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Beat the Heat: THE MUPPET MOVIE

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Join us Saturday, July 25th at 3:00 p.m. as our summer Beat the Heat Family Film Series continues with the ultimate, blast-from-the-past Muppet extravaganza!

Tickets are donation-based and the proceeds will go to benefit local children’s organizations

About the film

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie the Bear, and all the world-beloved puppets of master puppeteer Jim Henson come together in the classic 1979 film that put these fun characters on the big screen for the first time ever.

The Muppet Movie blends together all the best elements of comedy, a sing-a-long musical, and an exciting road movie to tell the story of how humble swamp-dwelling Kermit the Frog gets discovered by a talent agent one day while playing his banjo and singing a special song. The agent prompts Kermit to hit the road and seek his fame in Hollywood. Along the way, the singing amphibian meets Fozzie and the other Muppets, and, as the gang grows in number, the adventure increases with hijinks, mayhem, and the kind of laughs that only the Muppets can deliver!

Check out the rest of our Beat the Heat Family Series line-up

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Running Time: 95 MIN95 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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Art House Theater Day Double-Feature: PUTNEY SWOPE + SORRY TO BOTHER YOU

Join us Thursday, July 30th at 7:00 p.m. as we celebrate Art House Theater Day with an exciting double-feature of anti-capitalist classics!

One Film $5 – Double-feature $8

Double-feature Schedule:

7:00 p.m. – PUTNEY SWOPE (84 min)

8:35 p.m. – Intermission (25 min…grab a drink and a popcorn!)

9:00 p.m. – SORRY TO BOTHER YOU (112 min)

For Art House Theater Day, we are pairing two generations of radical, anti-establishment filmmaking for a night of surreal corporate warfare!

Kick things of with Robert Downey Sr.’s 1969 underground masterpiece Putney Swope, where an accidental black CEO uses a hilarious dubbed voice to upend the advertising world. Then, fast-forward to Boots Riley’s 2018 sci-fi satirical directing debut Sorry to Bother You, following a telemarketer who uses his telephonic “white voice” to climb capitalism’s twisted ladder.

Come for the biting social commentary, stay for the absurdist comedy. The system is rigged — dub your way in!

About Putney Swope

In this classic 1969 satire written and directed by Robert Downey Sr, a black executive – Putney Swope – of a Madison Avenue advertising agency is accidentally made chairman of the board of directors when a boardroom vote goes awry. Seeing an opportunity to shake things up, Swope renames the agency “Truth & Soul Inc”, fires his white co-workers, and brings on-board a host of radical black activists to try and turn the advertising world on its head with subversive and shock-inducing ad campaigns. While the effort makes Truth & Soul highly profitable, Swope and his cohort end up drawing the ire of the President and are declared a threat to national security.

About Sorry to Bother You

In his directorial debut, self-proclaimed communist and filmmaker Boots Riley presents an alternate reality set in Oakland, California where Cassius Green, a telemarketer who is floundering in his job and struggling with the existential crisis of being black and selling to white people. When a long-time fellow employee advises him to try using his “white voice” instead, Green suddenly finds huge success selling abhorrent-though-lucrative products to Caucasian customers. Meanwhile, Green’s co-workers are organizing a union to try and improve their less-than-favorable working conditions. As Green watches his success begin to erode his old sense-of-self, he has a crisis of conscience when his boss tries to recruit him for a nefarious plan.

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Running Time: 240 MIN (for full event)240 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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Beat the Heat: HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS

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Join us Saturday, August 1st at 3:00 p.m. as our Beat the Heat series offers up a fun and heartwarming film about a family that really gets in touch with nature!

Tickets are donation-based and the proceeds will go to benefit local children’s organizations

About the film

The legend of Bigfoot really hits home in this classic 1987 film that won an Oscar for Best Make Up. John Lithgow stars as George Henderson who, as he drives his wife and children back to Seattle from a camping trip, hits a sasquatch with the family station wagon. Believing the cryptid to be dead, and seeing the potential fame in providing proof to the world of Bigfoot’s existence, the family decides to strap the creature to their car and return home to notify the press. However, the family soon realizes that the hirsute beast, whom they affectionately dub “Harry”, actually survived the collision and is extremely kind and gentle. As the the Hendersons bring Harry deeper into the family fold, they discover that Harry has a nemesis who is hunting him down, leaving it up to George and his family to protect Harry until he’s able to safely return to his forest home.

Check out the rest of our Beat the Heat Family Series line-up

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Running Time: 110 MIN110 MIN
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Beat the Heat: ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES

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Join us Saturday, August 8th at 3:00 p.m. as our Beat the Heat Family Film Series continues with a fun, supernatural comedy featuring the creepiest, kookiest, and all-together-ookiest family there is…The Addams Family!

Tickets are donation-based and the proceeds will go to benefit local children’s organizations

About the film

This 1993 sequel film sees the return to the big screen of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Wednesday, Pugsley, and Lurch – the one-and-only Addams Family! As they welcome baby Pubert, a new addition addition to the family circus, the Addams’s find themselves in need of a nanny. They hire outwardly-kind Debbie, who turns out to actually be a serial killer who preys on rich bachelors. Debbie seduces Fester, secretly planning to make him one of her victims and inherit his wealth. As the plot thickens, Debbie’s efforts to eliminate her new beau keep falling short. And, she ends up getting a taste of her own medicine as Baby Pubert saves the day and proves he’s got what it takes to continue the Addams Family name.

Check out the rest of our Beat the Heat Family Series line-up

 

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Running Time: 94 MIN94 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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Welcome Week Rooftop Movie: AMÉLIE

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Welcome to Athens, Bobcats!

Did you know there’s an independent movie theater right in the heart of Uptown Athens? We’re the Athena Cinema, and we’re kicking off Welcome Week with one of our favorite events of the year: a movie under the stars on top of the Athens City Parking Garage.

AMÉLIE

Thursday, August 27

The Rooftop of the Athens City Parking Garage • 15 E. Washington St.

Seating begins at 7:30 p.m.
Event begins at 8:30 p.m.

Come early, grab some popcorn and a drink, settle in with your friends, and enjoy an evening of cinema with a beautiful view of Athens.

TICKETS

FREE for OHIO students with a valid OU student ID
Limit 2 free student tickets per student

$8 general admission

Tickets are required. Get yours online using the ticket button below or stop by the Athena Cinema during regular box office hours.

This event reaches capacity quickly, so we strongly recommend claiming your tickets in advance!

WHAT TO BRING

We have a limited number of chairs available, so bring your own chair, blanket, pillow, or anything else that will make you comfortable.

We’ll have popcorn, candy, canned soda, bottled water, and Athena merchandise available for purchase on the rooftop.

RAIN PLAN

If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the screening will move indoors to the Athena Cinema.

Any weather-related venue changes will be announced on our social media, so follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and BlueSky for updates.

ABOUT THE FILM

Amélie (2001) is a whimsical French romantic comedy from acclaimed director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, starring Audrey Tautou as Amélie, a shy young waitress living in Paris’s Montmartre neighborhood.

With a vivid imagination and a love of helping others, Amélie quietly sets out to improve the lives of the people around her. Along the way, she discovers that creating a little happiness for others might help her find some of her own.

Discover the Athena

New to Athens? Come visit us!

We will be tabling outside the Athena Monday-Wednesday and Friday from 12-1 to share information about the theater and our programming. Sign up for our email list and get a FREE small popcorn!

The Athena Cinema is a 111-year-old independent movie theater right on Court Street in Uptown Athens. In addition to first-run films, we show independent, international, classic, documentary, and repertory films throughout the year, along with special events and programs for the OHIO community.

While you’re here, stop into our lobby, check out our marquee, grab some concessions, browse our merchandise, and pick up your limited-edition Athena student loyalty card.

Welcome to the Athena!

For more details and information about this event, please visit our Rooftop Screenings FAQs page

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Running Time: 122 MIN122 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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Beat the Heat: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

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Join us Saturday, August 15th at 3:00 p.m. as our Beat the Heat Family Film Series concludes with a fantastical adaptation of one of the most-beloved children’s books of all time!

Tickets are donation-based and the proceeds will go to benefit local children’s organizations

About the film

Directed and co-written by visionary filmmaker Spike Jonez, with a script by award-winning author Dave Eggers, Where The Wild Things Are beautifully brings to life children author Maurice Sendak’s amazing world of fantasy wherein Max, a troubled young boy, gets sent to his room without dinner and ends up being crowned king of an island of misunderstood monsters known as “The Wild Things”.

Check out the rest of our Beat the Heat Family Series line-up

 

 

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Running Time: 101 MIN101 MIN
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Sustainability Series: DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE with Jodie Childers and Dan Messina

Viewing: September 09,2026

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Join us Wednesday, September 9th at 7:00 p.m. as we begin our 14th annual Sustainability Film Series with a fantastic documentary featuring the environmental activism efforts of legendary folk musician Pete Seeger!

Admission is FREE – Tickets are required

This event will include a Q&A with filmmakers Jodie Childers and Dan Messina!

Local musician Steve Zarate will be performing songs by Pete Seeger in The Athena lobby from 6:20 p.m. until the 7:00 p.m. showtime

About the film

In the 1960s, the iconic American folk singer Pete Seeger devised an audacious plan—to build a sailboat to save the polluted Hudson River. But the Clearwater was not just a beautiful wooden vessel; it was also a movement, intersecting environmentalism, civil rights, and antiwar activism.

An intimate portrait of Pete and the grassroots community he anchored in the Hudson Valley for over forty years with his wife Toshi, Down by the Riverside shows how an unconventional campaign to save a beloved American waterway prompted a green revolution.

As the globe confronts a seemingly insurmountable climate crisis, this film is a parable for our time that offers hope for the next generation, revealing the potential of imagination, music, and participation to transform the planet.

About the filmmakers

Jodie Childers is a documentary filmmaker and writer based in NYC and Charlottesville, VA, where she is an assistant professor at the University of Virginia. She produced The Other Parade, and she directed and shot Down by the Riverside, which premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival. Her writing has been featured in American Quarterly, the Journal of Transnational American Studies, Comparative American Studies, The Conversation, Jacobin, Transatlantica, The Pittsburgh Review of Books, Boulevard, and The Hopkins Review, among others. She holds a Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Brooklyn College.

Dan Messina is a showrunner, director, and editor with twenty years of experience in nonfiction film and television. He directed the documentary feature Down by the Riverside, which premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival, and The Other Parade, which screened at Frameline and was broadcast on RTE. Dan is currently the showrunner for the hit series The Real Murders of Atlanta on Oxygen. He also executive-produced Women on Death Row for A&E, and he has served as showrunner, producer, and editor for shows on Discovery+, National Geographic, Investigation Discovery, and OWN, among others.

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

The series is made possible thanks to the support of: University Libraries, Honors Tutorial College, Office of Sustainability, and The Voinovich School’s Environmental Studies Program.

 

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Running Time: 85 MIN85 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Wednesday 09/097:00
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Special Screening in Honor of Dolly Parton: STEEL MAGNOLIAS

Viewing: September 10,2026

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Join us Thursday, September 10th at 7:00 p.m. for a special Hills & Hollers event screening of an award-winning film to honor the late-great Dolly Parton!

Admission is a suggested $5 donation – Tickets are required

Proceeds from this event will be donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library organization

About the film

Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, and Olympia Dukakis star in a sometime-touching, sometimes-funny story about about a group of women down south who find stronger bonds of friendship in a beauty shop as they wrestle with all the many changes that Life brings their way.

Julia Roberts was nominated for both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting actress, winning the latter. Additionally, Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, and Shirley MacLaine were also all nominated for prestigious awards for their roles in the film. The movie still stands as a beloved piece of cinema history for its heartwarming tone and realistic portrayal of strong, tenacious, and vibrant southern women.

 

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Running Time: 117 MIN117 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Thursday 09/107:00
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CLJC Presents: CONSTITUTION DAY with Jan Allen Buaghman, Esq.

Viewing: September 15,2026

Join us Tuesday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m. as the Center for Law, Justice & Culture presents their annual Constitution Day with a talk by OHIO alumna Jan Allen Baughman, Esq.!

“The Constitution Within Reach: Understanding Our Rights, Strengthening Our Communities”

Admission is FREE and open to the public – Tickets are required

Tickets will be available for pick up in-person in the Athena Lobby leading up to and on the evening of the event

About the event

The Constitution is only as strong as the public’s understanding of it and the ability of individuals to access the legal system that protects them. In this presentation, Ohio University alumna and Ohio State Bar Association President Jan Allen Baughman will discuss the state bar association’s strategic efforts to advance the rule of law through constitutional literacy and civic understanding, while also working to address the growing shortage of lawyers in rural communities throughout Ohio. Both initiatives support a common and important goal: making the promises and protections of the Constitution meaningful and accessible for all Ohioans.

About the speaker

Jan Allen Baughman is a graduate of Ohio University and managing partner of Allen & Baughman Attorneys at Law, a Zanesville-based firm she founded with her father. Her practice focuses on real estate, probate and estate planning, adoption, business law, landlord-tenant matters, municipal law, banking and collections. A former middle school math and science teacher, Baughman is passionate about making the law understandable and accessible so clients can make informed decisions with confidence. She serves as president of the Ohio State Bar Association for the 2026-27 bar year, leading Ohio’s largest legal network as it works to promote justice and advance the legal profession.

 

Click here for more info about the OHIO Center for Law, Justice & Culture

 

 

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Tuesday 09/157:00
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From the Hills and Hollers: BLUEGRASS: COUNTRY SOUL with Becks Lipshultz

Viewing: September 17,2026

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Join us Thursday, September 17th at 7:00 p.m. as our 5th Annual From the Hills and Hollers: Appalachian Stories Film Series begins with a classic documentary about the music of the mountains!

Admission is FREE – Tickets are required

This event will include a pre-show presentation by Becks Lipshultz

About the film

Step back in time to 1971 and go inside one of the premiere festivals devoted to the exciting, culturally relevant, and traditional form of music known as Bluegrass. Carlton Haney — a booking agent, talent scout, festival promoter, bluegrass musician, and known widely as “The P.T. Barnum of Country Music” — was one of the first folks to take a stab at promoting the virtues of this age-old style of music from the hills and hollers, largely through the creation of one of the first multi-day festivals featuring bands and solo performers who had been perfecting the style for generations. And, this film offers viewers both a front row seat and a behind-the-scenes look as some of the best performers of the era take the stage.

Featuring bluegrass music’s pioneers, as well as those who would take the music into the future, Bluegrass: Country Soul contains unforgettable performances by the likes of Earl Scruggs, The Osborne Brothers, Ralph Stanley, Chubby Wise, Mac Wiseman, J.D. Crowe, and Jimmy Martin, The Country Gentlemen, Del McCoury, Sam Bush, Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Alan Munde, and more. Also of note is Tony Rice’s final show with The Bluegrass Alliance, and his first outing with J.D. Crowe & the Kentucky Mountain Boys. Most importantly, however, is the legacy this film has enshrined by preserving these legendary moments in color for generations to come.

About the speaker

becks! is a queer singer-songwriter whose Appalachian roots ground their music to place, while pushing the envelope of what it means to ‘belong’ in the folk and old time scenes. Their family history of union organizing and three generations of ‘card carrying communists’ bring an edge to their live performances that ties in some of their more commercial catalogue with the history of the Appalachian region and their family’s own resistances in the Ohio River Valley.

 

 

 

Check out the rest of our Hills & Hollers Series Line-Up

This series is sponsored by University Libraries, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Honors Tutorial College, OU School of Film, and The Office of Signature Academic Experiences.

 

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Running Time: 89 MIN89 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Thursday 09/177:00
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