Riddle of Fire
Nevada Theatre 4/28: A visual feast shot in 16mm, RIDDLE OF FIRE delighted and surprised audiences at Cannes in 2023. Set in Wyoming, the film follows three rascal children who run afoul of an enigmatic coven in director Weston Razooli’s whimsical neo-fairytale, which evokes a menagerie of esoteric genres and dreamy cult-film vibes.
2001: A Space Odyssey
May 5th at the Nevada Theatre: Our Psy-Fi series begins with one of the greatest science fiction movies ever made, Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film follows a team of scientists and a supercomputer who begin a journey to Jupiter after a strange monolith is discovered on the moon. Highly influential and oft-referenced (most recently, Greta Gerwig paid homage to its opening sequence in Barbie), 2001’s innovative practical effects and stunning visuals still wow audiences today.
Fantastic Planet (La Planete Sauvage)
May 12th at the Nevada Theatre: A French animated classic from the supremely talented Rene Laloux, Fantastic Planet is an otherworldly marvel and a perfect second feature in our Psy-Fi lineup. The central plot focuses on the planet Ygam, where blue humanoids known as Traags keep the much-smaller humans (referred to as Oms) as their pets. This alien world is brought to life by incredible, hand-drawn animation that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
Phase IV
May 19th at the Nevada Theatre: Our Psy-Fi series concludes with a terrestrial hidden gem, the sole feature film of famous graphic designer Saul Bass. A mysterious cosmic event causes rapid evolution in an ant colony in the Arizona desert, and their newfound hyper-intelligence draws the attention of scientists who begin trying to curtail the insects’ territorial expansion with aggression. Unlike the traditional creature feature, Phase IV is a psychedelic exploration of humanity’s place on the food chain and whether they have any true claim to earthly supremacy.
Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust
5/26: Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS) is pleased to partner with The Onyx Downtown at the Nevada Theatre on Sunday, May 26 at 7pm in presenting MANZANAR, DIVERTED: WHEN WATER BECOMES DUST, an inspired and poetic portrait of a place and its people. The documentary follows intergenerational women from three communities who defend their land, their history and their culture from the insatiable thirst of Los Angeles. In this fresh retelling of the LA water story, Native Americans, Japanese-American WWII incarcerees, and environmentalists form an unexpected alliance to preserve Payahuunadü (Owens Valley), “the land of flowing water.” Featuring breathtaking photography and immersive soundscapes, the film recounts more than 150 years of history, showing how this distant valley is inextricably tied to the city of Los Angeles. It reveals the forced removals of the Nüümü (Paiute) and the Newe (Shoshone) who were marched out of the Valley in the 1860s by the US Army, and the Japanese Americans who were brought here from their West Coast homes and incarcerated in a World War II concentration camp. Water lured outsiders in and continues to fuel the greed which has sucked this once lush place dry. Filmmaker Ann Kaneko will appear virtually for Q&A after the screening. MANZANZAR, DIVERTED screened at 28 film festivals worldwide earning Best Documentary at San Diego Asian Film Festival and honorable Mentions at CAAMFEST and Milwaukee Film Festival. This is a fundraiser for CATS and tickets are $13.