** FRIDAY, Sept 5th @ 7PM SCREENING WILL FEATURE SPECIAL Q&A WITH WRITER/DIRECTOR Angus MacLachlan ! ** ** SEATING IS LIMITED. ADVANCE TICKETS & ARRIVING EARLY RECOMMENDED** Bill, a Vietnam veteran who has lived in suburban Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for decades with his wife, Venida, confronts the limits of patriarchal power while parenting his adult children, both of whom are experiencing personal difficulties. Their son David, is a PTSD-stricken veteran whom Bill suspects of cheating on his wife Tammy. Tammy and Bill have a special bond for a father and daughter-in-law and appear to completely understand each other, so when he believes his son has strayed, he is at a loss for how to proceed. Meanwhile Patti, their wilder child, unexpectedly arrives with their granddaughter Hadley, having left her opioid-addicted husband Cassius for the third time. Bill’s every thought is consumed by worries about these three adult children. The heartbreak he so desperately wants to spare them from is something he struggles with, as does how to best support them in their challenges. He attempts to maintain his composure in the face of chaos and eventually discovers the limits of patriarchal interference, for better or worse.

Ackland Film Forum at the Chelsea Theater Tuesday, September 23 - 7:30pm Le Bonheur (Agnès Varda, 1965, 80min) One of the leading directors of the French New Wave, Agnès Varda made her reputation with Cléo From 5 to 7 (1962), which tells the story of a singer who is waiting to receive test results that may indicate that she has cancer. But it’s Varda’s follow-up film, Le Bonheur, that actually creates a sense of foreboding, as we watch a happily married young couple come unraveled through a series of events that are highly predictable until they aren’t. The bright, overly saturated color in this film, inspired by French impressionism, accentuates the film’s eerie sensibility. The film will be introduced by Martin Johnson, associate professor of English and Comparative Literature and associate director of Film Studies. This film will be screened at 7:30 p.m. at the Chelsea Theater (1129 Weaver Dairy Rd Suite AB, Chapel Hill, NC). Tickets are free for UNC-Chapel Hill students. About the Series: Join the Ackland Film Forum on selected Tuesdays evenings this fall for Color Triumphant in Film, a series that accompanies the Ackland exhibition Color Triumphant: Modern Art from Collection of Julian and Josie Robertson. While the natural world is full of color, for filmmakers color is a choice. Recreating color in the cinema required expensive technologies, careful attention to costumes and set design, and an openness to experimentation. In this series, we highlight how filmmakers have used color from the beginnings of the movies to tell stories. The Ackland Film Forum is co-organized by the Ackland Art Museum and UNC Film Studies, housed in the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of English and Comparative Literature.

(Olympia Stone, 2025, United States, 57min) In association with CLICK! Photography Festival! Featuring a discussion with special guests photographer, Titus Brooks Heagins, and director, Olympia Stone. Always Looking explores the work of photographer Titus Brooks Heagins and the challenging questions his photos pose about the systemic neglect of society’s most vulnerable communities of color. Humanizing yet confrontational, Titus’ photographs document the overlooked: people who, through some intersection of poverty, race or gender/sexual identity, exist as outsiders. This film dives into Titus’ world, shedding light on the strength it takes to be a marginalized Black photographer capturing the lives of other marginalized folks. Always Looking also probes the question of “who can tell whose story?” while directing a spotlight on an overlooked, but richly deserving, artist.

DEMOCRACY NOIR (Connie Field, 2024, 93min) DEMOCRACY NOIR is a chilling account of one of the most consequential regimes of this century. In Hungary, Viktor Orbán used a free and democratic election to install authoritarian rule, enjoying widespread approval from Hungarian nationalists as well as global conservative neighbors. He changed the constitution, took over the courts, dismantled the rule of law, and took over the media. Revered by Donald Trump and the Heritage Foundation, Orban influenced Project 2025 and the policies and campaigns of many conservative right-wing leaders. The film tells this story through the activism of three women who bear witness to how unchecked power can quickly remove rights that were once taken for granted. Through two terms of the Orbán regime, they must come to terms with their country’s unravelling social and cultural landscape.. “Connie Field's riveting documentary... feels especially relevant for this particularly fraught political moment, all while pointing out larger social truths that remain timeless.” – Mill Valley Film Festival Filmmaker Bio: Emmy winning director Connie Field is the director of widely distributed documentaries including Have You Heard From Johannesburg (Prime Time Emmy, Best Documentary Series, IDA & Gold Hugo); Freedom on My Mind (Academy Award nominee, Sundance Grand Jury Prize); Forever Activist (Academy Award Nominee); The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter (15 international Connie’s work has been broadcast in over 30 countries and in the US on PBS. She is the recipient of a John Simon Guggenheim grant and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences, as well as the Television Academy.

DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE, the cinematic return of the global phenomenon, follows the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s. As the beloved cast of characters navigates how to lead Downton Abbey into the future, they must embrace change and welcome a new chapter.

This program will feature a discussion with Academy Award winning filmmaker, Paul Wagner and producer, Ellen Wagner. Georgia O’Keeffe: the Brightness of Light is a feature documentary film exploring the life and art of the most important American woman artist of the 20th century. Known as the “Mother of American Modernism,” O’Keeffe exploded on the New York art scene in the 1920s with her paintings of flowers, bones, and the beauty of nature. Nude photographs of O’Keeffe taken by her lover, Alfred Stieglitz, shocked the public and contributed to the perception that her paintings were sexually charged. In the 1970s, O’Keeffe, famously isolated in the New Mexico desert, emerged as an iconic role model for second wave feminists. From Academy Award-winning director Paul Wagner, the film features music by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, narration by Hugh Dancy, and Claire Danes as the Voice of Georgia O'Keeffe. Running Time: 1 hour, 58 minutes. More info: GeorgiaOKeeffeFilm.com Director’s Statement from Paul Wagner In 2018, my wife and producing partner, Ellen Casey Wagner, and I encountered a small museum exhibit about Georgia O’Keeffe. We learned that, in 1908 when she was 20 years old, O’Keeffe had given up on her dream of becoming an artist. This young woman, who would later emerge as “the Mother of American Modernism” and the iconic woman artist of the 20th century, did not pick up a brush to paint for nearly four years. But in 1912, as a summer student at the University of Virginia here in our hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia, she encountered the philosophy of a man named Arthur Wesley Dow that transformed her thinking, her art, and her life. As filmmakers, we were drawn to make a short documentary about this extraordinary moment in her career. But as we reviewed the film work about O’Keeffe, we realized that there had not been an American feature documentary produced about her since 1977. Twenty years after her death, over 20,000 pages of letters between Georgia O’Keeffe and her husband Alfred Stieglitz, the photographer and leader of the modern art movement in America, were made public. This, on top of fifty years of research, writing, and museum exhibitions, had transformed the landscape of knowledge and understanding about O’Keeffe. A new, comprehensive documentary about her life and art seemed not just possible, but necessary. In this endeavor, we have won the support of every major O’Keeffe scholar and biographer and the cooperation of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which controls the licensing of O’Keeffe’s art and archival materials. This unprecedented level of support from the O’Keeffe “world” has allowed us to create a film that is detailed and authoritative. In the last years of Georgia O’Keeffe’s life, curator Sarah Greenough of the National Gallery of Art created an exhibit including letters to and from Alfred Stieglitz. O’Keeffe had only two requests regarding the presentation. We have attempted, in creating our film, to adhere to the same two standards – to make it beautiful and to make it honest.

From Paul Thomas Anderson, based on the Thomas Pynchon novel "Vineland". When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunites to rescue one of their own's daughter. Shot on VistaVision.

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 series, “The Doc Is IN.” REBEL WITH A CLAUSE - (Brandt Johnson, 2025, 86min) Show Dates: Sat, 10/25, Sun, 10/26, Wed, 10/29, Thu, 10/30. All shows @ 10AM One fall day, Ellen Jovin set up a folding table on a Manhattan sidewalk with a homemade sign that said “Grammar Table.” Right away, passersby began excitedly asking questions, telling stories, and filing complaints. What happened next is the stuff of grammar legend. Ellen and her filmmaker husband, Brandt Johnson, took the table on the road, visiting all 50 states as Brandt shot the grammar action. Media outlets across the country celebrated the adventures of the Grammar Table in over 100 print, radio, and television stories. People from every imaginable background visited the table to share a laugh, settle disputes, and talk about their grammar insecurities. These conversations took place in small towns and big cities, by bookstores and coffee shops, on beaches and mountainsides. But this story transcends grammar. It’s the story of an epic quest to bring us all closer together. In a time of social and political division, the Grammar Table is a place of unity and connection. The conversations at the table help answer the question “How can we all get along?” Come for the grammar. Stay for the humanity.

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.

On Christmas Eve, Cliff, a newly sober improv comedian, cracks a tooth and lands in the emergency care of Didi, an older no-nonsense dentist. What begins as a routine check-up sparks an unpredictable evening of misadventures. Together, Cliff and Didi fight to overcome being shut out by their families, face their biggest fears, and discover their own surprising and tender connection. DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT The childhood dream was to become some version of the Coen Brothers, a sibling filmmaking team with my brother Mark. That dream came true from 2003 until 2011 when Mark and I co-wrote and co-directed four shorts and five feature films that were about a tenth as successful as the least successful Coen Brothers film. But we were living our dream and getting paid (mostly). Then career stuff happened and brotherly stuff happened (see our book Like Brothers), and being the Coen Brothers 2.0 no longer made sense. In the decade following, I didn’t think I could make a film without Mark, so I became an actor, directed some cool TV, and produced alongside Mark and Mel Eslyn and our Duplass Brothers Productions team. But I freaked out when I turned 50 in 2023, realizing I had not made a movie that was mine in over ten years, and that if I didn’t do it soon, the dream of even just making original films was going to die. So I decided that when the strike ended, I was going to shoot a movie come hell or high water. Because of the challenging filmmaking climate, I knew it needed to be well contained to guarantee that it would actually happen. So I went back to my Puffy Chair roots and found an aspiring actor with a great story that could be a galvanizing force. Enter Michael Strassner. I had recently devoured Strassner’s Instagram, watching him dancing wildly and shirtlessly like a genius lunatic. We struck up a friendship and as I mentored him on his short film, I learned what a filmmaking powerhouse he is. I had also recently seen the stage musical of Transparent and became obsessed with Liz Larsen, who played the character of Shelly Pfefferman. I met with Liz and learned about what she’d been through personally, and that energy dovetailed perfectly into the story Strassner and I wanted to tell. When the strike ended, we got cracking on the script. My brother and our company gave me all their love and support. And within a month, we were shooting a movie at Christmas-time in Baltimore, freezing our asses off, and having the time of our lives like a bunch of Baltimorons would. It couldn’t feel more heartwarming that I get to premiere The Baltimorons at SXSW, exactly twenty years after my first feature film The Puffy Chair played in the same exact theater in 2005. —Jay Duplass

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 series “The Doc Is IN.” THE ENCAMPMENTS - (Kel Pritsker, Michael T Workman, 2025, 81min) Show Dates: Sat, 10/11, Sun, 10/12, Wed, 10/15, Thu, 10/16. All shows @ 10AM An urgent, intimate portrait of America’s student movement, ignited at Columbia University as students protested their universities’ ties to the war on Gaza. Their actions sparked a nationwide uprising, with encampments spreading across hundreds of campuses. Featuring detained activist Mahmoud Khalil, alongside professors, whistleblowers, and organizers, the film captures the deeper stakes of a historic moment that continues to reverberate across the globe. Students flooded Columbia University’s lawn to create the Gaza Solidarity Encampment in order to pressure their university to divest from the US and Israeli weapons companies. THE ENCAMPMENTS follows the central organizers of the encampment as they are thrust into the spotlight, face violent police repression and suspension, congressional pressure, and a media firestorm, all while fighting to attain their goal of divestment at any cost.

Starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, THE HISTORY OF SOUND is a sweeping, moving and tender romance that spans decades and continents. In 1917, Lionel (Mescal, Aftersun) – a young, talented music student – meets David (O’Connor, Challengers) at the Boston Conservatory, where a connection over a deep love of music leads to a fleeting love affair. They reconnect years later, leading to an impromptu journey through the backwoods of Maine to collect traditional folk songs. This unexpected reunion and the music they preserve will shape the course of Lionel’s life for decades to come. From director Oliver Hermanus (Living), this is a beautiful and compelling cinematic experience that tells the story of a love that can’t last, a life forever altered, and the ways in which music creates bonds between us that echo for a lifetime.

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 series “The Doc Is IN.” THE LAST CLASS - (Elliot Kirschner, 2025, 71min) Show Dates: Sat, 9/27, Sun, 9/28, Wed, 10/1, Thu, 10/2. All shows @ 10AM THE LAST CLASS is a nuanced and deeply personal portrait of master educator Robert Reich teaching his final course and reflecting on a period of immense transformation, personally and globally. It is a love letter to education. The former Secretary of Labor might be famous for his public service, best-selling books, and viral social media posts, but he always considered teaching his true calling. Now, after over 40 years and an extraordinary 40,000 students, Reich is preparing for his last class. Over the course of the film, Reich confronts the impending finality, and his own aging, with increasing candor, introspection, and, ultimately, emotion. He displays a rawness of feeling he has never shared publicly before. Drawing on his lifetime in politics, he uses his class, “Wealth and Poverty,” to offer us all a deeper look at why inequalities of income and wealth have widened significantly since the late 1970s, and why this poses dangerous risks to our society. One thousand students fill the biggest lecture hall on the UC Berkeley campus, the last class to receive Reich’s wisdom and exhortations not to accept that the world has to stay the way it is. His belief in the next generation’s ability to take on the fight is inspiring.

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.