (Empire)

Saturday, August 9
Doors 7:00 pm | Movie 7:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (Steven Spielberg, 1977 / PG / 137 mins) Science fiction adventure about a group of people who attempt to contact alien intelligence. Roy Neary witnesses an unidentified flying object, and even has a "sunburn" from its bright lights to prove it. Roy refuses to accept an explanation for what he saw and is prepared to give up his life to pursue the truth about UFOs.

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Saturday, August 9 as we take "a sublime trip to a fine new world," with one of the all-time great midnight movie cult-classics, director René Laloux's 1973 animated marvel FANTASTIC PLANET.

Nothing else has ever looked or felt like this film, a politically minded and visually inventive work of science fiction. The film is set on a distant planet called Ygam, where enslaved humans (Oms) are the playthings of giant blue native inhabitants (Draags). After Terr, kept as a pet since infancy, escapes from his gigantic child captor, he is swept up by a band of radical fellow Oms who are resisting the Draags' oppression and violence. With its eerie, coolly surreal cutout animation by Roland Topor, brilliant psychedelic jazz score by Alain Goraguer, and wondrous creatures and landscapes, this Cannes-awarded counterculture classic is a perennially compelling statement against conformity and violence.

"Surreal and wonderful." (Empire Magazine)

"A beautiful mixture of art, theme, story, and symbolism." (Nerdist)

"An animated epic that is by turns surreal and lovely, fantastic and graceful." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"It's not every fancifully encoded cautionary tale that can survive the demise of its historical villains, and it's not every stoner midnight movie that can stand a second viewing in the sober light of day." (Village Voice)

Saturday, August 9
Doors 10:00 pm | Movie 10:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

FANTASTIC PLANET "La Planète sauvage" (René Laloux, 1973, 72 mins / PG / French with English subs) This futuristic story takes place on a faraway planet where giants rule, and oppressed humanoids rebel against the machine-like leaders.

"Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?"

After Kermit the Frog decides to pursue a movie career, he starts his cross-country trip from Florida to California. Along the way, he meets and befriends Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and rock musicians Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. When Kermit is offered a job by Doc Hopper (Charles Durning) to advertise the fried frog legs at his restaurant chain, Kermit turns Hopper down. However, Hopper refuses to relent and pursues Kermit and his companions to a final showdown.

"Jolson sang, Barrymore spoke, Garbo laughed, and now Kermit the Frog rides a bicycle... If you can figure out how they were able to show Kermit pedaling across the screen, then you are less a romantic than I am: I prefer to believe he did it himself." (Roger Ebert)

"There's always room in movies for unbridled amiability when it's governed by intelligence and wit." (The NYTimes)

Sunday, August 10
Doors 11:00 am | Movie 11:20 am *Start timHe subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Family pricing in effect! All tickets $8!!

THE MUPPET MOVIE (James Frawley, 1979 / 97 mins / G) Kermit the Frog is persuaded by agent Dom DeLuise to pursue a career in Hollywood. Along the way, Kermit picks up Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and a motley crew of other Muppets with similar aspirations. Meanwhile, Kermit must elude the grasp of a frog-leg restaurant magnate.

"Koyaanisqatsi" is a Hopi word meaning "Life Out of Balance," which is both the subtitle and the theme of this intriguing documentary from filmmaker Godfrey Reggio. Released in 1982, the film weaves a hypnotic tapestry of time-lapse photography set to Philip Glass' trademark minimalist soundtrack, revealing how humanity has grown apart from nature. The viewer needs no voice over to get the point: man is an animal spinning out of control and taking the planet with him. The film is not for all tastes, but it is certainly an unforgettable cinematic experience. Featuring extensive footage of natural landscapes and elemental forces, the film gives way to many scenes of modern civilization and technology. Given its lack of narration and dialogue, the production makes its points solely through imagery and music, with many scenes either slowed down or sped up for dramatic effect.

"'Koyaanisqatsi' is an impressive visual and listening experience." (Roger Ebert)

Sunday, August 10
Doors 1:00 pm | Movie 1:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

KOYAANISQATSI (Godfrey Reggio, 1982 / 86 mins / G) Drawing its title from the Hopi word meaning "life out of balance," this renowned documentary reveals how humanity has grown apart from nature. Featuring extensive footage of natural landscapes and elemental forces, the film gives way to many scenes of modern civilization and technology. Given its lack of narration and dialogue, the production makes its points solely through imagery and music, with many scenes either slowed down or sped up for dramatic effect.

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

Sunday, August 10
Doors 4:00 pm | Show 5:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early Bird tickets available until May 12, midnight.

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

"That was the best acting I've ever seen in my whole life."

Set in Los Angeles in 1969, at the the height of hippy Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino's ninth feature film ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019) was nominated for a slew of Oscars, and ended up with a win for Brad Pitt (Best Supporting Actor).

Ostensibly an old school buddy movie (that somehow, easily and effortlessly, manages to elevate "the female gaze"), the film revolves around the personal and professional relationship between Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), former star of a western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don't recognize anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor... Sharon Tate. With Margot Robbie, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, Emile Hirsch, Luke Perry, Damian Lewis, Al Pacino.

"Bolstered by strong performances and immersive production design, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is an introspective and rewarding film from Tarantino." (Screen Rant)

"The filmmaker may be on a mission to get everything right about 1969, down to the sounds and smells, but he's also inviting us to smoke a little wrongness." (New Yorker)

"You might say Tarantino's oeuvre is a box of chocolates: Some of them are more bitter and unpleasant than others, but they're all still chocolate. 'Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood' might be the tastiest one in the box." (NPR)

Sunday, August 10
Doors 8:30 pm | Movie 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD (Quentin Tarantino, 2019 / 141 mins / 14A) A faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

"The only way to get rid of my fears is to make films about them."

VERTIGO (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958 / 128 mins / G) A retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.

Indian wrier-director Lokesh Kanagaraj (LEO, VIKRAM) is teaming with superstar Rajinikanth on the highly anticipated Tamil-language film COOLIE, which Delves into a man's relentless quest for vengeance. Since his youth, he's been driven by righting the past wrongs, which have shaped his his very existence. The story is told in such a way that the audience experiences the complexities of his tumultuous vendetta journey. With Aamir Khan, Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj and Shruti Haasan.

Wednesday, August 13
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

*Please note: Shorter patrons (or those with young children) will have a better balcony viewing experience if selecting seats in Rows BB - FF.

COOLIE (Lokesh Kanaggaraj, 2025 / 150 mins / Not yet rated / Tamil with EST)

When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business," is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.

Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a neo-noir re-interpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller HIGH AND LOW (itself loosely based on the 1959 novel "King's Ransom" by Ed McBain, now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City. With Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, ASAP Rocky, and Ice Spice (in her film debut).

""[W]hile many will come to 'Highest 2 Lowest' craving the angst of [Akira] Kurosawa's masterpiece, for once Lee isn't setting out to copy what was great before. He is using the past as a starting point to launch into what may be the final phase of his career. He is wielding a plethora of inspirations—musical, cinematic, and historical—to reunite with an old friend. He is making a Spike Lee joint. And it's exceptional." (RogerEbert.com)

"'Highest 2 Lowest' finds Lee both defiant of his age and proud of it, seizing our attention with the friendly insistence of someone with still so much left to tell us." (Vanity Fair)

"Spike Lee has made a film that feels modest and grand at once, the kind of movie you can see on a Saturday night just for kicks and still be thinking about the next day." (TIME Magazine)

"Lee is so much more interesting for what he brings to a project than for what he takes away from it, and Highest 2 Lowest is naturally at its best when it deviates from its source material." (IndieWire)

"The director is in the role of the flashy, panache-y showman here, and he plays it to perfection, delivering a big, highly polished chunk of movie that’s pure enjoyment." (The Hollywood Reporter)

Friday, August 15
Doors 8:00 pm | Movie 8:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets on sale soon

From visionary writer-director Gaspar Noé (IRREVERSIBLE, ENTER THE VOID, LOVE) comes a hypnotic, hallucinatory, and ultimately hair-raising depiction of a party that descends into delirium over the course of one wintry night, when a troupe of young dancers gathers in a remote and empty school building to rehearse. Following an unforgettable opening performance lit by virtuoso cinematographer Benoît Debie (SPRING BREAKERS, ENTER THE VOID) and shot by Noé himself, the troupe begins an all-night celebration that turns nightmarish as the dancers discover they've been pounding cups of sangria laced with potent LSD. Tracking their journey from jubilation to chaos and full-fledged anarchy, Noé observes crushes, rivalries, and violence amid a collective psychedelic meltdown. Starring Sofia Boutella (ATOMIC BLONDE) and a cast of professional dancers, Climax is Noé's most brazen and visionary statement yet.

"CLIMAX works, at least when it's willing to be a human drama. But then it sinks in that you're watching "Fame" directed by the Marquis de Sade with a Steadicam." (Variety)

"At times you’ll be watching in horror, but you’ll never look away." (Empire Magazine)

"CLIMAX isn't so much about the inevitability of chaos, but about the sadness of watching something beautiful fall apart. And it is never less than electrifying." (Village Voice)

"More brilliantly deranged, in its microscopic vision of society in collapse, than anything the director has ever inflicted on us." (AV Club)

Friday, August 22
Doors 11:00 pm | Movie 11:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Late Night Date Night! Tickets for CLIMAX are two-for-one entry.

CLIMAX (Gaspar Noé, 2019 / 96 mins / NR) When members of a dance troupe are lured to an empty school, drug-laced sangria causes their jubilant rehearsal to descend into a dark and explosive nightmare as they try to survive the night -- and find out who's responsible -- before it's too late.

When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business," is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.

Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a neo-noir re-interpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller HIGH AND LOW (itself loosely based on the 1959 novel "King's Ransom" by Ed McBain, now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City. With Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, ASAP Rocky, and Ice Spice (in her film debut).

""[W]hile many will come to 'Highest 2 Lowest' craving the angst of [Akira] Kurosawa's masterpiece, for once Lee isn't setting out to copy what was great before. He is using the past as a starting point to launch into what may be the final phase of his career. He is wielding a plethora of inspirations—musical, cinematic, and historical—to reunite with an old friend. He is making a Spike Lee joint. And it's exceptional." (RogerEbert.com)

"'Highest 2 Lowest' finds Lee both defiant of his age and proud of it, seizing our attention with the friendly insistence of someone with still so much left to tell us." (Vanity Fair)

"Spike Lee has made a film that feels modest and grand at once, the kind of movie you can see on a Saturday night just for kicks and still be thinking about the next day." (TIME Magazine)

"Lee is so much more interesting for what he brings to a project than for what he takes away from it, and Highest 2 Lowest is naturally at its best when it deviates from its source material." (IndieWire)

"The director is in the role of the flashy, panache-y showman here, and he plays it to perfection, delivering a big, highly polished chunk of movie that’s pure enjoyment." (The Hollywood Reporter)

Saturday, August 16
Doors 3:50 pm | Movie 4:20 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets on sale soon

Secretly a spy but thought by his family to be a dull salesman, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is tracking down nuclear missiles in the possession of Islamic jihadist Aziz (Art Malik). Harry's mission is complicated when he realizes his neglected wife, Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), is contemplating an affair with Simon (Bill Paxton), a used-car salesman who claims he's a spy. When Aziz kidnaps Harry and Helen, the secret agent must save the world and patch up his marriage at the same time.

"Proves that throwing everything at the camera sometimes works a treat." (Empire Magazine)

"James Cameron is able to present his usual high-impact action, pushing the film out of the realm of simple Bond spoofing." (Film 4)

"As this comedy of manners unfolds, it is played for all-out action as well as satiric humor." (New York Times)

Saturday, August 16
Doors 7:00 pm | Movie 7:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TRUE LIES (James Cameron, 1994 / 141 mins / 14A) A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used-car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.

Join us on Sunday, August 17 for a double feature that celebrates actor Robert De Niro (on his birthday!) and includes two of our favourite performances from his many collaborations with filmmaker Martin Scorsese - RAGING BULL and TAXI DRIVER.

RAGING BULL is an indisputable cinematic triumph, a black and white biopic that is often lauded as one of the greatest films of the 1980s, and frequently described as Scorsese's "magnum opus." The ambitious sports film follows the dramatic life story of Italian-American boxer Jake LaMotta (De Niro, in one of his Golden Globe and Oscar-winning performances), a former middleweight champion, whose reputation for tenacity and success in the ring was offset by his self-destructive troubled domestic life. La Motta was full of rage, sexual jealousy, and crippling suspicion - particularly towards his wife (Cathy Moriarty) and manager/brother (Joe Pesci) - which, in the end, left him destitute, alone, and seeking redemption. Also staring Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana and Frank Vincent.

"This is not a film about boxing. This is a film about the human condition and about cinema itself." - Empire Magazine

"Arguably Martin Scorsese's and Robert De Niro's finest film, Raging Bull is often painful to watch, but it's a searing, powerful work about an unsympathetic hero." - Rotten Tomatoes

Sunday, September 17
RAGING BULL
Doors 6:15 pm | Movie 6:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Single & Double Feature Film Tickets available

TAXI DRIVER
Movie 9:30 pm *As this is a double feature, this is an approximate start time.

RAGING BULL (Martin Scorsese, 1980 / 129 mins / 18A) When Jake LaMotta steps into a boxing ring and obliterates his opponent, he's a prizefighter. But when he treats his family and friends the same way, he's a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. Though LaMotta wants his family's love, something always seems to come between them. Perhaps it's his violent bouts of paranoia and jealousy. This kind of rage helped make him a champ, but in real life, he winds up in the ring alone.

TAXI DRIVER (Martin Scorsese, 1976 / 113 mins / 18A) Robert De Niro stars as Travis Bickle in this oppressive psychodrama about a Vietnam veteran who rebels against the decadence and immorality of big city life in New York while working the nightshift as a taxi driver.

"Are you talkin' to me? Well, I'm the only one here."

Join us on Sunday, August 17 for a double feature that celebrates actor Robert De Niro (on his birthday!) and includes two of our favourite performances from his many collaborations with filmmaker Martin Scorsese - RAGING BULL and TAXI DRIVER.

Released in 1976 and scripted by Paul Schrader (who also wrote 1980s's RAGING BULL), Scorsese's intense psychological thriller TAXI DRIVER offers one of the quintessential cinematic captures of New York City at peak 70s grit in a film that borders on the neo-noir. Robert De Niro offers a career-defining performance as Travis Bickle, a Vietnam vet who is effectively a mentally disturbed loner. Suffering from insomnia, Bickle takes a job as a New York City cabbie, haunting the streets nightly and growing increasingly detached from reality as he dreams of cleaning up the filthy metropolis. When Travis meets pretty campaign worker Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), he becomes obsessed with the idea of saving the world, first plotting to assassinate a presidential candidate, then directing his attentions toward rescuing 12-year-old prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster). Also starring Harvey Keitel, Albert Brooks, and Peter Boyle.

"Utter alone-ness is at the center of Taxi Driver, one of the best and most powerful of all films, and perhaps it is why so many people connect with it even though Travis Bickle would seem to be the most alienating of movie heroes. We have all felt as alone as Travis. Most of us are better at dealing with it... Martin Scorsese's 1976 film is a film that does not grow dated, or over-familiar. I have seen it dozens of times. Every time I see it, it works; I am drawn into Travis' underworld of alienation, loneliness, haplessness and anger." (Roger Ebert)

"This is a wholly remarkable film, flaws and all. In fact, even the flaws are significant." (The Guardian)

Sunday, August 17

TAXI DRIVER
Movie 9:30 pm *As this is a double feature, this is an approximate start time.

TAXI DRIVER (Martin Scorsese, 1976 / 113 mins / 18A) Robert De Niro stars as Travis Bickle in this oppressive psychodrama about a Vietnam veteran who rebels against the decadence and immorality of big city life in New York while working the nightshift as a taxi driver.

When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business," is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.

Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a neo-noir re-interpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller HIGH AND LOW (itself loosely based on the 1959 novel "King's Ransom" by Ed McBain, now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City. With Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, ASAP Rocky, and Ice Spice (in her film debut).

""[W]hile many will come to 'Highest 2 Lowest' craving the angst of [Akira] Kurosawa's masterpiece, for once Lee isn't setting out to copy what was great before. He is using the past as a starting point to launch into what may be the final phase of his career. He is wielding a plethora of inspirations—musical, cinematic, and historical—to reunite with an old friend. He is making a Spike Lee joint. And it's exceptional." (RogerEbert.com)

"'Highest 2 Lowest' finds Lee both defiant of his age and proud of it, seizing our attention with the friendly insistence of someone with still so much left to tell us." (Vanity Fair)

"Spike Lee has made a film that feels modest and grand at once, the kind of movie you can see on a Saturday night just for kicks and still be thinking about the next day." (TIME Magazine)

"Lee is so much more interesting for what he brings to a project than for what he takes away from it, and Highest 2 Lowest is naturally at its best when it deviates from its source material." (IndieWire)

"The director is in the role of the flashy, panache-y showman here, and he plays it to perfection, delivering a big, highly polished chunk of movie that’s pure enjoyment." (The Hollywood Reporter)

Monday, August 18
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change, Please arrive on time.
Tickets on sale soon

Presented by the Langara Film Arts Program

This summer, as part of Langara’s Film Arts Program, a group of 31 students from the writing, directing, and acting streams came together to create (10) ten bold, original 9-min short films.
In their own words: “These stories come from a wildly diverse crew of filmmakers — representing Mexico, South Korea, Ukraine, Hong Kong, India, Taiwan, the United States, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Peru, Brazil, Japan, Iran, Indonesia, and Canada. We span generations too — from fresh-out-of-high-school teens to seasoned adults — all brought together by the slightly delusional, totally unshakable belief that telling stories is worth everything…”

This year’s lineup dives into cosmic raptures, homelessness, the fierceness of motherhood, and the goodness of the human heart. Expect social media meltdowns, conspiracy theorists
canceling themselves, disaster weddings, high-stakes raids, alien identity theft, Jesus Christ trying to get a job, strip club camaraderie, and an animatronic Santa Claus who will kill you good
and dead.

The point is: we didn’t hold back — and it shows.

The evening's festivities will include a short intermission.

Tuesday, August 19
Doors 5:00 pm | Event 6:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Tickets and entry is FREE and available to the public on August 12.

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List of films:

AND COUNTING...
Directed by Barbara Costa, written by Angela Nevy, co-produced by Britain Gill.
Starring Ingrid Suarez, CJ Jensen, Soomin Park, Britain Gill, Dani Lopez, and Joshua Fill.

BABY SHARK
Directed by Rhonda Dent and written by Edemilson C. Morais, co-produced by Ann Wu and Joshua Fill.
Starring Celia Chen, CJ Jensen, Soomin Park, Joshua Fill, Dani Lopez, Duncan Nicholson, and Golnaz Fakhari.

LAST NIGHT AT WORK
Directed by Lilou Maillot, written by Meredith Lingerfelt, co-produced by Logan St. Germain.
Starring Honoka Fukuda, Ingrid Suarez, Dani Lopez, Celia Chen, and Soomin Park.

MIRACLE BOOK
Directed by Kalaiselvan Dharmaraj, written by Gil Setyawibawa, co-produced by Soomin Park.
Starring Soomin Park, Duncan Nicholson, Logan St. Germain, Celia Chen, Poppy Darch, Adrian Chao, and Preston Schwartz.

NEET
Directed by Alex Sturman, written by Leon Andreassen, co-produced by Dani Lopez.
Starring Soomin Park, CJ Jensen, Dani Lopez, Celia Chen, and Ingrid Suarez.

RAID
Directed by Iryna Shtunder, written by Rod Campbell, co-produced by Honoka Fukuda.
Starring Britain Gill, Logan St. Germain, Duncan Nicholson, Joshua Fill, Adrian Chao, and Honoka Fukuda.

THE RETURN
Directed by Kevin Keegan, written by Corey Morrell, co-produced by Ingrid Suarez.
Starring Britain Gill, Dani Lopez, Honoka Fukuda, Adrian Chao, and Golnaz Fakhari.

SANTA’S SLAY
Directed by Brook DeSchutter and written by Corey Morrell, co-produced by Celia Chen.
Starring Honoka Fukuda, Logan St. Germain, Britain Gill, Ingrid Suarez, and Adrian Chao.

TIME TRAVEL IS EASIER
Directed by Jacob Moy, written by Preston Schwartz, co-produced by Adrian Chao.
Starring Ingrid Suarez, Logan St. Germain, Joshua Fill, Celia Chen, Dani Lopez, and CJ Jensen.

ZEN OF PETTY REVENGE
Directed by Tierney Grattan, written by Golnaz Fakhari, co-produced by CJ Jensen.
Starring Adrian Chao, Honoka Fukuda, Duncan Nicholson, and Soomin Park.

Join us at the Rio Theatre for of one of our all-time favourite double bills, James Cameron's original 1984 dystopian masterpiece THE TERMINATOR (which was beautofully restored and remastered for its 40th Anniversary in 2024)followed by its 1991 sequel, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY.

Disguised as a human, a seemingly indestructible cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sent to protect Sarah is Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who divulges the coming of Skynet, an artificial intelligence system that will spark a nuclear holocaust. Sarah is targeted because Skynet knows that her unborn son will lead the fight against them. With the virtually unstoppable Terminator in hot pursuit, she and Kyle attempt to escape.

"As chillingly efficient in exacting thrills from its audience as its titular character is in executing its targets."
(Empire Magazine)

Wednesday, August 20
THE TERMINATOR
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY
Movie 8:45 pm *As this film is screening as part of a double feature, the start time is approximate.

THE TERMINATOR (James Cameron, 1984 / 108 mins / PG) In the post-apocalyptic future, reigning tyrannical supercomputers teleport a cyborg assassin known as the "Terminator" back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, whose unborn son is destined to lead insurgents against 21st century mechanical hegemony. Meanwhile, the human-resistance movement dispatches a lone warrior to safeguard Sarah. Can he stop the virtually indestructible killing machine?

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (James Cameron, 1991 / 137 mins / 18A) A decade has passed since Sarah Connor was targeted for termination by a cyborg from the future. Now her son, John, the future leader of the resistance, is the target for a newer, more deadly terminator. Once again, the resistance has managed to send a protector back to attempt to save John and his mother Sarah.

(Yes, it’s back!)

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (James Cameron, 1991 / 137 mins / 18A) A decade has passed since Sarah Connor was targeted for termination by a cyborg from the future. Now her son, John, the future leader of the resistance, is the target for a newer, more deadly terminator. Once again, the resistance has managed to send a protector back to attempt to save John and his mother Sarah.

"Oh, hai Shark!"

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Thursday, August 21 with host Greg Sestero - star of the pop-culture phenomenon THE ROOM, and author of the best-selling memoir, THE DISASTER ARTIST - for a double billing of Tommy Wiseau's aforementioned debut feature followed by his sophomore follow-up, BIG SHARK. Who better to explain Wiseau's latest opus (and the enigma himself!) than Greg Sestero? It's a night of movies, insight, conversation and laughs. (And... merch! There will be sweet, sweet merch.)

Auteur Tommy Wiseau (whose 2003 benchmark THE ROOM ranks among the greatest cult-movie films of all time) finally returns to the cinematic landscape with another tasty morsel made especially for his legion of hungry movie-loving fans: BIG SHARK.

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 2017 feature, THE DISASTER ARTIST) on-hand to answer audience questions and provide unique insight makes for a very, very memorable night.

Greg will be available before the films, during intermission, and after to sign merch and take photos!

Thursday, August 21
Greg Sestero Presents: THE ROOM + BIG SHARK
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets $30 plus s/c | $35 at the door

Guests attending the double feature will receive a wristband upon entry.

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.

BIG SHARK (Tommy Wiseau, 2023 / 104 mins / NR) EXCLUSIVE FILM! Three firefighters: Georgie, Patrick, and Tim must save New Orleans from a gigantic shark, can New Orleans survive?

"Oh, hai Shark!"

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Thursday, August 21 with host Greg Sestero - star of the pop-culture phenomenon THE ROOM and author of the best-selling memoir, THE DISASTER ARTIST - for a double billing of Tommy Wiseau's new film BIG SHARK, followed by THE ROOM. Who better to explain Wiseau's latest opus (and the enigma himself!) than Greg Sestero? It's a night of movies, insight, conversation and laughs. (And... merch! There will be sweet, sweet merch.)

Auteur Tommy Wiseau (whose 2003 pop-culture phenomenon THE ROOM ranks among the greatest cult-movie films of all time) finally returns to the cinematic landscape with another tasty morsel made especially for his legion of hungry movie-loving fans: BIG SHARK.

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 2017 feature, THE DISASTER ARTIST) on-hand to answer audience questions and provide unique insight makes for a very, very memorable night.

Thursday, August 21
BIG SHARK
9:30 pm *As this is a double feature, the start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

BIG SHARK (Tommy Wiseau, 2023 / 104 mins / NR) EXCLUSIVE FILM! Three firefighters: Georgie, Patrick, and Tim must save New Orleans from a gigantic shark, can New Orleans survive.

Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle and Oscar-nominated writer Alex Garland reunite for 28 YEARS LATER, a terrifying new "auteur horror" story set in the world created by 28 DAYS LATER. It's been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well. With Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, and Ralph Fiennes.

"If you feared Boyle and Garland might play it safe with their now-seemingly-precious IP, '28 Years Later' sufficiently proves otherwise. There’s enough creative gristle to chew on and more than enough to stoke curiosity for what’s next." (Filmspotting)

"At its heart, '28 Years Later' is a Stephen King-esque coming-of-age story where death becomes a rite of passage for a child who is surrounded by the undead, anchored by young star Alfie Williams’s tender and revelatory performance." (Globe and Mail)

"Boyle reinvents the zombie movie as a bloody pop-art installation. (Time Out)

"Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland are back to make sure this third episode of their auteur-horror franchise provides scares and scenery in the right proportions to whet appetites for the rest of an already-planned trilogy. Consider mine whetted." (NPR)

Friday, August 22
Doors 8:15 pm | Movie 8:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

28 YEARS LATER (Danny Boyle, 2025 / 14A / 115 mins) A group of survivors of the rage virus live on a small island. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors.

THE WEDDING BANQUET is a 1993 romantic comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Ang Lee. The story concerns a gay Taiwanese immigrant man who marries a mainland Chinese woman to placate his parents and get her a green card. However, his plan backfires when his parents arrive in the United States to plan his wedding banquet and he has to hide the truth of his gay partner.

Together with PUSHING HANDS (1991) and EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN (1994), THE WEDDING BANQUET forms what has been called Lee's "Father knows best" trilogy. Lee's second feature film and his first to get a theatrical release in North America, THE WEDDING BANQUET premiered at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Bear.

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

纽约房东高伟同与男友赛门同居，不断受到远在台湾的父母催婚压力。为了解决麻烦，赛
门提议伟同与中国女房客薇薇假结婚，帮助她取得绿卡，同时应付父母。
不料，伟同父母竟亲自来美国参加婚礼，伟同和薇薇只好假戏真做，却意外频生…
本片是李安导演的第二部长片，并荣获当年柏林电影节金熊奖。影片以华人家庭伦理的视
角切入同性情感议题，使李安在国际影坛一举成名。
与《饮食男女》《推手》并称“家庭三部曲”，三部作品皆由演员郎雄出演，细腻刻画父亲
形象，深刻探讨儒家传统下的家庭冲突与亲情张力。
关于家庭、父母、绿卡、身份认同与文化冲突……李安以他独有的黑色幽默笔触，写尽人
在亲情与自我之间的拉扯与无奈。如果你曾被《饮食男女》打动，那你绝不能错过《喜宴 ++》。

Awards and Honors
1993 Berlin International Film Festival – Golden Bear for Best Film
柏林影展最佳影片金熊獎

1994 Academy Awards – Best Foreign Language Film Nomination
奧斯卡金像獎最佳外語片提名

1993 Golden Horse Awards – Best Feature Film, Director, Supporting Actor & Actress, Original
Screenplay, Audience Choice Award
金馬獎最佳劇情片、導演、男配角、女配角、原著劇本、觀眾票選最佳影片

Presented by 旦夕书店 About AMOMENT BOOKS amomentbooks.com

旦夕书店成立于2018年，是一家位于多伦多的独立中文线上书店，致力于为北美读者提
供纸质书籍的阅读选项。 全北美发货，多伦多热门社区免运费pickup服务。旦夕书店专
注书籍，读书会，艺术，电影，与生活相关的其他。

A MOMENT BOOKS, founded in 2018, is an independent online Chinese bookstore based in Toronto. Dedicated to providing reading options for readers across North America, the store offers shipping service in Canada & US and free pickup services in
popular Toronto neighborhoods. AMOMENT BOOKS focuses on books, reading clubs, art, film, and all things related to
the life.

THE WEDDING BANQUET "Xi yan" (Ang Lee, 1993 / 106 mins / PG / In Mandarin and English w/EST) Wai-Tung and his boyfriend live happily as a gay couple in New York City. Wai-Tung has not been open about his sexuality with his Taiwanese parents, and decides to acquiesce to their wish for a traditional Chinese union by marrying Wei-Wei, a struggling artist desperate for a green card. But the simple arrangement turns into a lavish debacle when Wai-Tung's parents plan an extravagant wedding banquet.

Get ready to boogie down at The Rio Theatre as we turn back the clock for a night of nonstop 70's disco magic! Featuring a high-energy live stage show from DISCOBABY, The Retrolytes band, Anushka Kashyap, + more, plus a 70s costume contest with prizes and an all-out dance party that will keep you groovin’ all night long! So brush off those bell bottoms, shine up those platform shoes, and join the throwback fun!  Featuring music from The Bee Gees, ABBA, Donna Summer, Chic, Jackson 5 & more…

Saturday, August 23
Doors 8:15 pm | Event 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time. 

**Early Bird tickets just $20 + s/c (Available only till midnight, July 18)***
Advanced General Admission $25 + s/c | At the door $30 + s/c

Book your TICKETS now baby!

DISCOBABY Website: https://www.beautyshopdolls. com/discobaby-1970s
Instagram: @discobabydolls

KEVIN NEALON
Presented by Gotpop? Concerts

The Rio Theatre is pleased to welcome Kevin Nealon to the stage for a night of standup comedy on Sunday, August 24.

Sunday, August 24
Doors 6:00 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Main Floor (Assigned) $85+ s/c
Balcony (General Admission) $75+ s/c

Kevin Nealon is an Emmy and SAG-nominated actor and comedian who sets himself apart from other comedic performers with his unique sense of humor, dry wit and likable demeanor. Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, and received critical acclaim for his role in the hit Showtime series Weeds. Kevin currently produces and hosts his digital series Hiking with Kevin, and tours his stand-up globally. In 2022 he released his, I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame. Part art book, part memoir -- the book is full of original full-color caricatures Kevin has created along with funny, endearing personal essays about his famous friends.

Nealon’s extensive television credits include the CBS sitcom, Man With a Plan, in which he starred alongside Matt LeBlanc; Showtime’s Weeds, which ran for eight seasons. Additional television roles include two critically acclaimed stand-up
specials for Showtime and a number of appearances on Hot In Cleveland, Franklin & Bash, Monk, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Still Standing.

Kevin has also has found great comedic success in his extensive film career. In Anger Management, he played opposite Jack Nicholson and fellow SNL comedian, Adam Sandler. He and Sandler also teamed up in Eight Crazy Nights, The Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore, Just Go With It, Blended, and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, the latter of which grossed over $200 million worldwide. In Joe Dirt, Nealon joined another SNL alumnus David Spade. Additional film credits include Daddy Day Care with Eddie Murphy, Good Boy with Molly Shannon, Bucky Larsen: Born to be a Star with Nick Swardson, Roxanne with Steve Martin and the cult hit Grandma’s Boy, also with Nick Swardson and Jonah Hill.

As one of the longest running cast members on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (1986-1995), Nealon created some of the show’s most memorable characters, including ‘The Subliminal Man’ and ‘Hans and Franz.’ Nealon’s recurring role as an anchor on ‘Weekend Update’ helped make the sketch a show staple. In 1988, he earned an Emmy nomination as part of the SNL writing team. In 2008, Nealon released his first book, Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me? - a comical look at the male perspective of pregnancy.

Currently, Kevin resides in Los Angeles with his wife and son.

Now in its 14th year, the smash hit epic comedy THE CRITICAL HIT SHOW returns to the Rio Theatre's stage on Wednesday, August 27 for another night of live-action comedy. Roll the dice with some of Vancouver’s best comedic performers as they venture out on a gallant quest for comedy glory (and more snacks!) in an epic, hilarious saga that has been running continuously since 2012.

Spanning over 100 live performances in both Canada and the United States, two years of “at-home” streaming, and frequent festival appearances, THE CRITICAL HIT SHOW is one of the longest running comedy shows around. #DNDLive is an improvised adventure that takes its inspiration from tabletop role-playing games, fantasy film and TV, and (most importantly) you!

Whether you’re a longtime fan, you’ve been enjoying our live streamed shows, or you’re brand new to the experience - you’re going to have a great time.

Wednesday, August 27
Doors 6:15 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Please arrive on time. Start time subject to change.
Tickets $17 +s/c | $20+ s/c at the door

THE ADVENTURERS

Eric Fell as The Dungeon Master
Ian Boothby as Benoit the Anointed, the Half-Elf Cleric
Joanna Gaskell as Freya, the Elf Warlock
Barbara Beall as Ingrid, the Halfling Fighter
Ellen MacNevin as Belle Strummer, the Half-Elf Ranger
Allen Morrison as Spitz Lube’n, the Human Wizard
Shaun Stewart as Brask Hellbeard, the Dwarf Bard

More monsters! More Magic! More Mayhem! More Off-Brand soda!

Twitter: @critshow
www.criticalhitshow.com
www.facebook.com/dndlive

"I got chills... They're mul-ti-ply-in'..."

It's summer, which means we're down for a little Summer Lovin', Grease-style. And there's no better way to experience your all-time favourite movie musical - which has been rockin' and rollin' and what-not for over 40 years - than at the Rio Theatre, with a big-screen viewing of this 1978 classic musical.

Experience the friendships, romances and adventures of a group of high school kids in the 1950s. Welcome to the singing and dancing world of GREASE, the most successful movie musical of all time. A wholesome exchange student (Olivia Newton-John) and a leather-clad Danny (John Travolta) have a summer romance, but will it cross clique lines?

Please note: A hickey from Kinickie is like a Hallmark card.

Friday, August 29
Doors 5:15 pm | Movie 5:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets HERE

GREASE (Randal Kleiser, 1978 / 110 mins / PG) Good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. When they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance?

Indie arthouse darling Ari Aster (MIDSOMMAR, HEREDITARY, BEAU IS AFRAID) latest effort EDDINGTON is a sharp social commentary that is equal parts satire and neo-Western. Set in 2020, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the story follows a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor that sparks a powder keg as neighbour is pitted against neighbour in the rural town Eddington, N.M. With Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, and Austin Butler.

"Ari Aster’s “Eddington” is such a superb social satire about contemporary America that I want to bury it in the desert for 20 years. More distance will make it easier to laugh." (Los Angeles Times)

"Your mileage will vary according to your stomach for this stuff, but I found myself breathless with giggles at times, sometimes the therapeutic laugh of recognition and sometimes because Ari Aster has a keen eye for what’s most absurd about human nature." (New York Times)

"Ultimately, 'Eddington' is not as much a cautionary tale about American psychosis as an immersion in it, and, as such, it gradually takes on the form of a stress dream, gaining in resonance the further it plunges into a fugue state. " (The Ringer)

"It is undeniably a great effort from everyone involved. And it’s exceedingly, darkly funny. For a first attempt at a Western, I’d say Ari Aster nailed it." (Film Threat)

"[Joaquin] Phoenix is the perfect instrument for Ari Aster’s bleak and self-destructive view of humanity. Consider 'Eddington' a warning." (San Francsico Chronicle)

Friday, August 29
Doors 8:00 pm | Movie 8:20 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

EDDINGTON (Ari Aster, 2025 / 14A / ) In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.

This summer, STArt Film Studio presents In the Spectrum of Love, a touring showcase of four iconic Chinese-language films. Across six cities, we invite you to rediscover these unforgettable portraits of intimacy, distance, silence, and resilience.

这个夏天，STArt Film Studio 精选四部华语电影经典，开启《相爱终有时》六城巡映之旅。在熟悉或陌生的城市里，我们邀你走进影院，重新凝视那些关于爱、别离、沉默与勇气的瞬间。

影片放映单元 | Film Showcase Lineup

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Happy Together (Wong Kar-wai) [4K Restoration] | 《春光乍泄》（王家卫）4K 修复版
Saturday, August 30
Doors 12:00 pm | Film 12: 30 PM *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

A turbulent gay romance unfolds in Buenos Aires between Lai Yiu-fai and Ho Po-wing, oscillating dramatically between passion and alienation. Captured in lush visuals that evoke displacement and longing, this is Wong Kar-wai’s most emotionally charged and visually poetic film.

一段在布宜诺斯艾利斯不断拉扯的男男关系，黎耀辉与何宝荣在激情与冷漠之间反复挣扎，浓烈而破碎。镜头下的异乡感与情感漂泊，使它成为王家卫最具情感张力与视觉诗意的作品之一。

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Vive L’Amour (Tsai Ming-liang) | 《爱情万岁》Vive L’Amour（蔡明亮）
Saturday, August 30
Doors 2:30 pm | Film 3:00 PM *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Three lonely strangers find themselves inhabiting the same vacant apartment in Taipei, their paths barely intersecting as they silently navigate isolation and desire. Tsai Ming-liang’s restrained visual language delicately captures urban alienation and the emptiness beneath human connection.

三个陌生人偶然住进台北的一间空屋，虽然彼此并不相识，但命运的交织让他们在孤独与渴望中无声地共存。蔡明亮以冷静、克制的镜头语言，将都市人的疏离感与内心情感的空洞细腻呈现。

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All Shall Be Well (Ray Yeung) | 《从今以后》（杨曜恺）
Sunday, September 7
Doors 12:00 pm | Film 12:30 PM *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

After losing her partner, an aging woman must reclaim her agency in the face of legal and familial erasure. Ray Yeung sensitively sheds light on the challenges faced by elderly LGBTQ individuals, blending compassion with resilience.

伴侣骤逝后，年长女同性恋者独自面对遗产、身份与未来的勇敢选择。 影片直击老年LGBTQ群体的真实处境，兼具温柔与勇气。

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Lan Yu (Stanley Kwan) [4K Restoration] | 《蓝宇》Lan Yu（关锦鹏）4K 修复版
Sunday, September 7
Doors 2:20 pm | Film 2:45 PM *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

In 1990s Beijing, university student Lan Yu and businessman Chen Handong forge a deep bond amid a rapidly changing society. Their relationship, tender yet vulnerable, beautifully illustrates the tension between societal pressures and personal affection. Stanley Kwan captures their story with gentle sincerity and historical poignancy.

1990年代的北京，大学生蓝宇与商人陈悍东在时代变迁的夹缝中相遇、相知与相爱。然而，社会的现实与情感的脆弱逐渐侵蚀着他们的关系，使之美丽而哀伤。关锦鹏以细腻、真诚的叙事，勾勒出充满历史沉重感与人性温柔的爱情。

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About STArt Film Studio:
STArt aims to use film as a medium to break through information bubbles, allowing people to hear different voices, discover the diversity of people, cultures, and the world on this journey, and ultimately find their own voice.

Learn more about our projects and events:
Website: www.startfilmstudio.org
WeChat: STArt电影
Xiaohongshu (RED): STArt电影
Instagram: @startfilmstudio

STArt Film Studio是在华盛顿州注册登记的非营利组织。
STArt希望用电影作为媒介让大家打破信息茧房，听到不同的声音，在这个旅程中发现人、文化、世界的多样性，最后找到属于自己的声音。

了解更多关于我们的项目与活动：
官网：www.startfilmstudio.org
微信公众号：STArt电影
小红书：STArt电影
Instagram：@startfilmstudio

This summer, STArt Film Studio presents In the Spectrum of Love, a touring showcase of four iconic Chinese-language films. Across six cities, we invite you to rediscover these unforgettable portraits of intimacy, distance, silence, and resilience. Playing at the Rio Theatre over the course of August 30 & September 7. See one or see all four for one low price!

这个夏天，STArt Film Studio 精选四部华语电影经典，开启《相爱终有时》六城巡映之旅。在熟悉或陌生的城市里，我们邀你走进影院，重新凝视那些关于爱、别离、沉默与勇气的瞬间。

影片放映单元 | Film Showcase Lineup

Happy Together (Wong Kar-wai) [4K Restoration]
Vive L’Amour (Tsai Ming-liang)
Lan Yu (Stanley Kwan) [4K Restoration]
All Shall Be Well (Ray Yeung)

《春光乍泄》（王家卫）4K 修复版
《爱情万岁》Vive L’Amour（蔡明亮）
《蓝宇》Lan Yu（关锦鹏）4K 修复版
《从今以后》（杨曜恺）

Wong Kar-Wai's HAPPY TOGETHER (4K Restoration) | 《春光乍泄》（王家卫）4K 修复版

A turbulent gay romance unfolds in Buenos Aires between Lai Yiu-fai and Ho Po-wing, oscillating dramatically between passion and alienation. Captured in lush visuals that evoke displacement and longing, this is Wong Kar-wai’s most emotionally charged and visually poetic film.

一段在布宜诺斯艾利斯不断拉扯的男男关系，黎耀辉与何宝荣在激情与冷漠之间反复挣扎，浓烈而破碎。镜头下的异乡感与情感漂泊，使它成为王家卫最具情感张力与视觉诗意的作品之一。

"Wong’s commitment to the tedious nature of his film’s core romance highlights a key pillar of the 90s LGBTQ experience. Many of us know what it’s like to give partners significantly more chances than they deserve." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"Beautifully photographed by Chris Doyle, the film's gently understated metaphors of searching and exploration linger on." (Financial Times)

Saturday, August 30
Doors 12:00 pm | Film 12:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

General Admission $17.99 + s/c
Film Festival Pass (All 4 Films) $59.99 + s/c

About STArt Film Studio:
STArt aims to use film as a medium to break through information bubbles, allowing people to hear different voices, discover the diversity of people, cultures, and the world on this journey, and ultimately find their own voice.

Learn more about our projects and events:
Website: www.startfilmstudio.org
WeChat: STArt电影
Xiaohongshu (RED): STArt电影
Instagram: @startfilmstudio

STArt Film Studio是在华盛顿州注册登记的非营利组织。

STArt希望用电影作为媒介让大家打破信息茧房， 听到不同的声音，在这个旅程中发现人、文化、世界的多样性， 最后找到属于自己的声音。

了解更多关于我们的项目与活动：
官网：www.startfilmstudio.org
微信公众号：STArt电影
小红书：STArt电影
Instagram：@startfilmstudio

This summer, STArt Film Studio presents In the Spectrum of Love, a touring showcase of four iconic Chinese-language films. Across six cities, we invite you to rediscover these unforgettable portraits of intimacy, distance, silence, and resilience. Playing at the Rio Theatre over the course of August 30 & September 7. See one or see all four for one low price!

这个夏天，STArt Film Studio 精选四部华语电影经典，开启《相爱终有时》六城巡映之旅。在熟悉或陌生的城市里，我们邀你走进影院，重新凝视那些关于爱、别离、沉默与勇气的瞬间。

影片放映单元 | Film Showcase Lineup

Happy Together (Wong Kar-wai) [4K Restoration]
Vive L’Amour (Tsai Ming-liang)
Lan Yu (Stanley Kwan) [4K Restoration]
All Shall Be Well (Ray Yeung)

《春光乍泄》（王家卫）4K 修复版
《爱情万岁》Vive L’Amour（蔡明亮）
《蓝宇》Lan Yu（关锦鹏）4K 修复版
《从今以后》（杨曜恺）

Vive L’Amour (Tsai Ming-liang) | 《爱情万岁》Vive L’Amour（蔡明亮） 

Three lonely strangers find themselves inhabiting the same vacant apartment in Taipei, their paths barely intersecting as they silently navigate isolation and desire. Tsai Ming-liang’s restrained visual language delicately captures urban alienation and the emptiness beneath human connection.

三个陌生人偶然住进台北的一间空屋，虽然彼此并不相识，但命运的交织让他们在孤独与渴望中无声地共存。蔡明亮以冷静、克制的镜头语言，将都市人的疏离感与内心情感的空洞细腻呈现。

"Even when they are placed in the most absurd situations, Tsai Ming-liangs characters convey feelings so incredibly universal that its impossible to not relate to them. Vive LAmour is one of the best and brightest examples of this." (Film Inquiry)

"An almost wordless drama and a social satire about the disconnectedness and loneliness of modern living." (Celluloid Dreams)

Saturday, August 30
Doors 2:30 pm | Film 3:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

General Admission $17.99 + s/c
Film Festival Pass (All 4 Films) $59.99 + s/c

About STArt Film Studio:
STArt aims to use film as a medium to break through information bubbles, allowing people to hear different voices, discover the diversity of people, cultures, and the world on this journey, and ultimately find their own voice.

Learn more about our projects and events:
Website: www.startfilmstudio.org
WeChat: STArt电影
Xiaohongshu (RED): STArt电影
Instagram: @startfilmstudio

STArt Film Studio是在华盛顿州注册登记的非营利组织。
STArt希望用电影作为媒介让大家打破信息茧房， 听到不同的声音，在这个旅程中发现人、文化、世界的多样性， 最后找到属于自己的声音。

了解更多关于我们的项目与活动：
官网：www.startfilmstudio.org
微信公众号：STArt电影
小红书：STArt电影
Instagram：@startfilmstudio

A copious cavalcade of top notch talent and captivating cabaret await at The Rio Theatre Burlesque and Variety Show on Saturday, August 30!

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 and Variety Show!? Find out on Saturday, August 30th, as these stars align for one night only!

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

Save $10 with Early Bird tickets just $20 until midnight August 11!

General Admission $30 + s/c | $35 + s/c at the door
VIP tickets (Rows 1-3, centre section) $40+ s/c
Squad Pass (Group of Four Tickets – online only) $100+ s/c

With Featured Performances By:

Acacia Gray | April O'Peel | Bonita Bunda | Calamity Kate | Clare Voyeur
Femme Follies | Lucky Dae and Ashleigh Kearns | Neil E Dee
Precious Metal | Rainbow Glitz | Tryst Dance Collective

Hosted by Gia Sangria

The Grames Brothers have been part of the Vancouver music scene since 1990 rocking stages at The Commodore, The Town Pump and virtually every venue in the city. Making their return for their 3rd performance at the historic Rio Theatre, the Grames Brothers make their return to thestage for the first time since the pandemic.

Featuring brothers Johannes and Panos Grames, the band is rounded out by their musical compatriots Randall Stoll on drums and (k.d. Lang, Tom Cochrane) and Billy Mendoza on bass and vocals.

Following the tradition of great rock bands like Radiohead and The Beatles the brothers find inspiration from a wild mix of genres including jazz, rock, reggae, pop, funk and psychedelic, delivering their sound with tight harmonies, poetic lyrics, and a groove-forward sensibility.

Whether on stage or in the studio, The Grames Brothers offer a sound rooted in tradition but unafraid to experiment. Their musicianship allows for exploration and improvisation, so don’t miss this show!

With Special Guests Quarterhorse

Connect on Instagram: @gramesbrothers

Kowabunga, dude!

Join us for some Friday Late Night Movie turtle action with TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. Released in 1990, the original live-action feature film adaptation of the cult comic book and the popular animated television show is a bona-fide cult-classic for pretty much anyone who became of age in the 80's or 90's. The film establishes the iconic origin story of four teenage turtles--Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello-- who, after prolonged exposure to radiation, have mutated into ninjas and have begun living in the sewers of a large city. Under the guidance of a ninja master Splinter the Rat and television reporter April, the Turtles embark on a mission to run crime out of the city and battle the warlord Shredder. Starring Corey Feldman, Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, and Josh Paig.

Friday, September 5
Doors 11:00 pm | Movie 11:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Late Night Date Night! Tickets are two-for-one entry.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (Steve Barron, 1990 / 93 mins / PG) A quartet of mutated humanoid turtle warriors must emerge from the shadows to protect New York City from an uprising criminal gang of ninjas.

The Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party is returning to the Rio Theatre with a back-to-school event featuring an all-new lineup of retro TV goodness covered in sugary cereal. It's Volume IX!

Kids today may not realize the significance of the Saturday morning ritual, but once upon a time, we had to wait a whole week to get our cartoon fix, and when we got it, we tended to binge. Well – welcome to The Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party - that special time when kids and kids-at-heart get to relive the exciting Saturday Morning ritual of non-stop retro cartoons, and binge on the multi-colored sugary cereals that used to be a part of every “balanced” breakfast!

The cartoon lineup is always a mystery, but expect to see monsters, sci-fi, sleuths, superheroes and all kinds of 2D silliness, both faves and obscurities spanning the '30s through the '90s, all punctuated with vintage commercials, PSAs and station IDs for a 3-hour trip down memory lane! So get ready for a sugar rush and an explosion of nostalgia all wrapped up in one candy-coated package.

Curated by David Bertrand

Dairy-free and gluten-free options available! Compostable bowls and spoons will be provided, however we welcome and encourage guests to bring their own NON-BREAKABLE (ie, not ceramic) bowls and spoons.

Saturday, September 6
Doors 10:00 am | Event 10:30 am *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Adults $22
Kids Pricing (13 and under) $15

IT’S NEVER OVER: JEFF BUCKLEY, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Amy Berg (DELIVER US FROM EVIL, JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE, WEST OF MEMPHIS), covers the life of the rising young star with an otherworldly voice and boundary-pushing artistry, who left the ’90s music world reeling when he died suddenly, at age 30, after the release of his critically acclaimed debut album “Grace.”

Told through never-before-seen footage from Buckley’s archives and intimate accounts from his mother Mary Guibert, former partners Rebecca Moore and Joan Wasser, Jeff’s former bandmates, including Michael Tighe and Parker Kindred, and luminaries like Ben Harper and Aimee Mann, IT’S NEVER OVER: JEFF BUCKLEY illuminates one of modern music’s most influential and enigmatic figures.

"As we drink in the majesty of his voice, the film lays bare a paradox about him that isn’t nearly as apparent if you just listen to “Grace” (1994), the only album he ever released." (Variety)

"Buckley hasn’t had a million portraits sketched of him, much to this degree. The singularity of It’s Never Over, along with the access and the candor, makes up for a lot here." (Rolling Stone Magazine)

Saturday, September 6
Doors 2:00 pm | Movie 2:20 *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

IT'S NEVER OVER: JEFF BUCKLEY (Amy Berg, 2025 / 108 mins / 14A) Rising musician Jeff Buckley had only released one album when he died suddenly in 1997. A portrait of a generation-defining singer.

This summer, STArt Film Studio presents In the Spectrum of Love, a touring showcase of four iconic Chinese-language films. Across six cities, we invite you to rediscover these unforgettable portraits of intimacy, distance, silence, and resilience. Playing at the Rio Theatre over the course of August 30 & September 7. See one or see all four for one low price!

这个夏天，STArt Film Studio 精选四部华语电影经典，开启《相爱终有时》六城巡映之旅。在熟悉或陌生的城市里，我们邀你走进影院，重新凝视那些关于爱、别离、沉默与勇气的瞬间。

影片放映单元 | Film Showcase Lineup

Happy Together (Wong Kar-wai) [4K Restoration]
Vive L’Amour (Tsai Ming-liang)
Lan Yu (Stanley Kwan) [4K Restoration]
All Shall Be Well (Ray Yeung)

《春光乍泄》（王家卫）4K 修复版
《爱情万岁》Vive L’Amour（蔡明亮）
《蓝宇》Lan Yu（关锦鹏）4K 修复版
《从今以后》（杨曜恺）

All Shall Be Well (Ray Yeung) | 《从今以后》（杨曜恺）

After losing her partner, an aging woman must reclaim her agency in the face of legal and familial erasure. Ray Yeung sensitively sheds light on the challenges faced by elderly LGBTQ individuals, blending compassion with resilience.

伴侣骤逝后，年长女同性恋者独自面对遗产、身份与未来的勇敢选择。 影片直击老年LGBTQ群体的真实处境，兼具温柔与勇气。

"It’s a quietly shattering place “All Shall Be Well” goes to, in which a time of consoling devolves into petty matters of consolation." (Los Angeles Times)

"This film cements Ray Yeung as one of the world's foremost LGBTQ writer/directors." (Rotten Tomatoes)

Sunday, September 7
Doors 12:00 pm | Film 12:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

General Admission $17.99 + s/c
Film Festival Pass (All 4 Films) $59.99 + s/c

About STArt Film Studio:
STArt aims to use film as a medium to break through information bubbles, allowing people to hear different voices, discover the diversity of people, cultures, and the world on this journey, and ultimately find their own voice.

Learn more about our projects and events:
Website: www.startfilmstudio.org
WeChat: STArt电影
Xiaohongshu (RED): STArt电影
Instagram: @startfilmstudio

STArt Film Studio是在华盛顿州注册登记的非营利组织。

STArt希望用电影作为媒介让大家打破信息茧房， 听到不同的声音，在这个旅程中发现人、文化、世界的多样性， 最后找到属于自己的声音。

了解更多关于我们的项目与活动：
官网：www.startfilmstudio.org
微信公众号：STArt电影
小红书：STArt电影
Instagram：@startfilmstudio

This summer, STArt Film Studio presents In the Spectrum of Love, a touring showcase of four iconic Chinese-language films. Across six cities, we invite you to rediscover these unforgettable portraits of intimacy, distance, silence, and resilience. Playing at the Rio Theatre over the course of August 30 & September 7. See one or see all four for one low price!

这个夏天，STArt Film Studio 精选四部华语电影经典，开启《相爱终有时》六城巡映之旅。在熟悉或陌生的城市里，我们邀你走进影院，重新凝视那些关于爱、别离、沉默与勇气的瞬间。

影片放映单元 | Film Showcase Lineup

Happy Together (Wong Kar-wai) [4K Restoration]
Vive L’Amour (Tsai Ming-liang)
Lan Yu (Stanley Kwan) [4K Restoration]
All Shall Be Well (Ray Yeung)

《春光乍泄》（王家卫）4K 修复版
《爱情万岁》Vive L’Amour（蔡明亮）
《蓝宇》Lan Yu（关锦鹏）4K 修复版
《从今以后》（杨曜恺）

Lan Yu (Stanley Kwan) [4K Restoration] | 《蓝宇》Lan Yu（关锦鹏）4K 修复版 

In 1990s Beijing, university student Lan Yu and businessman Chen Handong forge a deep bond amid a rapidly changing society. Their relationship, tender yet vulnerable, beautifully illustrates the tension between societal pressures and personal affection. Stanley Kwan captures their story with gentle sincerity and historical poignancy.

1990年代的北京，大学生蓝宇与商人陈悍东在时代变迁的夹缝中相遇、相知与相爱。然而，社会的现实与情感的脆弱逐渐侵蚀着他们的关系，使之美丽而哀伤。关锦鹏以细腻、真诚的叙事，勾勒出充满历史沉重感与人性温柔的爱情。

"Lan Yu" exhibits the usual issues of Kwan's cinema, but the portrayal of the relationship, the acting, and the cinematography are so great, that the faults are barely noticeable in the end, in a rather excellent movie." (Asian Movie Pulse)

"It's a wise, moving love story--marred only by a rather arbitrary twist of fate at the end--played out with an emotional honesty that would be unusual and adventurous in any language." (Newsweek)

Sunday, September 7
Doors 2:20 pm | Film 2:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

General Admission $17.99 + s/c
Film Festival Pass (All 4 Films) $59.99 + s/c

About STArt Film Studio:
STArt aims to use film as a medium to break through information bubbles, allowing people to hear different voices, discover the diversity of people, cultures, and the world on this journey, and ultimately find their own voice.

Learn more about our projects and events:
Website: www.startfilmstudio.org
WeChat: STArt电影
Xiaohongshu (RED): STArt电影
Instagram: @startfilmstudio

STArt Film Studio是在华盛顿州注册登记的非营利组织。

STArt希望用电影作为媒介让大家打破信息茧房， 听到不同的声音，在这个旅程中发现人、文化、世界的多样性， 最后找到属于自己的声音。

了解更多关于我们的项目与活动：
官网：www.startfilmstudio.org
微信公众号：STArt电影
小红书：STArt电影
Instagram：@startfilmstudio