The light, the lives, and the textures of contemporary, working-class Mumbai are explored and celebrated by writer/director Payal Kapadia, who won the Grand Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for her revelatory fiction feature debut. Centering on two roommates who also work together in a city hospital—head nurse Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and recent hire Anu (Divya Prabha)—plus their coworker, cook Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), Kapadia’s film alights on moments of connection and heartache, hope and disappointment. Prabha, her husband from an arranged marriage living in faraway Germany, is courted by a doctor at her hospital; Anu carries on a romance with a Muslim man, which she must keep a secret from her strict Hindu family; Parvaty finds herself dealing with a sudden eviction from her apartment. Kapadia captures the bustle of the metropolis and the open-air tranquility of a seaside village with equal radiance, articulated by her superb actresses and by the camera with a lyrical naturalism that occasionally drifts into dreamlike incandescence. All We Imagine as Light is a soulful study of the transformative power of friendship and sisterhood, in all its complexities and richness.

From the visionary mind of writer/director Brandon Cronenberg, Possessor is an arresting sci-fi thriller about elite, corporate assassin Tasya Vos. Using brain-implant technology, Vos takes control of other people’s bodies to execute high profile targets. As she sinks deeper into her latest assignment Vos becomes trapped inside a mind that threatens to obliterate her. Astral Projection is a monthly screening series exploring astrology through film curated by our Box Office Manager, Nic Kaneski. Join us in celebrating the beginning of each zodiac season with a screening embodying the qualities of the sign, directed by a filmmaker of the sign. For stargazers and skeptics alike and anyone interested in the intersection of astrology, pop culture, and identity. Generously sponsored by IATSE 856 Manitoba.

In his fourth and best feature, Totally F***ed Up, provocative and talented independent filmmaker Gregg Araki delves into the troubled world of gay teenagers. Araki here addresses the disproportionately high suicide rate among gay teens. Principal among six friends, two of them a solid good-humored lesbian couple (Susan Behshid, Jenee Gill), is the lonely Andy (James Duval), an appealing youth with a James Dean look and vulnerability, who doesn’t believe love exists – until he’s swept off his feet by the handsome, slightly older but vastly more experienced lan (Alan Boyce). Meanwhile, Andy’s pals Steven (Gilbert Luna), an aspiring filmmaker, and his lover Deric (Lance May) soon experience a crisis in their relationship when Steven strays, trying to blame it on the fact that the new guy in his life just happened to have a bootleg Nine Inch Nails tape to tempt him with. Rounding out the group is easygoing skater dude Tommy (Roko Belic). Araki effectively punctuates his story with quotes in the manner of one of his acknowledged idols, Jean- Luc Godard, and probing interviews with Steven, who’s always poking a camcorder in his friends’ faces. Astral Projection is a monthly screening series exploring astrology through film curated by our Box Office Manager, Nic Kaneski. Join us in celebrating the beginning of each zodiac season with a screening embodying the qualities of the sign, directed by a filmmaker of the sign. For stargazers and skeptics alike and anyone interested in the intersection of astrology, pop culture, and identity. Generously sponsored by IATSE 856 Manitoba.

Also known as Ghost Cat of the Cursed Pond, Bakeneko: A Vengeful Spirit is one of the many mid-century Japanese explorations of “Kaibyo” or “ghost cat” mythology, and one of the best. Director Yoshihiro Ishikawa was no stranger to kaibyo country, having co-written Nobuo Nakagawa’s equally chilling Black Cat Mansion (1958) and directed Ghost Cat of Otama Pond (1960). Released the same year as Kaneto Shindo’s more well-known Kuroneko, Bakeneko: A Vengeful Spirit mines that indelible trope of the cat ghost story: a violent and greedy Lord kills a young woman when she refuses to become his concubine, only for her cat to drink her blood and become her shapeshifting avenger. “Beginning in a quietly haunting vein reminiscent of Ugetsu,” wrote Spectacle Theatre in their promotional text for a 2016 screening of the film, “Bakeneko descends into a nightmarish parade of splattered blood, decapitations and ghosts gnawing on severed limbs.” Not to be missed by anyone with a beloved feline familiar! (Kier-La Janisse) New 4K restoration by Severin Films.

The long-awaited return to fiction filmmaking from Academy Award-winner Andrea Arnold (American Honey, Fish Tank), BIRD is a tender, striking and extraordinarily surprising coming-of-age fable about marginalised life in the fringes of contemporary society. 12-year-old Bailey (astounding newcomer Nykiya Adams) lives with her devoted but chaotic single dad Bug (Barry Keoghan, Saltburn) and wayward brother Hunter in a squat in Gravesend, north Kent. Approaching puberty and seeking attention and adventure, Bailey’s fractured home life is transformed when she encounters Bird (Franz Rogowski, Passages), a mysterious stranger on a journey of his own. A wondrous portrait of the transition from childhood to adolescence that remains grounded in her typically empathetic social realism, Arnold’s latest strides to the wildly poetic rhythm of her own drum.

Castle in the Sky is a timeless story of courage and friendship, with stunning animation from acclaimed Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki. This high-flying adventure begins when Pazu, an engineer’s apprentice, spies a young girl, Sheeta, floating down from the sky, held aloft by a glowing pendant. Both Sheeta and Pazu are searching for the legendary floating castle, Laputa, and they vow to travel there together to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal. But their quest won’t be easy, as soon they are being pursued by greedy air pirates, the military, and secret government agents, who all seek the power Sheeta alone can control. The English-dubbed cast includes the vocal talents of Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris Leachman, Mark Hamill, Mandy Patinkin, and more!

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Raoul Peck’s ERNEST COLE: LOST AND FOUND is a new documentary chronicling the life and work of Ernest Cole, one of the first Black freelance photographers in South Africa, whose early pictures, shocking at the time of their first publication, revealed to the world Black life under apartheid. Cole fled South Africa in 1966 and lived in exile in the U.S., where he photographed extensively in New York City, as well as the American South, fascinated by the ways this country could be at times so vastly different, and at others eerily similar, to the segregated culture of his homeland. During this period, he published his landmark book of photographs denouncing the apartheid, House of Bondage which, while banned in South Africa, cemented Cole’s place as one of the great photographers of his time at the age of 27. After his death, more than 60,000 of his 35mm film negatives were inexplicably discovered in a bank vault in Stockholm, Sweden. Most considered these forever lost, especially the thousands of pictures Cole shot in the U.S. Telling his own story through his writings, the recollections of those closest to him, and the lens of his uncompromising work, the film is a reintroduction of a pivotal Black artist to a new generation.

A wondrous journey, through realms natural and mystical, Flow follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood. Teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, they must rely on trust, courage, and wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet. From the boundless imagination of the award-winning Gints Zilbalodis (Away) comes a thrilling animated spectacle as well as a profound meditation on the fragility of the environment and the spirit of friendship and community. Steeped in the soaring possibilities of visual storytelling, Flow is a feast for the senses and a treasure for the heart.

From director Hayao Miyazaki, "Howl’s Moving Castle", is an Academy Award®-nominated acclaimed fantasy based on the novel of the same name. Sophie, an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. But after this chance meeting, the young girl is turned into a 90-year old woman by the vain, conniving Witch of the Waste. Embarking on an incredible adventure to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl’s magical moving castle. As the true power of Howl’s wizardry is revealed, and his relationship with Sophie deepens, our young grey heroine finds herself fighting to protect them both from a dangerous war of sorcery that threatens their world. Dubbed in English on November 26 and subtitled on November 27, this special two-day event will also feature GKIDS Mini-Fest, an ongoing festival of the best animated shorts from around the world.

From the legendary Studio Ghibli and director Hayao Miyazaki comes "Kiki’s Delivery Service", the beloved coming-of-age story of a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service, only to lose her gift of flight in a moment of self-doubt. It is tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and set out into the wide world to learn their craft. When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her life journey with her chatty black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a sea-side village, where a bakery owner hires her to make deliveries. Rarely has the animator’s art been so brilliantly rendered as in this delightfully imaginative film – a beautiful and timeless story of a young girl finding her way in the world. Dubbed in English on July 23 and subtitled on July 24, this special two-day event will also feature GKIDS Mini-Fest, an ongoing festival of the best animated shorts from around the world.

In the heart of a bustling Times Square kitchen, dreams and desperation collide as the staff each chase the elusive American dream.

In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past. Presented on 35mm thanks to VVS Films and A24!

C.C. Baxter is an office clerk who courts favour with the executives in his office by giving them the key to his small apartment for their extramarital flings. Among them is his callous boss, J.D. Sheldrake, who Baxter eventually learns is using his place to sleep with Miss Kubelik, the sweet elevator operator the clerk has loved from afar. When Sheldrake coldly dumps the vulnerable young woman, she tries to commit suicide in Baxter's apartment, giving the clerk the opportunity to save the woman of his dreams but possibly lose his job. Join us for McDonald at The Movies, where comedian, star and co-founder of Kids in the Hall, comic Kevin McDonald will present a film handpicked from the archives of comic history. Generously sponsored by IATSE 856 Manitoba.

From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away and Ponyo, and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes a classic tale of magic and adventure for the whole family. When Satsuki and her sister Mei move with their father to a new home in the countryside, they find country life is not as simple as it seems. They soon discover that the house and nearby woods are full of strange and delightful creatures, including a gigantic but gentle forest spirit called Totoro, who can only be seen by children. Totoro and his friends introduce the girls to a series of adventures, including a ride aboard the extraordinary Cat Bus, in this all-ages animated masterpiece.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, written and directed by Academy Award-winner Hayao Miyazaki, is an epic masterpiece of sweeping scope and grandeur that remains one of the most breathtaking and exhilarating animated films of all time. A thousand years after the Seven Days of Fire destroyed civilization, warring human factions survive in a world devastated by atmospheric poisons and swarming with gigantic insects. The peaceful Valley of the Wind is nestled on the edge of the Toxic Forest and led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, whose love of all living things leads her into terrible danger, as she fights to restore balance between humans and nature.

POM POKO is a tale of the clash between modern civilization and the natural world. The Raccoons of the Tama Hills are being forced from their homes by rapid urbanization. As it becomes harder to find food and shelter, they decide to band together and fight back. Once they perfect the ancient art of transformation, they use their power, often in hilarious ways, to try to scare off the advancement of civilization. Will it be enough? Taking its cues from traditional folklore, POM POKO is a fun, sweet, and mischievous film, but nonetheless carries a strong environmental/urban overdevelopment issue that is as relevant today as it ever was.

Ricocheting between comedy, apocalyptic horror, and swooning soap opera, Rumours follows the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies at the annual G7 summit, where they attempt to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis. With unexpected, uproarious performances from a brilliant ensemble cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Alicia Vikander, and Charles Dance, these so-called leaders become spectacles of incompetence, contending with increasingly surreal obstacles in the misty woods as night falls and they realize they are suddenly alone. A genre-hopping satire of political ineptitude, the latest film from incomparable directors Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson is a journey into the absurd heart of power and institutional failure in a slowly burning world.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award®-winning masterpiece "Spirited Away" was the biggest box office hit of all time in Japan and helped redefine the possibilities of animation for American audiences and a generation of new filmmakers. Chichiro thinks she is on another boring trip with her parents. But when they stop at a village that is not all that it seems, her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, and Chihiro is whisked into a world of fantastic spirits, shape-shifting dragons and a witch who never wants to see her leave. She must call on the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world. Combining Japanese mythology with "Alice in Wonderland"-type whimsy, "Spirited Away" cemented Miyazaki’s reputation as an icon of animation and storytelling. Dubbed in English on October 29 and subtitled on October 30, this special two-day event will also feature GKIDS Mini-Fest, an ongoing festival of the best animated shorts from around the world.

Before Stranger Things combined science fiction, Spielberg-ian thrills, and 1980s nostalgia to much acclaim, Richard Kelly set the high-water mark with Donnie Darko. Initially beset with distribution problems, it would slowly find its audience and emerge as arguably the first cult classic of the new millennium. Described by its director as "The Catcher in The Rye as told by Philip K. Dick," Donnie Darko stars Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katharine Ross, and Noah Wyle. Presented on 35mm thanks to the American Genre Film Archive. Join us for our Staff Picks series, where our Winnipeg Film Group staff will select and introduce new and old favourites. This month’s selection was chosen by Collections Coordinator Skye Callow. Generously sponsored by IATSE 856 Manitoba.

After Dr. Bill Harford’s wife, Alice, admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, Bill becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings – and quickly discovers that he is in over his head. Join us for our Staff Picks series, where our Winnipeg Film Group staff will select and introduce new and old favourites. This month’s selection was chosen by Cinematheque box office staff member Howie Julien. Generously sponsored by IATSE 856 Manitoba.

From Academy Award®-nominated director Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing, The Look of Silence) comes a poignant and deeply human musical about a family that survived the end of the world. An urgent and unforgettable cautionary tale, The End stars Academy Award® winner Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton), Academy Award® nominee Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals, Revolutionary Road), George MacKay (1917) and Moses Ingram (Lady in the Lake, The Queen’s Gambit). The screenplay is by Oppenheimer and Rasmus Heisterberg (A Royal Affair), with songs by Joshua Schmidt (music) and Oppenheimer (lyrics).

In Copenhagen, young pregnant Karoline takes on a position as a wet nurse for an older woman named Dagmar to help support herself. Dagmar operates a clandestine adoption agency under the guise of a candy shop, assisting disadvantaged mothers place their unwanted newborns in foster homes. Karoline grows close to Dagmar, but she is soon faced with the nightmarish reality she unwittingly entered. Content warning: This film includes disturbing scenes and depictions of child abuse.

From Studio Ghibli, the studio that brought you the Academy Award-winning Spirited Away, comes a powerful and soaring epic that redefines animated storytelling and marks a triumphant highpoint within an extraordinary filmmaking career for director and studio co-founder Isao Takahata. Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her – but ultimately, she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

The Female Prisoner Scorpion cycle charts the vengeance of Nami Matsushima (Meiko Kaji, Lady Snowblood), who becomes an avatar of survival and an unlikely symbol of female resistance in a male-dominated world. Spiritually akin to Ms. 45, Coffy, and The Bride Wore Black, Female Prisoner Scorpion: #701 (the first film in the cycle) introduces Nami — a gullible, unjustly imprisoned woman who must find a way to escape and exact revenge upon the man who betrayed her. Featuring stunning pop-art compositions and ultra-violent outbursts, it’s easy to see why this movie was a direct inspiration for Uma Thurman’s character of “The Bride” in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. Content warning: This film includes challenging and/or triggering subject matter, including depictions of graphic violence and sexual violence. Trash Cult Tuesdays is sponsored by Sookram’s Brewing Co. Join us every Tuesday for cheap cult classic films paired with Sookram’s Cult Classic Pilsner on special!

The Female Prisoner Scorpion cycle charts the vengeance of Nami Matsushima (Meiko Kaji, Lady Snowblood), who becomes an avatar of survival and an unlikely symbol of female resistance in a male-dominated world. Spiritually akin to Ms. 45, Coffy, and The Bride Wore Black, Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (the second film in the series) finds Nami continuing her quest for dark vengeance and becomes an unlikely symbol of female resistance in a male-dominated world. Content warning: This film includes challenging and/or triggering subject matter, including depictions of graphic violence and sexual violence. Trash Cult Tuesdays is sponsored by Sookram’s Brewing Co. Join us every Tuesday for cheap cult classic films paired with Sookram’s Cult Classic Pilsner on special!

Santa Claus is coming to town… and this time he’s got an axe! Community leaders tried to stop it. The P.T.A. fought to ban it. Now, one of the most controversial slasher films of all time is back in a new restoration from the original camera negative. Silent Night, Deadly Night is the demented story of little Billy Chapman, traumatized by his parents’ Christmas Eve murder and then brutalized by sadistic nuns in an orphanage. When Billy grows up and dresses as Santa, he goes on a yuletide rampage to punish the naughty with extreme prejudice. Robert Brian Wilson and Linnea Quigley (Night of The Demons) star in this harrowing horror classic that continues to ruffle the feathers of angry parents and stuffy critics over thirty years later. Content warning: This film includes depictions of violence, nudity and sexual violence. Trash Cult Tuesdays is sponsored by Sookram’s Brewing Co. Join us every Tuesday for cheap cult classic films paired with Sookram’s Cult Classic Pilsner on special!

Every day is "Garbage Day!" Ricky – the traumatized brother of the psychopathic Billy from Silent Night, Deadly Night – has been released from the mental hospital. But before he can start life anew, Ricky must destroy Mother Superior, the powerful nun that caused his brother's violent demise. Be it by knife, umbrella, or car battery, Ricky unleashes a bloodbath of carnage on unsuspecting victims as he makes his way to Mother Superior's home on Christmas – Santa suit in tow. Making clever use of recycled footage from its predecessor and featuring an unhinged performance by star Eric Freeman, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is an unforgettable yuletide horror experience. Content warning: This film includes depictions of violence, nudity and sexual violence. Trash Cult Tuesdays is sponsored by Sookram’s Brewing Co. Join us every Tuesday for cheap cult classic films paired with Sookram’s Cult Classic Pilsner on special!

To commemorate the 20 years that have passed since DC-based post-hardcore band Fugazi's last live appearance (November 4, 2002, at The Forum in London), Joe Gross, Joseph Pattisall and Jeff Krulik presented a screening of crowd-sourced, fan-recorded live shows and rare archival footage to pay tribute to Fugazi's prowess as a live act — for old fans to remember and for a new generation to discover what they missed. This film celebrates the fans and their cameras, as much as the band itself — a collision/collusion of the ephemeral moment on stage, and the moments captured on camera.