The Athena Cinema

CLJC & OIP Present: WRONGFUL CONVICTION DAY with Richard and Janette Horton

Join us in commemorating Wrongful Conviction Day with a special event presentation sponsored by the Center for Law Justice & Culture and The Ohio Innocence Project

Tuesday, October 8th at 7:00 p.m.

Admission is FREE and open to the public…Tickets are required for entry

We’re proud to partner with the CLJC and the OIP as they host an event featuring Richard and Janette Horton, joined by OHIO alumnus and Director of Policy and Engagement at the Ohio Innocence Project, Pierce Reed, Esq.

Richard Horton was convicted in 2006 and sentenced to 23 years in prison for a home invasion, robbery, and shooting in Columbus that he did not commit. After serving 16 in prison, Mr. Horton was granted a new trial thanks to emerging DNA analysis technology. The Ohio Innocence Projects believes this to be the first instance where such evidence has led to the reversal of a conviction.

Mr. Horton will discuss his experience with wrongful conviction and his work with OIP to exonerate him. His wife, Janette will discuss the impact these cases have on those close to the accused.

The event is co-sponsored by the Ohio Innocence Project, Ohio University’s OIP-u, and Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity.

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Hispanic Film Series

We’re pleased to present, in partnership with the Ohio University School of International Studies and Languages (SISAL) and Sigma Delta Pi (the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society), this excellent new series celebrating the films and filmmakers of Spain and Latin America.

PRAGDA is a premier educational film distributor, specializing in the latest Latin American, Spanish, and Latinx cinema. The company curates a diverse collection of hundreds of films which covers crucial topics like the global economy, immigration and exile, feminism and gender issues, indigenous peoples, and international politics. With its flagship Spanish Film Club grant program, supported by the Spanish government, PRAGDA helps schools worldwide organize film festivals, introducing students to bold and innovative voices in Latin American cinema. PRAGDA’s commitment to offering films that inspire, challenge, and entertain makes it a leading force in promoting cultural understanding in educational institutions across the globe.

Admission to the films in this series is FREE and open to the public – Tickets are required

This series was made possible with sponsorships from Pragda, SPAIN arts & culture, and the Secretary of State for Culture of Spain.

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Mean Girls Mimosa Matinees

What’s better than a midafternoon matinee movie..? A midafternoon matinee movie with a mimosa!

mi-mo-sa (n) – a drink of champagne and orange juice

For the month of February, we’ll be featuring a string of fun films as matinee screenings – only $5! – where we encourage you to grab some friends, come see the film, and sip some mimosas (or whatever else whets your whistle)! These movies may seems “girl-centric”, but let’s be honest…they’re a blast for everyone 🙂

Here’s the line-up:

Saturday, February 4th – MEAN GIRLS

Saturday, February 8th – CLUELESS

Saturday, February 15th – THE CRAFT

Saturday, February 22nd – LEGALLY BLONDE

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Let’s Do Lynch:

After a 10-year hiatus, Let’s Do Lynch is back! Starting in January 2025, we’ll be devoting Tuesday nights to a career-spanning retrospective of David Lynch’s amazing films — 8 movies in all!

For the past six decades, David Lynch has approached filmmaking from an extremely unique, totally genuine, and incredibly artistic perspective. His work has consistently wrestled with deeply existential themes, oftentimes accompanied by dreamlike and terrifying imagery. One thing remains constant throughout his body of work: The reality that Lynch allows us to be privy to is much different than what we experience on a day-to-day basis.

Having recently been diagnosed with emphysema (Lynch has smoked Winston cigarettes for most of his life) and no longer permitted by doctors to direct in-person, it may be that David Lynch will soon retire altogether from the world of cinema. So, now’s the perfect time to join us in celebrating a true artist who might just be the greatest American filmmaker of all time!

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Sustainability Series: THE EDGE OF NATURE

Watch Trailer Director: Josh Fox

Gasland filmmaker Josh Fox spent the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic – a unique moment in human history that some scientists have referred to as “The Anthropause” – isolating himself in a one-room cabin in the woods of Pennsylvania while he suffered through the physical, mental, and neurological impacts of a bout with long covid. His hope was that, through developing a close connection with nature, he would be able to heal his body, his mind, and his soul. Over the course of nine months, Fox documented his life in isolation and the insights he developed about topics as wide-ranging as wildlife, genocide, the intergenerational trauma common to rural America, and, most importantly, himself.

About the Speaker

Check out the rest of our line-up of Sustainability Films

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105 MIN

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Friends of India Film Screenings

The many cultures of the Indian subcontinent offer a rich plethora of traditions, philosophies, arts and music. Moreover, Athens is home to a vibrant population of students, faculty, and community members who either hail from the this region of the globe or have have strong ties to it. As a result, we are honored to partner with Ohio University’s Friends of India Endowment organization to feature films that celebrate India and its contribution to The Arts.

The film screenings in this series are meant as a way for the entire Athens community to come together in experiencing the wonderful things that India has to offer, as well as to see some outstanding movies made by Indian filmmakers. These events will often include special concessions like curry popcorn and chai tea provided by FOI members, as well as the opportunity for patrons to chat and get to know one another.

To learn more about the Friends of India organization, please visit their website here

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BABES: Last Day Thursday, June 13th

Watch Trailer Director: Pamela Adlon
Cast: Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau

Eden (Ilana Glazer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau) have been BFF’s since childhood; however, they have very different approaches to Life — Dawn is a responsible, married mother of two; Eden, on the other hand, lives life on more carefree terms. After a one-night stand, Eden finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and, deciding to follow through with having the baby, turns to Dawn for help and advice. As the two friends wrestle with the complexities of motherhood, their friendship gets put to the test (along with lots of laugh-inducing fun from two top-notch comedians!) and each comes away a little wiser in the end.

Rounding out the cast of this latest Glazer project is Oliver Platt, Hasan Minhaj, and Sandra Bernhard. Directed by Pamela Adlon (the voice actress for “Bobby” from the TV show King of the HillI), Babes debuted at the SXSW in March 2024 and is sure to be another feather in the cap for the zany star and co-creator of Broad City.

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109 MIN

Closed Captioning is available for this film.

Open Captioning is available for this film.

Listening Aids are available for this film.

Descriptive Aids are available for this film.

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TUESDAY: Last Day Thursday, June 20th

Watch Trailer Director: Daina O. Pusić
Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lola Petticrew, Leah Harvey, Arinzé Kene

From A24 Studios comes a powerful story about life, death, and love.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, Veep) takes a step outside of her usual brilliantly funny persona to star as Zora, a single mother who lives with her terminally ill daughter “Tuesday”, played by the award-winning Irish actor Lola Petticrew. Things take a fantastical turn when, one day, a strange bird – a talking, size-changing parrot – arrives, setting mother and daughter on an emotional rollercoaster ride as they confront the meaning of existence and learn that the true essence of Love is knowing when and how to let go.

Tuesday is the directorial debut of filmmaker Daina O. Pusić and features mesmerizing cinematography by Alexis Zabé (The Florida Project). Dreyfus’s profoundly moving performance has been hailed by critics for its honesty, depth, and poignancy. Pusić’s affecting screenplay builds a bridge between fantasy and something very real at the heart of us all.

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111 MIN

It’s clear that both Pusić and the actors...care about the characters. And because they do, the story resonates even more strongly...

Emily Zemler
The Observer

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I SAW THE TV GLOW: Last Day Thursday, June 13th

Watch Trailer Director: Jane Schoenbrun
Cast: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Fred Durst

Back For One Week Only!

From A24 Studios comes a new psychological thriller from filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun. After striking up a friendship, two teen outcasts — Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Bridgette Lundy-Paine) — fake a slumber party at a schoolmate’s house in order to secretly watch an episode of The Pink Opaque, a show for young adults featuring strong mythological and supernatural themes. The two fall in love with the show (and maybe a little with each other). Maddy’s troubled life compels her to run away from home. Owen considers joining her, but he’s forced to remain and take care of his dying mother. Fast-forward 10 years, Maddy mysteriously returns to tell Owen that the substance of The Pink Opaque is, in fact real, and that the two can live there in happiness…if only he can see fit to believe.

With its striking visuals and excellent music soundtrack — in fact, musicians including Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, Phoebe Bridgers, Haley Dahl of Sloppy Jane, and Kristina Esfandiari of Miserable all appear in the film — I Saw the TV Glow is sure to be a hit with fans of Stranger Things and the rest of the A24 catalogue of films.

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100 MIN

It reaches inside your imagination and stirs it around, making new connections between familiar concepts. It’s not just great, it’s fascinating and revelatory.

William Babbiani -- The Wrap

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Beat the Heat: WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT

Watch Trailer Director: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Charles Fleischer, Kathleen Turner, Mel Blanc
Awards: Oscar - Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Special Achievement Award

Eddie Valiant is a down-and-out gumshoe in late-1940’s Hollywood who gets entwined in a case that is sure to test what he’s made of. When a big-shot cartoon producer hires Valiant to dig up some dirt on Jessica, the the seemingly-unfaithful “toon” bombshell spouse of cartoon superstar Roger Rabbit, the private eye travels to “Toontown” to sniff out the goings-on of a rival studio exec (and the guy who happens to run Toontown itself). Valiant goes to see Jessica perform her famously sultry crooning act and seems to catch her in the act of seducing the rival exec; however, the man is murdered the following day and Roger Rabbit becomes Suspect No. 1. Valiant has his doubts about Rabbit’s guilt and ends up helping him get to the bottom of this strange set of circumstances. This puts the two at odds with Judge Doom – the chief justice of Toontown – who might just be the lynchpin of what starts to look more and more like a frame job!

Click here to see the rest of the Beat the Heat summer line-up

This series is made possible thanks to support from the following sponsors: Athens County Children Services, Southeastern Ohio Treatment Foster Care Network, Ohio University Credit Union, and Athens Area Chamber of Commerce