The UCLA Film & Television Archive’s fall lineup of public programs features a diverse range of screenings for film and TV enthusiasts of all ages, from sci-fi to family flicks, and cult classics to independent cinema, along with TV treasures, domestic and international shorts and feature films, anniversary celebrations with special in-person guests, and more.

The season kicked off with the series “Science Fiction Against the Margins,” which runs until Dec. 14 as part of Getty’s “PST ART: Art & Science Collide” initiative. (Read the Newsroom story. )

Co-presented with the Hammer Museum, the popular matinee series “Family Flicks” (Oct. 13–Dec. 15) continues to showcase new and classic family-friendly films from around the world.

Featuring Rod Serling, Lisa Cholondenko and John T. Caldwell

On the evening of Oct. 13, Archive Television Treasures presents a screening of “Rod Serling’s Playhouse 90: ‘A Town Has Turned to Dust”  (U.S., 1958) — including original commercials — followed by a Q&A with Molly A. Schneider, author of “Gold Dust on the Air: Television Anthology Drama and Midcentury American Culture.” A book signing with Schneider will take place before the event.

One of the fall’s highlights is the Oct. 25 restoration world premiere of Lisa Cholondekno’s critically acclaimed independent film “High Art” (U.S., 1998), a provocative love story of ambition and sacrifice. Part of the Archive Treasures program, the screening is co-presented with the Sundance Institute and will feature Cholondenko and other special guests in person.

On Oct. 26, the Archive, in partnership with the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center and the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, presents “Border Wars: The Radical Ethnography of John T. Caldwell,” a selection of Caldwell’s experimental documentaries exploring the exploitation of migrant workers and the roots of populist rhetoric in the current election cycle.

A film homage to Giant Robot magazine

Presented by the Archive in partnership with the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities at UCLA, “A Film Series for You: Celebrating Giant Robot’s 30th Anniversary” will run for seven nights between Nov. 1 and 17, paying homage to the history of Giant Robot magazine, founded in 1994 by UCLA alumnus Eric Nakamura.

Co-curated with Nakamura, the series will include screenings of the iconic “Chungking Express” (Hong Kong, 1994) on Nov. 1 and the cult-classic telefilm “Voyage Into Space” (U.S., 1970) on Nov. 10, which features footage from episodes of the 1967–68 Japanese TV show “Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot” / “Giant Robo.” These and other great programs reflect the magazine’s punk rock spirit and its focus on alternative Asian and Asian American culture. The in-person guest list includes Nakamura (all seven programs); Giant Robot co-editor and UCLA alumnus Martin Wong (Nov. 1); filmmakers Dylan Robertson (Nov. 1), Jon Moritsugu (Nov. 2) and Michael Arias (Nov. 8); actor-filmmaker Daniel Wu (Nov. 1 and 17) and actor Ayako Fujitani (Nov. 16).

“Having been an avid reader of Giant Robot during its print run and having seen its influence grow over the years, it was a tremendous honor and pleasure to work with Eric on this series,” said Archive senior public programmer Paul Malcolm. “Asking Eric to sum up everything the magazine has meant to so many people as a film series felt a little unfair, but he put together an amazingly fun lineup of screenings and guests that I can’t wait to share with audiences.”  

The work of David Lebrun and a tribute to cinematic visionary Serge Parajanov

On Nov. 23 and 24, the Archive hosts UCLA alumnus and renowned filmmaker David Lebrun in person for “Transfigurations: A Weekend with David Lebrun.” The program includes the restoration premiere of “Sanctus” (U.S., 1966) and other works from his six-decade career, during which he has made more than 100 films, employing a multidisciplinary approach that uses animation, documentary and experimental techniques to explore different ways of seeing and being in the world.   

The fall season concludes with the eight-night series “Three Homelands: A Sergei Parajanov Retrospective,” from Nov 23 to Dec. 18. The Archive will present four nights of programming, with American Cinematheque presenting the other four, at the Egyptian Theater and Los Feliz 3. “In the temple of cinema, there are images, light, and reality. Sergei Parajanov was the master of that temple,” Jean-Luc Godard said.

Featuring a new restoration and scans from original camera negatives, “Three Homelands” will offer a complete look at one of cinema’s true visionaries. “Everybody knows I have three motherlands. I was born in Georgia, worked in Ukraine and I’m going to die in Armenia,” Parajanov once said.

Screenings presented by the Archive take place at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd. (map). All programs are free through June 2025, thanks to a gift from an anonymous donor.

To view the full fall 2024 lineup, including additional programs and details, visit the UCLA Film & Television Archive events page.