David, a robotic boy—the first of his kind programmed to love—is adopted as a test case by a Cybertronics employee and his wife. Though he gradually becomes their child, a series of unexpected circumstances make this life impossible for David. Without final acceptance by humans or machines, David embarks on a journey to discover where he truly belongs, uncovering a world in which the line between robot and machine is both vast and profoundly thin.

Selma, a Czech immigrant on the verge of blindness, struggles to make ends meet for herself and her son, who has inherited the same genetic disorder and will suffer the same fate without an expensive operation. When life gets too difficult, Selma learns to cope through her love of musicals, dreaming up little numbers to the rhythmic beats of her surroundings.

The lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.

An elderly couple are forced to separate when they lose their house and none of their five children will take both parents in.

Having made his name adapting crossover-minded Stepen King material (SHAWSHANK, THE GREEN MILE), director Frank Darabont finally embraced the Master of Horror for round three. Our Bleak Week presentation of THE MIST showcases this thoughtful cosmic horror suspense piece in its director-preferred Black & White cut, which readily complements both its Twilight Zone vibes and its mid-00s CGI.

A young man embarks on an obsessive search for the girlfriend who mysteriously disappeared while the couple were taking a sunny vacation trip, and his three-year investigation draws the attention of her abductor, a mild-mannered professor with a clinically diabolical mind. An unorthodox love story and a truly unsettling thriller, Dutch filmmaker George Sluizer’s The Vanishing unfolds with meticulous intensity, leading to an unforgettable finale that has unnerved audiences around the world.

A group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents in suburban Detroit in the mid 1970s.

Don Hertzfeldt proved his Bleak Week bona fides with the 2012 mini-feature IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY, but it was the emotionally and conceptually boundless sci-fi of his WORLD OF TOMORROW short film series that finally cemented his status as one of contemporary animation’s greatest voices. Join us for a special feature-length program (curated by Hertzfeldt himself) that pairs WORLD OF TOMORROW’s three installments with other surprises from his filmography. THE WORLD OF TOMORROW (2015-2020) | A toddler named Emily is visited by a clone of her future self, kicking off a narrative that spirals outward across time, space, and the reaches of human consciousness. "Don Hertzfeldt has crafted what might be the crowning achievement of modern science fiction." - The Film Stage

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED is a documentary that seeks to demystify living with “disabilities.” The producers sponsored a town hall meeting with people with disabilities and their friends and families, and we addressed several questions that characterize our lives. Individual interviews gave us better glimpses of the everyday struggles and successes of those lives. What you’ll learn is many of us live triumphant lives filled with love, joy, challenges, and victory. Come watch. Let’s put stereotypes aside. Will you accept that challenge?

In the midst of a series of unexplained events, electrical lineman Roy Neary encounters a UFO on a deserted road whilst investigating a large-scale power outage. Roy becomes increasingly obsessed with UFOs and subliminal messaging following his experience, distancing himself from his wife and children but drawing him closer towards parallel investigations being conducted by scientists, the military and other survivors of encounters who are attempting to communicate with the mysterious otherworldly presence.

Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other. Emboldened by her success, she decides to give hopelessly klutzy new student Tai (Brittany Murphy) a makeover. When Tai becomes more popular than she is, Cher realizes that her disapproving ex-stepbrother (Paul Rudd) was right about how misguided she was -- and falls for him.

Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other. Emboldened by her success, she decides to give hopelessly klutzy new student Tai (Brittany Murphy) a makeover. When Tai becomes more popular than she is, Cher realizes that her disapproving ex-stepbrother (Paul Rudd) was right about how misguided she was -- and falls for him.

Our Summer of Godzilla series (presented by Snake Eyes Comics) continues as we get our friends at Knox Rad Retro in on the kaiju fun for this extra-memorable series entry, better known by some US fans as GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER. (Knox Rad Retro will be set up with an expanded selection of VHS tapes & more!) Intended to address the crisis levels of pollution in postwar Japan, GODZILLA VS HEDORAH finds the King of the Monsters fighting an alien life form that arrives on Earth and steadily grows by feeding on industrial waste. Director Yoshimitsu Banno infuses the film with equal parts ecological horror, humorous monster antics, and sixties psychedelia straight out of San Francisco, making for a truly unique—and divisive—entry in the series. (Janus Films)

In this very free adaptation of Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus”, Goethe’s “Faust” and various other treatments of the soul-selling legend, a nondescript man is lured by a strange map into a sinister puppet theatre, where he finds himself immersed in an indescribably weird version of the play blending live actors, clay animation and giant puppets.

Our hero (voiced by rapper ACE COOL), called by a different name in each chapter of his life, becomes a J-pop idol, an outcast, a leader, and an oracle in this hundred-year chronicle spanning the past, present, and future. Through a chance encounter with a transfer student, he trains to become an idol, starting his search for self-identity and a journey toward greatness beyond superstardom. Written, directed, edited and entirely hand-drawn by newcomer Ryuya Suzuki over eighteen months, JINSEI (meaning “life” in Japanese) is an anime tour-de-force that announces Suzuki to the world as a bold new talent in independent animation.

Rowdy Roger is bringing his high-energy Southern comedy to Central Cinema for one night only. A Knoxville native, Rowdy Roger has opened for major acts including Ginger Billy and Darren Knight and continues to rapidly build a loyal following throughout the Southeast. He is also currently preparing for his upcoming August 2026 performance at Zanies Nashville – The Lab. Known for his crowd interaction, storytelling, and viral social media presence, Roger blends stand-up comedy with audience participation and off-the-cuff moments that make every show feel unique. This special one-night event will feature an interactive comedy experience full of real-life stories, crowd work, and the unpredictable energy that has made Rowdy Roger a rising name in Southern comedy.

Everything Is Terrible! & Memory Hole Present: Animals Are Over Everything Is Terrible!’s Memory Hole is back with a new piece of horror video collage made from thousands of real home movies that will turn the viewer’s blood into a viscous, demonic sludge of oil and microplastics. Everyone has been feeling it, but no one has been brave enough to say it outloud… Animals Are Over. It is a depressing truth that must be explored. Our current version of humanity is so shortsighted and clueless as to our own position in Kingdom Animalia that we are destroying all animals, ourselves included for the sake of cheap dopamine blasts and to bolster the profits of a few loser billionaires. You don’t believe us? After seeing this show you will. Memory Hole is an experimental documentary series brought to you by the minds behind the art collective Everything is Terrible! and a secret, unnameable iconic American media accomplice. Memory Hole is an autopsy of our collective memory. Like time lapse footage of a decomposing animal it is always happening right before your very eyes, yet invisible until sequenced and cataloged. A terrifying multisensory experience, Memory Hole takes actual home movies, recontextualizes and splices them together to take a hard look at what this country has been doing unnoticed in the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s. The results are more unsettling than any horror film, creating a snapshot of the eerie precursor to internet fame. This is the origin story of social media, youtube reality stars, and selfies. Memory Hole is an autopsy of our collective pre-internet memory of a culture obsessed with capturing and sharing its own image. Animals Are Over is as ephemeral as an animal’s life on earth. There will be a small number of VHS and a limited run of live performances and screenings. Once all of the VHS tapes have been distributed we will delete the video from the internet as well as our personal hard drives. Animals Are Over is scored by Aaron Dilloway, Alfred English, the Brainfeeder Records’ roster, Sikk Laffter and more. Enjoy your time on earth as an animal while you still can.

STOLEN KINGDOM is a documentary that delves into the history of mischief, scandal, and theft at Walt Disney World, ultimately leading to the theft of an animatronic valued at nearly half a million dollars. The film features key figures from the park’s underground exploration community, each sharing their unique stories. As the narrative unfolds, early pranks and antics are shown to have inspired more recent crimes, culminating in a true crime mystery. What begins as a tale of friendship and passion ends with one lingering question: Who stole Buzzy?