The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque

MICRONATIONS 

MICRONATIONS film still
USA, 2026, Joe Kowalski

MICRONATIONS is a feature documentary that plays like a true-life Christopher Guest film as it travels the world to explore an eccentric community of people inventing their own countries. From backyard kingdoms to full-blown micronational summits, this whimsical debut from director Joe Kowalski gives a glimpse into a DIY culture of self-declared kings, queens, and emperors, and transforms into a timely exploration of borders, identity, and the meaning of community in an increasingly fragmented world. 97 min. plus Q&A.

Filmmaker in Person. Post-film Q&A with Joe Kowalski.

Saturday 7:00 pm

Watch the trailer below:
MICRONATIONS trailer

THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT

THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT film still
USA, 2001, Cory McAbee

Writer/director/star Cory McAbee’s black and white, lo-fi sci-fi, rockabilly cult classic THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT returns for its 25th Anniversary. Samuel Curtis's first mission in this bizarre science fiction musical comedy requires him to take a cat to a saloon on an asteroid. There, he meets his former dance partner (the Blueberry Pirate) and collects his payment: a device capable of producing a Real Live Girl. 91 min.

Cult Musicals. 25th Anniversary. Classics in 35mm.
Now one show only! Special Admission $14/$11. 
The American Astronaut posters available for purchase at the box office - $15 general, $10 members. 

Thursday 8:50 pm

Watch the trailer below:
THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT trailer

ON THE ROAD (2026)

ON THE ROAD (2026) film still
Mexico, 2025, David Pablos 

ON THE ROAD (2026) is a sexually charged thriller filled with gritty authenticity. Veneno, a rebellious young drifter, frequents roadside diners where he sleeps with truck drivers. Urgently needing a ride, he meets Muñeco, a hard-edged driver who keeps to himself. He convinces Muñeco to take him deep into the hyper-masculine world of long-haul trucking across the north of Mexico. As they travel together and an unexpected intimacy builds between them, shadows from Veneno’s past resurface, putting both their lives at risk. Subtitles. 93 min. No one under 18 admitted.

Cleveland Premiere. Adults only.

Friday 7:00 pm & Saturday 5:00 pm
Watch the trailer below:
ON THE ROAD (2026) trailer

PORTAL TO HELL

PORTAL TO HELL film still
USA, 2026, Woody Bess 

When Dunn (Trey Holland) finds a gateway to hell in a washing machine at his local laundromat, he’s propositioned into feeding it sinners to save his neighbor’s soul (Keith David). Featuring a scene-stealing performance by Richard Kind as the devil, PORTAL TO HELL has more laughs and heart than any other demonic washing machine movie ever made. 93 min.

Speak of the Devil. Cleveland premiere.

Saturday 9:15 pm
Watch the trailer below:
PORTAL TO HELL trailer

THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT

THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT film still
W. Germany, 1972, Rainer Werner Fassbinder

In the early 1970s, Rainer Werner Fassbinder discovered the American melodramas of Douglas Sirk and was inspired by them to begin working in a new, more intensely emotional register. THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT, an unforgettable, unforgiving dissection of the imbalanced relationship between a haughty fashion designer (Margit Carstensen) and a beautiful but icy ingenue (Hanna Schygulla)—based, in a sly gender reversal, on the writer-director’s own desperate obsession with a young actor—is a true Fassbinder affair. Subtitles. 125 min.

New Day/Time. Classics in 35mm. Special Admission $14/$11. 

Sunday 2:15 pm
Watch the trailer below:
THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT trailer

DRUNKEN MASTER II

DRUNKEN MASTER II film still
Hong Kong, 1994, Lau Kar-leung, Jackie Chan

Film icon Jackie Chan stars in and co-directs the legendary comedic action film DRUNKEN MASTER II. Filled with perfectly choreographed fight scenes that leave the audience breathless and amazed, this film stands out in Chan’s impressive filmography.  Subtitles. 111 min.

Films That Inspired Kitao Sakurai. Attendees have a chance to win an autographed Street Fighter poster.

Friday 9:00 pm
Watch the trailer below:
DRUNKEN MASTER II trailer

OUT OF PRINT

OUT OF PRINT film still
USA, 2014, Julia Marchese

OUT OF PRINT is a love letter to watching movies on film, in independent cinemas, with an audience. The documentary features Los Angeles’ iconic New Beverly Cinema and London’s legendary Prince Charles Cinema as stand-ins for the thousands of extraordinary movie houses around the globe that keep cinema’s rich culture alive. 96 min.

10th Anniversary. Classics in 35mm. Special Admission $14/$11. 

Thursday 6:45 pm
Watch the trailer below:
OUT OF PRINT trailer

TALES FROM THE HOOD

TALES FROM THE HOOD film still
USA, 1995, Rusty Cundieff 

Clarence Williams III gives a pitch-perfect performance as a sinister funeral director who regales three drug dealers with four tales of terror. The horror-comedy anthology TALES FROM THE HOOD was produced by Spike Lee and delivers impactful social commentary along with its laughs and screams. 98 min.

Speak of the Devil.

Sunday 7:10 pm
Watch the trailer below:
TALES FROM THE HOOD trailer

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Thanks! 
This Week
Thu., Oct. 22, 6:45 pm
10th Anniversary
OUT OF PRINT

In 35mm!
$14/$11

Thu., Oct. 22, 8:50 pm
Cult Musicals
25th Anniversary
One show only!
THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT

In 35mm!
$14/$11

Fri., Oct. 23, 7:00 pm
Sat., Oct. 24, 5:00 pm
ON THE ROAD (2026)
Adults only!
$12/$9

Fri., Oct. 23, 9:00 pm
Films That Inspired Kitao Sakurai
DRUNKEN MASTER II

$12/$9

Sat., Oct. 24, 2:15 pm
New Date/Time
THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT

In 35mm!
$14/$11

Sat., Oct. 24, 7:00 pm
Filmmaker in Person
MICRONATIONS

Post-film Q&A with director Joe Kowalski
$12/$9

Sat., Oct. 24, 9:15 pm
Speak of the Devil
PORTAL TO HELL

$12/$9

NO EARLY FILMS 10/25

Sun., Oct. 25, 7:10 pm
Speak of the Devil
TALES FROM THE HOOD

$12/$9
Next Week
48 HOUR FILM PROJECT HORROR & SCI-FI

AUDITION
At the Cedar Lee Theatre

NAZA -Sold Out! 

LADY

GOBLIN LIVE SCORE WITH ARGENTO'S TENEBRE


MOTHRA VS GODZILLA
Intro by Dierdre Crimmins Saturday

JIGOKU

THE DEVIL'S EYE
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