Community Calendar

Utica University’s free Films on Thursday series continues on Thursday, February 26 at 7:00pm with the 1958 French movie, “Elevator To The Gallows” (aka “Ascenseur pour l'échafaud”).

A botched murder plan changes the lives of three couples as a series of unexpected events unfolds in this classic French Film Noir. “Elevator To The Gallows” marked Louis Malle’s bold, stylish debut as a feature filmmaker and helped usher in the French New Wave movement.

The winner of France’s Louis Delluc Prize for Best Film of The Year, the movie contains innovate camerawork and has a wistful, largely improvised soundtrack by jazz legend Miles Davis.

A complete list of the Spring 2026 film series, the campus map, parking information, and more are available by visiting utica.edu/film

All films are shown at 7 p.m. in Macfarlane Auditorium in DePerno Hall and are free and open to the general public.

(United States, 1980, 110 minutes, color)
Directed by John Sayles. Starring Bruce MacDonald, Maggie Renzi, David Strathairn.

Seven former college activists reunite for a weekend in New Hampshire to mark the 10th anniversary of their arrest while driving from Boston to Washington D.C. to protest the Vietnam War. The reunion forces them to confront changes in their lives, values and relationships. Made on a very small budget, the film is regarded as a landmark of American independent cinema.

7 p.m. Friday, February 27
Page Hall, UAlbany Downtown Campus
135 Western Avenue
Albany NY 12203
A NYS Writers Institute event. Free and open to the public.

Watch the trailer: https://www.nyswritersinstitute.org/returnofthesecaususseven

Meet visionary film director John Sayles, who grew up in Schenectady, at the 6th annual Albany Film Festival on Saturday, March 28th. Sayles will talk about his life and work, and his new historical novel, Crucible (2026), about Henry Ford, the ruthless, power-mad “tech bro” of his generation.

Produced in 1968, this documentary captures Johnny Cash on the road and onstage with the Carter Family, the Statler Brothers, and Carl Perkins, alongside rare behind-the-scenes moments—most notably, Cash recording with Bob Dylan at Columbia Studios. Filmed early in the career of local filmmaker Alan Dater (the film’s sound recordist), the film also offers intimate access to Cash’s personal life, from time at home with June Carter in Tennessee to visits with his family in California and his childhood hometown in Arkansas. A powerful sequence at the Rosebud Reservation and the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre adds historical depth.

Alan Dater will introduce the screening and participate in a post-film discussion. The event will also feature a short video interview with director Bob Elfstrom on the making of the film.

Lois Weber was one of the most important female directors of the silent era, known for addressing social issues in her work. We will show two of her progressive films"
"Where Are My Children”
DA Richard Walton desires a family, but his wife chooses abortion to maintain her social life. While prosecuting a doctor for illegal abortions, he discovers his wife's name in the ledger, leading to a confrontation.
"Shoes"
A young working girl, struggling to support her family on her meager salary, desperately wishes for a new pair of shoes. In constant pain and with no solution in sight, the disheartened girl resorts to desperate measures.
Silent Film With Live Accompaniment by Marta Waterman

Attend Jon Bowermaster’s Film Screening of The Keeper at Skidmore College on March 1 at 5pm.
https://sustainablesaratoga.org/event/the-keeper-film-screening/

Utica University’s free Films on Thursday series concludes its Spring 2026 season on Thursday, March 5 at 7:00pm with the animated movie, "Flow."

After a catastrophic flood destroys his home, a cat joins forces with a bird, a capybara, a dog, and a lemur as they try to find dry land while living together in a boat.

An inspiring tale the explores friendship, community and the environment, “Flow” set box office records in Latvia and became a global sensation.

The visual spectacular, which was produced using free and open-source software, won the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film.

A complete list of the Spring 2026 film series, the campus map, parking information, and more are available by visiting utica.edu/film

All films are shown at 7 p.m. in Macfarlane Auditorium in DePerno Hall and are free and open to the general public.

(United States, 1939, 104 minutes, black & white)
Directed by William Wyler. Starring Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven.

This adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic 1847 novel about destructive love, obsession, jealousy and revenge stars Merle Oberon as Catherine Earnshaw, daughter of a wealthy landowner, and Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff, a “dark-skinned” orphan of uncertain origins. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor.

"Wuthering Heights"
7 p.m. Friday, March 6, 2026
Page Hall - University at Albany Downtown Campus
135 Western Avenue, Albany NY 12203
Free and open to the public

Watch the trailer: https://www.nyswritersinstitute.org/wutheringheights

Meet Mayukh Sen, author of a revelatory new biography of leading Hollywood actress Merle Oberon, Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood's First South Asian Star (2025), at the Albany Film Festival on Saturday, March 28th. Born in Bombay, Oberon hid her Asian origins throughout her career to escape racism in the film industry.

IT’S A GODZILLA CLASSIC DOUBLE FEATURE!

Doors 6:00pm (Come early for best seating!)

All New Godzilla Clip Show 6:30pm

Film7:00pm

MONSTER ZERO AKA/INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER (1965) (Japanese version. English subtitles.) Mysterious alien visitors from Planet X arrive on Earth with a request to borrow Godzilla and Rodan to help defeat Monster Zero (Ghidorah) who is ravaging their home planet. The aliens appear friendly and peaceful- but are they? An all-time Godzilla classic with Godzilla, Rodan and Ghidorah monster battles both on planet Earth and in outer space!

PLUS!

GODZILLA VS HEDORAH AKA/GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER (1971) (Japanese version. English subtitles.) Alien monster Hedorah arrives on Earth and feeds off man’s environmental pollution. Rapidly growing to enormous size, Hedorah becomes one of Godzilla’s toughest adversaries!

Classic monster action with BIG THEATRE SOUND on the BIG THEATRE SCREEN!

Join us for the next installment of the NXT Rockumentary Film Series

This high-energy concert documentary drops viewers into a restless moment in British New Wave music history, capturing one live performance after another from a wide range of touring acts. The result is loose, loud, and unpredictable—less a polished showcase than a raw snapshot of a scene in motion. From tense, provocative moments to playful bursts of pop energy, the film offers rare glimpses of artists who didn’t always make it into the history books, alongside performers on the verge of much wider recognition.

Due to licensing restrictions, we’re unable to publicly list the film title. To find out what’s screening, join our mailing list or contact us directly.

This acclaimed documentary follows the life of beloved American poet Nikki Giovanni — firebrand, radical, healer, sage — across the turbulent 20th and early 21st centuries, from the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter. Giovanni reckons with the inevitable passing of time in intimate vérité and revealing archival footage. The film is a collision of memories, moments in American history, live readings, and visually innovative treatments of her poetry.

The film won both a Primetime Emmy and the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

7 p.m. Friday, March 13
Page Hall - University at Albany Downtown Campus
135 Western Avenue, Albany NY 12203
Free and open to the public.

Watch the trailer: https://www.nyswritersinstitute.org/goingtomars

(United States, 2023, 102 minutes, color)
Directed by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson. Starring Nikki Giovanni, Taraji P. Henson, James Baldwin

Reviews
"Where Going to Mars undoubtedly succeeds is in spotlighting the poet’s blazing personality, her unwavering confidence and her commitment to community without ever sacrificing herself."-- Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter

"Going to Mars responds creatively to the call of its ingenious subject thanks to the directors’ soulful grasp of her work, and Terra Long and Lawrence Jackman’s skillful editing." -- Lisa Kennedy, Variety

Meet trailblazing filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson at the Albany Film Festival on Saturday, March 28th. Brewster and Stephenson are cofounders of Rada Studio, a production company that foregrounds the stories of communities neglected by the mainstream media.