Blue Sky Icon TikTok Icon

Sustainability Series: FARMING WHILE BLACK with Tony Noble

Watch Trailer Director: Mark Decena
Cast: Leah Penniman, Blain Snipstal, Karen Washington

At the turn of the 20th century in America, the proportion of Black-owned farms was roughly 1-in-7. Today, however, that number has fallen precipitously to about 1-in-50. In 2018, author Leah Penniman, an educator, food-sovereignty activist, and co-founder of the Soul Fire Farm, penned a book called Farming While Black that examines this trend and reflects on the plight of Black farmers in the US. Through her efforts to educate, her activism, and now through this documentary from filmmaker Mark Decena (Dopamine, Watershed), Leah and others seek to inspire a new generation of Black farmers with a deeper understanding of the legacy of African agrarianism — and how this legacy may hold the key to saving the planet.

About the Speaker

Anthony Noble is a manager at the OHIO Student Farm where he integrates his love of teaching, nature and healthy living. He has studied engineering, urban planning, permaculture, conflict resolution, herbs and many other things that have peaked his curiosity. Tony believes play and creativity are essential to understanding and pursuing regenerative agriculture.

 

 

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.

Learn more about the Voinovich School’s Environmental Studies Program’s 50th Anniversary

Share this Film

Click on Showtimes to Get Tickets Online
Running Time: 77 MIN77 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

From the Hills and Hollers: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS with Dr. Tiffany Arnold

Watch Trailer Director: Jonathan Demme
Cast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Awards: Oscar - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay

Jodie Foster stars as FBI agent Clarice Starling who is tasked with investigating a string of murders involving overweight women that appears to be the work of an emerging serial killer. To gain insight into the psychological profile of the suspect, Starling pays a visit to Dr Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter, a highly-intelligent ex-forensic psychiatrist who himself has been incarcerated in a mental hospital for his predilection for killing (and eating) a series of victims. As the Starling inches ever closer to her quarry, she steps deeper into the Lecter’s sphere of influence and has to fight hard to stay out from under his spell.

Silence of the Lambs swept the Academy Awards upon its release in 1991, winning 5 of the top honors. Not only has it been recognized as one of the best films of all-time, the character of Clarice Starling (as portrayed by Foster) has been ranked as the “greatest heroine in film history” by the American Film Institute: Foster expertly conveys Starling’s back-story as a young woman with roots in rural West Virginia, showing that a person from Appalachia is capable of overcoming insurmountable odds.

About the Speaker

Dr. Tiffany Arnold is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the College of Health Sciences and Professions where she coordinates the Appalachian Studies Undergraduate and Graduate Certificate Programs. Additionally, she teaches Public Health and Environmental Health Courses Focused on Appalachian studies.

One of Dr. Arnold’s interests is the way that the Appalachian Region is portrayed in films and in the media, and she draws upon this interest to help others think critically about their own perceptions of the region and most importantly, where these ideas come from. She will be discussing both the common and unlikely ways that Appalachian culture appears in the film “The Silence of the Lambs”. A film that is not often thought of as a representation of Appalachia.

Check out the rest of our films for the Appalachian Stories series

This series is sponsored by the Ohio Honors Program, University Libraries, College of Health Sciences and Professions, The Department of Social and Public Health, GO Local, University College, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The Multicultural Center and The Black Student Cultural Programming Board, Center for Campus and Community Engagement, and The Women’s Center.

Share this Film

Click on Showtimes to Get Tickets Online
Running Time: 118 MIN118 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

Horror In Color: TALES FROM THE HOOD

Watch Trailer Director: Rusty Cundieff
Cast: Clarence Williams III, Corbin Bernsen, Rosalind Cash

One Night Only: Friday, October 25th at 7:00 p.m.

Join us for a special event screening of the classic horror film from 1992!

Admission is FREE, but tickets are required

Halloween will be here before you know it! So, as a riff on the fantastic Heroes In Color Series we did earlier this year, we’ve teamed up once again with local movie-lovers Dr Gordon Briggs and Brandon Thompson to bring you a scarier version: Horror In Color!

About the Film

With its prefect fusion of horror and black comedy, Tales From The Hood is a laugh-out-loud 90’s classic that weaves together an anthology of four stories that deal with issues related to life in the inner city. Clarence Williams III (“Link” from The Mod Squad) stars as “Mr Simms”, an eccentric, drug-dealing funeral parlor owner who encounters Stack, Ball, and Bulldog – three gangstas who come to the parlor for a hook-up – and takes the young G’s on a tour of the stories associated with the bodies awaiting their final resting place.

The stories include: “Rogue Cop Revelation”, a tale about the revenge of a murdered civil rights activist who haunts some perpetrators of police corruption; “Boys Do Get Bruised”, a voodoo-esque story about a boy who suffers domestic abuse from his mother’s boyfriend; “KKK Comeuppance”, a racist politician is tormented by an evil doll; and “Hard-Core Convert”, a homicidal gangster is sent to prison where he is torturously forced to atone for killing so many innocent black people from his own community.

With its nod to classic anthologies like Tales From The Crypt and Dead of Night, this fun film is an excellent mix of edge-of-your-seat horror and biting satire. The supporting cast includes Corbin Bernsen, Tom Wright, Brandon Hammond, David Alan Grier, and Rosalind Cash; and, the soundtrack is rife with great rap songs from some of the best artists of the genre, including Wu-Tang Clan, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, MC Eiht, and Gravediggaz.

 

This event has been made possible by the following sponsors: The Mathson Family and The Pub, The Ohio University Division of Diversity & Inclusion, and The Ohio Arts Council

 

 

Share this Film

Click on Showtimes to Get Tickets Online
Running Time: 98 MIN98 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

McCarey for Progress Campaign Event: Special Screening of HEAD OF STATE

Watch Trailer Director: Chris Rock
Cast: Chris Rock, Bernie Mac, Robin Givens

Join us Friday, November 1st at 7:00 p.m. for a special campaign event featuring a screening of Chris Rock’s 2003 political comedy Head of State!

This is an exciting opportunity to gather together in the final days of Micah McCarey’s campaign for Ohio’s House of Representatives, District 95. Come for laughs, camaraderie, and to show your support for a candidate who’s committed to progress and positive change in our community.

Admission is free and open to the public – Tickets are still required

Meet-and-Greet: 7:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Film Begin: 7:30 p.m.

About the Film

Written and directed by Chris Rock, Head of State tells the story of Washington, DC alderman Mays Gilliam who finds himself unexpectedly chosen to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States when the original nominees for prez and vice-prez are accidentally killed in a plane crash. Gilliam is considered a local hero because he selflessly saved the life of a woman who fell victim to an explosion, and the Dems think that, even though he is not likely to win, Gilliam’s visibility will serve their chances for a victory in an election down the road. Plus, he’s infinitely likeable! When Mays finds himself actually rising in the polls, he starts to take his campaign seriously and begins to speak his mind about what he thinks are the real problems facing the country…in the hilarious way that only Chris Rock can!

 

Share this Film

Click on Showtimes to Get Tickets Online
Running Time: 95 MIN95 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

OU School of Film: 2ND YEAR MFA SCREENING

Viewing: November 08,2025

Come celebrate the excellent work of budding filmmakers from the OHIO School of Film’s 2nd-year MFA Program!

Saturday, November 2nd at 7:00 p.m.

The event is FREE and open to the public – Tickets are required for entry

The screening will consist of a series of short films created exclusively by film students who are completing their second year in the School of Film MFA program. We’ve done these screenings numerous times, and the quality of work is always top-notch…you don’t want to miss this special event!

The Films and Filmmakers

The Lost Party by Aram Riazi. Runtime: 21 min

Synopsis: After the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of morality police in Iran, three Iranian women living abroad confront feelings of homesickness, loneliness, and alienation. Their stories reflect the emotional toll of displacement, as they yearn for a homeland they can no longer fully return to.

 

 

Christ Complex by Constanze Brodbeck. Runtime: 5 min 10 secs

Synopsis: Connie explores her relationship to the divine during Easter season.

 

 

 

Janet by James Joseph Valiyakulathil. Runtime: 14 min

Synopsis: Janet, a 17-year-old from a rural town, realizes her water has broken during a late-night shift at her retail job. Panicked, she drives toward a distant hospital, but the journey is too long. Alone and terrified, she delivers her baby in the car, deep in the middle of the forest, transforming her life forever.

 

 

.

Henna Stain by Nimco Yuusuf. Runtime: 14 min 33 sec

Synopsis: Magool, a first-generation Somali-American, exists in two worlds – the Somali and the American worlds. As an interpreter, she experiences firsthand the clash between the two worlds, which makes her question her place in the two spaces and the place of women in Somali culture.

 

 

Flower Thief by Peter Owusu. Runtime: 15 min 11 sec

Synopsis: Flower Thief tells the captivating story of Kofi, a teenage boy who sells flowers on the bustling streets of Athens after stealing from graves. His life takes an otherworldly turn when he becomes trapped in the underworld. To escape his ghostly existence, Kofi must navigate the transformative power of selfless acts, ultimately finding hope in the most unlikeliest of  places.

 

First Date by Mira Steuer. Runtime: 3 min 56 sec

Synopsis: A young man drives his grandmother to her first date since the death of her husband.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share this Film

Click on Showtimes to Get Tickets Online
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

Sustainability Series: THE VELVET QUEEN with Kristeena Blaser

Watch Trailer Director: Marie Amiguet, Vincent Munier

Award-winning wildlife photographer Vincent Munier and writer Sylvain Tesson join together to comb the frigid highlands of Tibet on a quest to track down and document the region’s elusive big cat – the snow leopard. The two Frenchmen learn hard lessons of patience and perseverance while enduring the harsh environs in the hopes of revealing the beauty and magnificence of this rarely-seen phantom of the mysterious mountains. It is a journey that compels them to reflect upon not only their own individual humanity, but also the larger role that humans play in the grand scheme of life on Earth. For anyone who has read Peter Matthiessen’s National Book Award-winning account of his similar attempt at making contact with Nepal’s snow leopard in the 1970’s, The Velvet Queen promises a visually satisfying experience equivalent to Matthiessen’s literary one.

About the Speaker

Kristeena Blaser graduated from Ohio University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a focus on environmental, sustainability and climate change politics. She received her Master of Science in Environmental Studies from Ohio University in 2017. While attending graduate school, she worked as a graduate assistant for the Office of Sustainability at Ohio University. She also worked as a GSI technician, landscape and maintenance worker, and a research assistant for an anerobic digestion project. While also working at the on-campus recycling center and compost facility when time permitted. Since graduation, she has worked as the Sustainability Coordinator for Aramark at Kent State University within their Dining Services department, as the Sustainability Coordinator at Oklahoma State University, and since March of 2023 has served as the Director of Sustainability for the Columbus Zoo Family of Parks.

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.

Learn more about the Voinovich School’s Environmental Studies Program’s 50th Anniversary

Share this Film

Click on Showtimes to Get Tickets Online
Running Time: 92 MIN92 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

Native American Heritage Month: SMOKE SIGNALS

Watch Trailer Director: Chris Eyre
Cast: Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer

Join us Thursday, November 7th at 7:00 p.m. as we host a special screening of SMOKE SIGNALS in celebration of Native American Heritage Month!

FREE Admission – tickets are required for entry

Written, directed, produced, and performed exclusively by a Native American creative team, Smoke Signals was the first feature film of its kind when it was released in 1998, winning countless awards on the independent film festival circuit and paving the way for greater representation in media for indigenous cultures via projects like Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, Reservation Dogs, Prey, and True Detective: Night Country.

About the Film

Prompted by the death of his acerbic and alcoholic father, Victor Joseph and his childhood friend, Thomas Builds-the-fire, embark on a road trip beyond the boundaries of the Coeur d’Alene Reservation in order to retrieve the ashes of the dead man. The two friends each had a different relationship with the deceased – in Victor’s case, his father was not the best of role models; in Thomas’ case, the man saved his life from a house fire during infancy. Moreover, Victor and Thomas have different personalities and perspectives on their native identities, and these many differences come to the surface as the two make the very important (and often hilarious) journey to their ultimate destination — each learning a great deal about the other when it finally comes to spread the ashes and say farewell.

 

Share this Film

Click on Showtimes to Get Tickets Online
Running Time: 89 MIN89 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

It is a warm film of friendship and reconciliation, and whenever it refers to historic injustices or contemporary issues in Native American culture, it does so with wry, glancing humor.

Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
Read full story · Comments { 0 }

Stand With Ukraine Through Film: THE GUIDE

Watch Trailer Director: Oles Sanin

In collaboration with Stand With Ukraine Through Film, we’re pleased to host a screening of the award-winning 2014 Ukrainian film The Guide – Please join us and show your support for the people of Ukraine.

Wednesday, November 13th at 7:00 p.m.

Admission is free and open to the public

About the Event

November is the time of the year when Ukraine commemorates the millions of its people who fell victim to Holodomor (“death by starvation”, in Ukrainian) in 1932-33 – a famine caused by the policies of the Communist Party and Soviet government authorities headed by Josef Stalin. To support Ukrainian people in this commemoration and to learn more about Ukrainian culture join the screening and Ukrainian Poetry Night to be hosted on November 9th, at Donkey Coffee, 5-7 pm, by the student organization Bobcats for Ukraine. Special thanks to Tetyana Dovbnya who made these events possible and who will introduce the film.

For more information about Bobcats for Ukraine, contact Tetyana Dovbnya at dovbnya@ohio.edu

For the entire month of November, we’ll be accepting donations for Ukrainian Relief Funds – please consider showing your support for the people of Ukraine.

About the Film

Ten-year-old American boy Peter Shamrock arrives with his father in Soviet Ukraine during the tumultuous 1930’s. When the boy’s father, an engineer who is in-country to bolster the cause for Socialism, is killed by Stalin’s police for possession of secret documents that detail the oppression of the Soviet regime, Peter goes into hiding. He encounters Ivan, a blind “kobzar” – an itinerant minstrel who travels from village to village, performing folksongs to earn a livelihood – and becomes the man’s guide. As the two wander the famine-stricken country, Ivan teaches Peter how he can survive with a pure soul amidst an unforgiving landscape where the danger of losing one’s innocence is an everyday reality.

Directed by Ukrainian filmmaker Oles Sanin, The Guide was Ukraine’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards. While it failed to garner the nomination for Oscar, the film is still regarded as a fine achievement and stands as a critically-acclaimed, heartfelt drama about a nation that continues to this day to exert its independence from Russia’s political designs.

This event is made possible thanks to the following sponsors: Ohio University Honors Tutorial College and the Ohio University School of Film

Share this Film

Click on Showtimes to Get Tickets Online
Running Time: 122 MIN122 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

From the Hills and Hollers: FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES with Josh Brooks

Watch Trailer Director: Robert Tinnell
Cast: Skyler Gisondo, Madison Iseman, Joe Pantoliano

It’s Christmastime, 1983, in a small rust-belt town in the Monongahela River Valley. Tony Oliverio, a good Catholic boy from a large family, is on holiday break from the local community college where he’s enrolled in business classes so he can (reluctantly) take over the family grocery store after he graduates. One night, he bumps into Beth, a beautiful blonde Protestant girl, at a club and they hit it off. Only trouble is, Tony’s self-destructive ex-girlfriend (who’s still strongly in love with Tony) sets herself on a course of action that could make some waves for Tony and Beth’s budding relationship. There’s also the fact that Tony’s eccentric Catholic family isn’t quite ready to accept his hanging out with a Protestant girl, no matter how wonderful she might be. And, last but not least, Tony isn’t even sure if getting a business degree is the direction he wants to take in life. A lot can happen to a young man during winter break!

Starring Skyler Gisondo (Licorice Pizza), Madison Iseman, and Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos), and directed by West Virginia native Robert Tinnell, Feast of the Seven Fishes is a fun comedy about family ties and traditions and what it takes to find your own way in life.

 

About the Speaker

Joshua Brooks is a 35-year veteran of community and professional theater and film throughout middle Appalachia. He could not be more proud of his involvement in this unique, loving, and accurate story of romance and family in our strong and beautiful region. He was also apparently a “student” at THE Ohio University some years ago, but memories are “fuzzy”.

 

 

Check out the rest of our films for the Appalachian Stories series

This series is sponsored by the Ohio Honors Program, University Libraries, College of Health Sciences and Professions, The Department of Social and Public Health, GO Local, University College, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The Multicultural Center and The Black Student Cultural Programming Board, Center for Campus and Community Engagement, and The Women’s Center.

Share this Film

Click on Showtimes to Get Tickets Online
Running Time: 99 MIN99 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE: 20th Anniversary Extravaganza!

Watch Trailer

Are you ready, kids..? Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? That’s right – SpongeBob SquarePants!

And, guess what turns 20 this year..? The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie!

Come join us to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of this fun animated comedy/adventure based on the hit cartoon series. We’ll have a themed cocktail, pre-show trivia, and (hopefully) some ambitious folks dressed as their favorite SpongeBob character!

Screenings:

Friday, November 15th at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 16th at 3:00 p.m.

Admission is $8

Themed Cocktail: “The Triple Goober-Berry Sunrise”

About the film

Set sail with SpongeBob and his best friend Patrick as they venture beyond the bounds of Bikini Bottom on a wild and wacky quest. Mr. Krabs, proprietor of the Krusty Krab restaurant where SpongeBob works (and hopes to become manager of a new location), is charged with stealing King Neptune’s crown. However, it seems as though old Krabs has been set up! So, Spongebob and Patrick embark on a quest to Shell City where they hope to recover the crown and clear Krabs’ name (and, obviously, to get on Krabs’ good side). But, if you know anything about SpongeBob, you know that things won’t be that simple!

 

Share this Film

Click on Showtimes to Get Tickets Online
Running Time: 97 MIN97 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Read full story · Comments { 0 }