Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon tells the story of legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart bravely facing the future as his professional and private life unravel at the opening night party for his former partner’s hit show Oklahoma! By the time this night is over, Hart will have confronted both a world that no longer values his talent and the seeming impossibility of love. “Oklahoma!”.

(Yorgos Lanthimos, 2025, 120min, United States, R) Two conspiracy obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. Starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone Directed By Yorgos Lanthimos Written By Will Tracy Based on SAVE THE GREEN PLANET! (Jang Joon-hwan, 2003, 118min, South Korea, NR)

CHELSEA LATE NIGHTS - CATVIDEOFEST 2025 (Will Braden, 2025, 75min) Fri, 11/7 @ 10PM Sat, 11/8 @ 10:30AM & 10PM Sun, 11/9 @ 10:30AM CatVideoFest is a compilation reel of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. CatVideoFest is a joyous communal experience, only available in theaters, and raises money for cats in need through partnerships with local cat charities, animal welfare organizations, and shelters to best serve cats in the area. We are committed to raising awareness and money for cats in need around the world. A percentage of the proceeds from each event go to local animal shelters and/or animal welfare organizations. Since 2019, over $150,000 has been raised for local shelters in addition to adoptions, fostering, volunteer sign-ups and much more at shows. By focusing our fundraising efforts on behalf of local shelters and organizations, we’re able to divert money and attention directly to the places and causes that need it most. We trust local people working on behalf of cats to know and understand the problems that need to be solved. The 75-minute-reel of cat videos is family-friendly and can be enjoyed by anyone. The wide demographic appeal allows for it to be shown in virtually any type of setting - from museums to theaters to outdoor festivals and beyond. This flexibility means there are almost no limits to where CatVideoFest can go!

CHELSEA LATE NIGHTS - DAISIES (Vera Chytilová, 1966, 75min) (Staff Pick: Ali/Veda/Mimi) Fri, 11/14 @ 10PM Sat, 11/15 @ 10PM Sun, 11/16 @ 10:30AM If the entire world is bad, why shouldn’t we be? Adopting this insolent attitude as their guiding philosophy, a pair of hedonistic young women (Ivana Karbanová and Jitka Cerhová), both named Marie, embark on a gleefully debauched odyssey of gluttony, giddy destruction, and antipatriarchal resistance, in which nothing is safe from their nihilistic pursuit of pleasure. But what happens when the fun is over? Matching her anarchic message with an equally radical aesthetic, director Věra Chytilová, with the close collaboration of cinematographer Jaroslav Kučera, unleashes an optical storm of fluctuating film stocks, kaleidoscopic montages, cartoonish stop-motion cutouts, and surreal costumes designed by Ester Krumbachová, who also cowrote the script. The result is Daisies, the most defiant provocation of the Czechoslovak New Wave, an exuberant call to rebellion aimed squarely at those who uphold authoritarian oppression in any form. From Carmen Grey, Criterion, 2022: The title of Daisies (1966) evokes innocence and simplicity—an expectation that the prankster accomplices at its heart, Marie I and II, gleefully subvert. Giggling and batting their eyes, they mimic pliable femininity, then turn the tables on the men who would exploit them, in a full-scale assault against decorum. When the Czech director Věra Chytilová made Daisies, her second feature, Czechoslovakia had endured nearly two decades of repressive Communist rule, and she was one of the leading voices in a new generation of filmmakers who expressed resistance through gestures of allegorical insubordination that were semantically slippery enough to possibly get by the censors. Similarly, the Maries operate like guerrilla insurgents across Prague, disguising their true intentions and refusing to dutifully submit their bodies for either labor or male gratification. Their antics are set in the context of modern warfare from the first frames, which jolt us with footage of a World War II dive-bomber’s annihilation, as drums beat a militant march. Daisies is the most formally radical and one of the most politically subversive films of what is now known as the Czechoslovak New Wave. The bold innovators of that movement—which emerged in the sixties and also included Miloš Forman, Jiří Menzel, and Jan Němec, among others—rebelled against the straightforward morality tales of the officially mandated socialist realism with dark, absurdist satires about the indignities of life under Soviet "Communism". Their work was energized by a new cultural openness and appetite for reform in Czechoslovakia, which would culminate in 1968’s Prague Spring, when First Secretary Alexander Dubček moved to implement “socialism with a human face.” But the heady taste of greater creative freedom was brief. In August, Kremlin hard-liner Leonid Brezhnev sent tanks to squash the liberalization efforts, and a censorship crackdown followed. Daisies was banned, and Chytilová was effectively blacklisted for years. Today, more than a half century on, the film has lost none of its incendiary force. In fact, the post-invasion ban of Daisies was its second. The film had premiered in Prague on December 30, 1966, and, for the next several months, been widely popular in Czechoslovakia with both critics and audiences. This positive reception of such a radical film led a member of Parliament to issue an official critique in May 1967; shortly thereafter, Daisies was suppressed by censors until March 1968—after which it could briefly be seen again until the Soviet invasion and clampdown.

In a forgotten patch of countryside, a woman is battling her demons: embracing exclusion yet wanting to belong, craving freedom whilst feeling trapped, yearning for family life but wanting to burn the entire house down. Given surprising leeway by her family for her increasingly erratic behavior, she nevertheless feels ever more stifled and repressed. Motherhood, womanhood, the banality of love, the terrors of desire, the brutality of another person carrying your heart forever.

From horror master, Guillermo del Toro, comes a new vision of Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN. A brilliant but egotistical scientist brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation. ONLY MONSTERS PLAY GOD. Starring Oscar Isaacs, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz.

CHELSEA LATE NIGHTS - HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS - NORTHWOODS CHRISTMAS (2023) (Mike Cheslik, 2022, 108min) Fri, 12/5 @ 10PM Sat, 12/6 @ 10:30AM & 10PM Sun, 12/7 @ 10:30AM The indy film sensation is back this December! Come celebrate the last week of classes and the Winter season with this frosty snow day, slapstick comedy! In this 19th century, supernatural winter epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become North America's greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers. -Fundraised and shot in Wisconsin and Michigan -Completed over 4 years -12 weeks of shooting -Filmed in subzero temperatures -1500+ effects shots

Winner - Palme d'Or - Cannes 2025 (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2025, 101min) What begins as a minor accident sets in motion a series of escalating consequences. Further Watching: The White Balloon (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 1995, 85min) The Mirror (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 1997, 95min) The Circle (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2000, 90min) Crimson Gold (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2003, 95min) Offside (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2006, 93min) This Is Not a Film (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2011, 76min) Closed Curtain (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2013, 106min) Taxi (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2015, 82min) 3 Faces (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2018, 100min) The Year of the Everlasting Storm (segment: "Life") (Jafar Panahi, Iran/Anthology, 2021, runtime varies by segment; Panahi’s is approx. 15min) No Bears (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2022, 107min) It Was Just an Accident (Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2025, 104min)

Monday, November 17th the Chelsea Theater will screen LINCOLN as part of the Orange County Remembrance Coalition's commemoration of the ratification by Congress of the 13th Amendment on Dec. 6, 1865. Screenings are at 1pm & 6:30pm. The 6:30pm screening will feature an introduction and post-film Q&A by UNC historian, W. Fitzhugh Brundage. W. Fitzhugh Brundage’s general research interests are American history since the Civil War, with a particular focus on the American South. He has written on lynching, utopian socialism in the New South, white and black historical memory in the South since the Civil War, and the history of torture in the United States from the time of European contact to the twenty-first century. His current research project is a study of Civil War prisoner of war camps. Steven Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln, a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

(Richard Linklater, 2025, 105min, United States) Nouvelle Vague is Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater’s love letter to the spellbinding magic of French cinema, reimagining the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s revolutionary Breathless, which ultimately cemented Godard as a pioneer of the French New Wave. As critic-turned-director Godard makes and breaks the rules, a mix of fresh faces and daring talents — including Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg, Aubry Dullin as Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Guillaume Marbeck as Godard himself — bring his spontaneous, electric film to life. Capturing the youthful dynamism and creative chaos at the heart of one of the world’s most beloved and influential movies, Nouvelle Vague transports us to the streets of 1959 Paris for an ode to the power of cinema to transform our lives.

THE DOC IS IN... Perfect for early risers, fans of documentaries, and those just looking for an excuse to go into work late or skip class, the Chelsea Theater has given a new meaning to getting a Doc’s note and making an appointment is as easy as purchasing a ticket. Chapel Hill’s favorite nonprofit indy theater is set to play documentaries four (4) times a week as morning screenings in new film series “The Doc Is IN.” RIEFENSTAHL - (Andres Veiel, 2024, 115min) Show Dates: Sat, 12/13, Sun, 12/14, Wed, 12/17, Thu, 12/18. All shows @ 10AM Filmmaker and Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl is considered one of the most controversial women of the 20th century. Her films Triumph of the Will and Olympia are defined by their fascist aesthetics, perfectly-staged body worship, and the celebration of all that is "superior" and victorious, simultaneously projecting contempt for the imperfect and weak. But Riefenstahl – who first broke into the German film industry as an actress – spent decades after the war denying her association with Nazi ideology, and claiming ignorance of the Holocaust. How did she become the Reich's preeminent filmmaker if she was just a hired hand? Riefenstahl examines this question using never-before-seen documents from Leni Riefenstahl's estate, including private films, photos, recordings and letters, uncovering fragments of her biography and placing them in an extended historical context. During her long life after the fall of Nazism, she remained unapologetic, managing to control and shape her legacy; in personal documents, she mourns her "murdered ideals." Meanwhile, her work would experience a renaissance, gaining esteem for its masterful technical skill. Today, Riefenstahl's aesthetics are more present than ever. Is that also true for their message? In an era where fascism is on the rise again, fake news is prevalent, and the meaning of political imagery is constantly dissected and debated, Andres Veiel's mesmerizing new film shows that Leni Reifenstahl is more relevant than ever.

THE DOC IS IN... Perfect for early risers, fans of documentaries, and those just looking for an excuse to go into work late or skip class, the Chelsea Theater has given a new meaning to getting a Doc’s note and making an appointment is as easy as purchasing a ticket. Chapel Hill’s favorite nonprofit indy theater is set to play documentaries four (4) times a week as morning screenings in new film series “The Doc Is IN.” SELLING A COLONIAL WAR - (In-soo Radstake, 2023, 132min) Show Dates: Sat, 11/8, Sun, 11/9, Wed, 11/12, Thu, 11/13. All shows @ 10AM In a world awakening to the sins of colonialism, filmmaker In-Soo Radstake exposes the Netherlands' reluctance to confront its dark legacy, unearthing a disinformation campaign to shield the nation from the shadows of its past.

Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950, 110min, USA) NOTE: The 7pm screening will feature a pre-screening introduction and post-screening Q&A with Professor David M. Lubin, author of the new book "READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP: THE MAKING OF SUNSET BOULEVARD AND THE DARK SIDE OF THE HOLLYWOOD DREAM". Get your copy at the Chelsea today! Gloria Swanson, as Norma Desmond, an aging silent-film queen, and William Holden, as the struggling young screenwriter who is held in thrall by her madness, created two of the screen's most memorable characters in "Sunset Boulevard." Winner of three Academy Awards®, director Billy Wilder's powerful orchestration of the bizarre tale is a true cinematic classic. From the unforgettable opening sequence -- a body found floating in a decayed mansion's swimming pool -- through the inevitable unfolding of tragic destiny, "Sunset Boulevard" is the definitive statement on the dark and desperate side of Hollywood. Erich von Stroheim as Desmond's discoverer, ex-husband and butler, and Nancy Olson as the bright spot amidst unrelenting ominousness, are equally celebrated for their masterful performances.

CHELSEA LATE NIGHTS - THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE - 4K Restoration (Leos Carax, 1991, 125min) (Staff Pick: Charlie) Fri, 11/21 @ 10PM Sat, 11/22 @ 10PM Sun, 11/23 @ 10:30AM Leos Carax’s delirious saga of l’amour fou burns with an intoxicating stylistic freedom as it traces the highs and lows of the passionate relationship that develops between a homeless artist (Juliette Binoche) who is losing her sight and a troubled, alcoholic street performer (Denis Lavant) living on Paris’s famed Pont-Neuf bridge. Capturing their romantic abandon with a giddy expressionist energy—especially in a wild dance sequence set against an explosion of fireworks— this whirlwind love story is an exhilarating journey through a relationship that confirmed Carax’s status as one of the leading lights of the post–New Wave French cinema. This 4K restoration was carried out by TransPerfect Media from the original 35mm film negative and multi tracks. Color grading supervised by Caroline Champetier, sound by Thomas Guader. Project supervised by Sophie Boyer, Jean Pierre Boiget and the StudioCanal team. Digitization and restoration done with the support of the CNC and the participation of Theo Films.

(Kelly Reichardt, 2025, United States, 110min) Celebrated filmmaker Kelly Reichardt (First Cow, Showing Up) directs an unforgettable Josh O’Connor in THE MASTERMIND, her latest Cannes triumph. In a sedate Massachusetts suburb circa 1970, unemployed family man and amateur art thief J.B Mooney sets out on his first heist. With the museum cased and accomplices recruited, he has an airtight plan. Or so he thinks. A brilliant look at the folly of man, THE MASTERMIND also features Alana Haim, Gaby Hoffmann, John Magaro, Hope Davis and Bill Camp. Rich in textured detail, this sly depiction of an era subverts long-held illusions and confronts disillusionment.

THUNDERHEART (Michael Apted, 1992, 119min) (Staff Pick: Alexander) Fri, 11/28 @ 10PM Sat, 11/29 @ 10:30AM & 10PM Sun, 11/30 @ 10:30AM In honor of the great Graham Greene, 1952-2025. Michael Apted's 1992 film Thunderheart is a neo-Western crime thriller that blends investigative drama with a portrait of contemporary Native American life. The film follows FBI Agent Ray Levoi (Val Kilmer), who is sent to a South Dakota reservation to investigate a murder amid rising tensions between pro-government and traditionalist Native groups. What begins as a procedural evolves into a personal and political journey for Ray, who is forced to confront his own partial Sioux heritage and the deep-seated corruption surrounding the case. Apted, known for both his narrative and documentary work, infuses Thunderheart with an authenticity rarely seen in Hollywood renderings of Native issues. Drawing from real events, notably the Wounded Knee incident of the 1970s and Apted’s own documentary Incident at Oglala, the film skillfully navigates themes of identity, government abuse, and spiritual reckoning. Much of the film was shot on location in South Dakota, capturing both the natural beauty and socioeconomic struggles of reservation life.

THE DOC IS IN... Perfect for early risers, fans of documentaries, and those just looking for an excuse to go into work late or skip class, the Chelsea Theater has given a new meaning to getting a Doc’s note and making an appointment is as easy as purchasing a ticket. Chapel Hill’s favorite nonprofit indy theater is set to play documentaries four (4) times a week as morning screenings in new film series “The Doc Is IN.” WISDOM OF HAPPINESS - (Philip Delaquis, Barbara Miller, 2024, 90min) Show Dates: Sat, 11/29, Sun, 11/30, Wed, 12/3, Thu, 12/4. All shows @ 10AM WISDOM OF HAPPINESS is a deeply intimate and highly cinematic documentary featuring the Dalai Lama, who, at nearly 90 years old, offers practical advice for navigating the 21st century’s challenges. The film captures the Dalai Lama speaking directly to viewers, creating a sense of a private audience, and shares his timeless wisdom on achieving inner peace and happiness for everyone. WISDOM OF HAPPINESS is medicine for the moment — a survival guide for navigating our traumatic world that feels more fractured and uncertain than ever. This powerful message of hope is delivered as a personal audience with one of the greatest living thinkers, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Tenzin Gyatso, known to billions around the world as the Dalai Lama. Speaking directly to all of us as a single global community, he shares practical wisdom for finding peace, compassion, and hope in the midst of chaos. With disarming clarity and deep humanity, he invites us to imagine — and help create — a world where compassion is activated as our strongest force for change, and happiness is within reach for everyone.