A Life Illuminated is a documentary that follows the life and career of pioneering marine biologist and deep-sea explorer, Dr. Edith Widder, as she descends 3,300 feet to the bottom of the ocean on an expedition in search of one of the greatest bioluminescent mysteries on our planet. Director Tasha Van Zandt will join post-screening via Zoom for a conversation with Jon Bowermaster. (dir. Tasha Van Zandt, U.S., 2025, 90 mins.)

The film opens with a robed, profusely bleeding "God" disemboweling himself, with the act ultimately ending in his death. A woman, Mother Earth, emerges from his remains, arouses the body, and impregnates herself with his semen. Becoming pregnant, she wanders off into a vast and barren landscape. The pregnancy manifests in a fully grown convulsing man whom she leaves to his own devices. The "Son of Earth" meets a group of faceless nomads who seize him with what is either a very long umbilical cord or a rope. The Son of Earth vomits organic pieces, and the nomads excitedly accept these as gifts. The nomads finally bring the man to a fire and burn him. "Mother Earth" encounters the resurrected man and comforts him. She seizes the man with a similar umbilical cord. The nomads appear and proceed to rape her. Son of Earth is left to mourn over the lifeless body. A group of characters appears, carry her off and dismember her, later returning for Son of Earth. After he, too, is dismembered, the group buries the remains, planting the parts into the crust of the earth. The burial site becomes lush with flowers.

The legendary maestro Leonard Bernstein—celebrity conductor, composer, and political activist—is thrillingly captured in this archival documentary portrait With Bernstein’s 1989 Christmas Day concert in Berlin as a frame, Douglas Tirola crafts Bernstein’s remarkable career entirely from television interviews, news footage, home movies, audio clips, and personal letters. (dir. Douglas Tirola, U.S., 2026, 105 min.) “Galvanizing. It captures how Leonard Bernstein became the superstar of American high culture. What the documentary captures, profoundly, is that he was a fierce hedonist who worked hard to live the life he wanted.” –Variety

The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity's saviour before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

On a quiet May morning, a van marked “Immigration Enforcement” pulls up on a street in Glasgow. Conducting a dawn raid, two long-standing residents are arrested for alleged immigration violations and face deportation. Word of the raid goes out almost immediately, and students, neighbors, members of the local mosque and others — rush to the area in response. One man forces his way under the van to prevent it from leaving. Dozens, hundreds, and then thousands of people pour in, filming, chanting, and blockading the van in solidarity. From executive producer Emma Thompson and director Felipe Bustos Sierra, EVERYBODY TO KENMURE STREET chronicles this event through interviews with people who were there, and using footage shot throughout the day. Told from multiple viewpoints, the film captures the chaos and confusion — but also a sense of joy, celebration, and the power of community. The mosque opens its doors for people who need a washroom. Supporters turn up, passing around pizzas, water, and snacks. Thompson herself appears in the film, re-creating the role of the so-called Van Man, and Bustos Sierra places the events of the day in the broader context of centuries of labor activism and direct action by the people of Glasgow. EVERYBODY TO KENMURE STREET tells a remarkable story of resistance, community care, and the power of everyday people coming together to fight injustice.

Live From Upstate Discounted ticket for members + Saugerties (12477) residents (with ID) Join Upstate Films in welcoming Ian Flanigan home for the holidays. A night of storytelling and holiday tunes on an intimate stage in his hometown, by the musician praised by Blake Shelton as a “once-in-a-lifetime vocalist.” Flanigan has since built a career rooted in authenticity, heart, and relentless touring. Originally from Saugerties, NY, Ian began touring independently at just 17 years old, carving his path across the country as a grassroots performer. He’s played renowned stages including Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival,Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival, and Austin City Limits, steadily building a loyal fan base through raw talent and genuine connection. He has shared the stage with Blake Shelton, Parker McCollum, Trace Adkins, Larry Fleet, Bob Schneider, and many more—bringing his commanding presence and heartfelt storytelling to venues and festivals across the country. Whether solo or backed by a full band, Flanigan’s live show is both intimate and unforgettable. Ian Flanigan is a nationally touring singer-songwriter known for his soulful, gravel-toned baritone and standout performances on NBC’s The Voice, where he finished as a Top 3 finalist on Team Blake.

An enduring, singular masterpiece of cinema starring Academy Award®-winner Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed, KEN RUSSELL’S THE DEVILS is a prescient epic of obsession and corruption – and a defining work of art from seminal filmmaker Ken Russell. Assembled from the original camera negative, this new 4K restoration presents Ken Russell’s definitive vision of THE DEVILS by referencing the edit he privately constructed in 2004. KEN RUSSELL’S THE DEVILS is the uncut and unfiltered theatrical experience that Russell always envisioned – and the first time the film will be presented restored and in 4K.

A socialite begins a shipboard romance with a wealthy man, but is blackmailed by a former lover.

followed by A Rare Linton Kwesi Johnson concert from 1985 Restored by the British Film Institute, Franco Rosso’s (Babylon) powerful documentary on legendary dub reggae poet and activist Linton Kwesi Johnson captures the cultural hero in active protest, in the recording studio, and reading his poetry live. Although the 1975 poem (of the same name as the film) is 50 years old, the film celebrating his verse has barely been seen in North America. It addresses the racial oppression, police brutality and the sociopolitical struggles of the African-Caribbean diaspora in Britain using dub-inflected rhythms. (dir. Franco Rosso, Jamaica/U.K., 1979, 49 min.)

a new ongoing series where live jazz, poetry, and film converge in real time. Led by Grammy-nominated bandleader J.C. Hopkins, the series brings together an evolving lineup of musicians, poets, and filmmakers in a dynamic exchange between sound, language, and moving image. At the center of the series is the J.C. Hopkins Quintet, featuring Malik McLaurine (upright bass), Max Barnes (tenor saxophone), Aaron Yanda (drums), and Desmond Teague (guitar, saxophone). Each performance unfolds as a living conversation—music responding to poetry, film reframing the moment, and improvisation tying it all together. The opening night features poets Sparrow, Lina Stoyanovich, Emily Hollander, Ella Blood, Dante Kanter, and Jonas Kyle, alongside filmmakers Alex Rappoport and Thelonius Hopson. Each installment of Music, Image & Word will present a new lineup of artists, making every evening a singular, unrepeatable experience. Rooted in a downtown tradition of interdisciplinary performance and shaped by the creative energy of the Hudson Valley, the series offers audiences a fresh encounter with live art in motion.

A definitive and unvarnished examination of the controversial and headline-making CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.

Join 90s grunge bassist Melissa Auf der Maur, of HOLE and Smashing Pumpkins fame, as she takes us on a grunge journey through her decade of road photographs. Courtney Love goofing around backstage, self-portraits from sold-out arenas, moody images that mirror the complex grief of losing friends to drugs, suicide and illness. Auf der Maur accidentally became a 1990s musical icon and originally meant to become a photographer, so her archive of this historical time period with her fellow cultural tastemakers is a sometimes brutal but always real slice of touring life.

Winner of the SXSW Midnighter Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for Feature Film at the Overlook Film Festival, NEVER AFTER DARK stars SAG Award and Critics’ Choice Award Winner Moeka Hoshi (SHOGUN) as Airi, a wandering medium who spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living. Summoned to an isolated country house, she comes face to face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy Airi’s experience. As she digs deeper into the house’s past, a secret comes to light — and Airi finds herself hunted by a far more unpredictable force. For the first time, her greatest adversary is not the supernatural, but the living. Directed and written by Dave Boyle, the film also stars Kento Kaku (HOUSE OF NINJAS), Kurumi Inagaki (HOUSE OF NINJAS), Mutsuo Yoshioka (CHIME), Bokuzo Masana (TOKYO VICE) and Tae Kimura (ALL AROUND US).

Redemption Time is a 70-minute performance film featuring poet Jimmy Santiago Baca and jazz violinist Christian Howes––two formerly incarcerated artists who reclaimed their lives through art. While imprisoned, Howes discovered Baca’s poetry, igniting a creative lifeline that would sustain them both. Through spoken word, jazz, and intimate testimony, the film reveals the trauma of incarceration and art’s redemptive power. Directed by David Gonzalez, Redemption Time is an emotional journey and a call to reimagine justice, identity, and human potential. (dir. David Gonzalez, US, 2025, 70 min.) Ulster Literacy Association and Upstate Films invite you to a special fundraising screening of Redemption Time, an acclaimed documentary directed by David Gonzalez featuring poet Jimmy Santiago Baca and jazz violinist Christian Howes. Through spoken word, music, and art, the film explores trauma, healing, and the transformative power of second chances — themes at the heart of ULA’s mission to support adult literacy across Ulster County. The director will participate in a panel discussion immediately following the screening.

An American writer in Rome is stalked by a serial killer bent on harassing him while killing all people associated with his work on his latest book.

In January, 2003, Afropop’s Sean Barlow and Banning Eyre borrowed two movie cameras and headed to the Malian desert to attend the fourth Festival in the Desert. In the rolling white dunes outside Timbuktu, organizers constructed a sound stage and presented three nights of music from Ali Farka Touré, Oumou Sangaré, Lobi Traoré, Tartit, Lojo, Tinariwen and Robert Plant, among others. The Afropop team filmed intimate daytime performances in tents around the site, and spoke deeply with artists about that era’s newfound peace in northern Mali. The resulting film captures a moment of hope and solidarity not to be repeated in our time, not to mention spine-tingling performances by some of Mali’s greatest hidden talents. In subsequent years, as security conditions deteriorated, the Festival was moved into Timbuktu. Its final edition came in 2012, just as Tuareg and Islamist rebels seized control of the region, igniting conflicts that continue to this day. This film stands today as a record of a poignant but perilous time in this fantastically rich musical country. (dir. Banning Eyre and Sean Barlow, Mali/USA, 2003, 42 mins.)

A filmmaker applies lessons from a Hallmark movie writing workshop to pitch a documentary about concrete.

The Hydrosphere is a one day festival exploring our water world in films, books and food; encouraging a dialogue about ocean health, ocean economy, and ocean as sustenance. Featuring screenings of Send Kelp! and How Deep is Your Love plus a panel discussion led by documentary filmmaker, Jon Bowermaster with authors Porter Fox, "Category Five: Superstorms and the Warming Oceans that Feed Them” and Susan Casey, “Voices in the Ocean, A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins."

Movie accompanied by live cast! This fast-paced potpourri of camp, sci-fi and rock 'n' roll tracks the exploits of naïve couple Brad and Janet after they stumble upon the lair of transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Apoca-Lips Cast have been making The Rocky Horror Picture Experience for nearly half the lifespan of the original film released in the summer of 1975. Initially the film flopped but it quickly became a cult classic sensation, especially when audiences began interacting with the film at the Waverly in NYC using props, callbacks, and mimicking the characters. From this grew a worldwide shadowcast phenomena, where dedicated fans add gimmicks, parody themes, and more. (dir. Jim Sharman, UK, 1975, 100 min.) “The material inspires affection, given its knowing pastiche of everything from Universal horrors to '50s grade-Z sci-fi, and a shamelessly hedonistic, fiercely independent sensibility that must have seemed a welcome relief from the mainstream bombast of other '70s musicals.” Time Out London

With a psychopath named Buffalo Bill murdering women and believing it takes one to know one, the FBI sends Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) to interview a demented prisoner: Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a cannibalistic psychiatrist whose fascination with the young agent is as great as his hunger for murder. As their relationship develops, Starling is forced to confront not only her own demons, but also an evil so powerful she may not have the courage to stop!

Using archival audio, rare footage, and nostalgic interviews with renowned DJs, musicians, and social activists, this story follows the radical underground radio station WBCN-FM. Riding the cultural and political wave of the late 60s and 70s, the young revolutionaries in Boston changed the face of radio, as shown in this time capsule of a documentary. (dir. Bill Lichtenstein, US, 2019, 119 min.) "Lingers in those halcyon days and lets them smolder. Long live the revolution. Long live rock." —Art New England

What I Want You To Know, executive produced by two veterans, is an intimate journey alongside Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as they share deeply personal stories from their deployments and explore truth and justice in the context of their wars. Interspersed with actual images and video from both wars, their stories present an intense and compelling picture of the post-911 wars and their cost to the men and women who fought, and to civilians on the ground.