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Beat the Heat: ERNEST & CELESTINE

Watch Trailer Director: Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner
Writer(s): Daniel Pennac
Awards: Oscar - Best Animated Feature (nom)

In the orphanage underground where she lives, Celestine, a young mouse, has been taught that bears are nasty and evil…not the kind of folks one should associate with. As she prepares to follow the typical rodent trajectory of becoming a dentist, Celestine (who’d much rather be an artist) is tasked with stealthily venturing to the outside world where she must collect the lost baby teeth of bear cubs and bring them back for study. On one such outing, she is discovered by a family of bears and chased into the outside world. She spends a tense night of fear in a trash can and meets Ernest, a unique bear who might just change her ideas about how well mice and bears can get along.

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

 

 

 

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Running Time: 80 MIN80 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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Beat the Heat: SONG OF THE SEA

Watch Trailer Director: Tomm Moore
Awards: Osacr - Best Animated Feature (nom)

Song of the Sea, the second film in Tomm Moore’s “Irish Folklore” trilogy, is the story of a young Irish boy named Ben who learns that his mute sister Saoirse is actually a “selkie” — a mythological creature that can shapeshift from human form to that of a seal. The two children are the son and daughter of a lighthouse keeper’s wife who disappeared after giving birth to the girl and is presumed to have died. Ben has always believed that Saoirse was at fault for their mother’s death and is resentful; however, when the duo run away from their Granny’s house to return to their lighthouse home, they have an adventure beyond their wildest imaginations: Saoirse is tasked with using her magical power of song to save all the world’s mythological beings from the evil witch Macha, and, in the process, restore the wholeness of her family’s broken home.

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

 

 

 

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Running Time: 93 MIN93 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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From the Hills and Hollers: THIS IS PIKE COUNTY with Laura Paglin

Viewing: November 12,2026

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Join us Thursday, November 12th at 7:00 p.m. as our Appalachian Stories Series continues with a haunting and unforgettable documentary about coming of age in a landscape that has been left behind!

Admission is FREE – Tickets are required

About the film

This powerful, intimate, and multi-faceted documentary from filmmaker Laura Paglin delves into the day-to-day lives of the local residents of Piketon and Pike County, Ohio. As the story moves from person to person, an image emerges of a close-knit community struggling to keep its identity while factors like poverty, drug addiction, lack of opportunity, a constantly-shifting cultural landscape, the construction of a nuclear waste storage facility, and an unsolved murder all threaten to erase the values and quality of life that took generations to build. Though the future often looks bleak for Pike County, this film beautifully relates the struggle between the temptation to give up and the urge to hold on.

About the speaker

Laura Paglinis a documentary filmmaker whose more recent films have dealts pecifically with struggles of marginalized communities. No Umbrella–Election Day in the City, which brings us a street level view of election day chaos as it played out in one inner city poling location, premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and aired on HBO. Facing Forward: A Student’s Story, which follows a charismatic but troubled teenager at a strict new inner city charter school, aired nationally on PBS. Paglin’s Unseen tells the complex and horrific story of the Anthony Sowell serial murders that were discovered in Cleveland, Ohio in 2009. Distributed by Filmrise, Unseen has become one of the more popular documentaries on Amazon Prime, having made it to many “best of” lists.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: As a long-time Ohio resident, I hadn’t known about Pike County until a 2016 mass murder brought it into the national spotlight. Curious, I visited in 2017, expecting to explore the tragedy’s aftermath but found myself more drawn to the people, the landscape and stories unrelated to the crime. To gain deeper access into the lives of the these individuals, I lived at the budget motel featured in the film. Over time, a larger story of generational struggles emerged—from drug abuse to environmental degradation, to the murders themselves rooted in a child custody dispute. I realized a traditional narrative wouldn’t capture Pike County’s complexity, so I adopted a thematic approach, allowing each story to stand alone while contributing to the community’s portrait. This method let me juxtapose the community’s pain with its caring, joy, and resilience.

 

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, OU School of Film, and The Office of Signature Academic Experiences.

 

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Running Time: 78 MIN78 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Thursday 11/127:00
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CERAMICS AT THE CINEMA

The Ceramics at the Cinema series is a monthly ceramics series that allows participants the opportunity to glaze a bisqueware ceramic project at The Athena Cinema on a weekend afternoon.

The art of crafting things out of ceramics has been a part of human civilization for tens-of-thousands of years. The remnants of pottery from all of history’s greatest cultures have revealed how the artisans who molded these artifacts out of simple materials also imbued them with soulful artistic flair.

We’re thrilled to bring this ancient tradition into the modern day (and add our own little movie-themed twist) with our new series of events – Ceramics at the Cinema!

Much like our Paint & Sip Party events where we walk you through the creation of a movie-themed painting that is paired with a movie screening, participants for these Ceramics at the Cinema events will be provided with a bisqueware ceramic object – a piece of pottery that has been fired once and hardened – that relates to a film we’ll be screening. You’ll then be instructed how to customize your object with a decorative glaze. Lastly, we’ll collect the glazed ceramics and have them fired a final time to seal the glazing. The finished pieces will then be available for pick up during the week after the event. The end result will be a unique, tangible, and useful cinematic-ceramic souvenir from your time spent with us. Plus, we offer package deals that include a ticket for the related film with your registration fee!

We have three ticket options:

– Ceramics at the Cinema Basic – $30: includes admission to the class with all materials for your ceramic piece

– Ceramics at the Cinema Deluxe Single – $50: includes admission to the class with all the materials for your ceramic piece, 1 ticket to the Movie on the Rooftop, and 2 drinks of your choice

– Ceramics at the Cinema Deluxe Couple – $100: includes admission to the class for 2 with all the materials for your ceramic pieces, 2 tickets to the Movie on the Rooftop, and 4 drinks of your choice

Be advised that open slots to attend the glazing tutorials will be limited to 30 people. These events often sell out fast, so don’t wait to claim your spot.

Schedule:

Class arrival: 12:30-1 p.m.

Class session: 1-2 p.m.

Click the link below to visit our Movies on the Rooftop hubpage for more details about the films associated with the Ceramics at Cinema events:

Movies on the Rooftop

 

The classes will be led by Emily Beveridge and are suitable for beginner-level participants. Finished pieces will be ready for pick up at the cinema one week after the event.

Emily Beveridge has lived her entire adult life in Athens, Ohio, first coming to the city to study Painting at Ohio University in 2002. She is committed to public service, consistently serving as an Election Judge from 2002-2020, and as an Americorps VISTA for The Federal Valley Resource Center from 2006-2008. She served as the Program Specialist for Arts West, The City of Athens operated municipal arts center from 2017-2023. Beveridge currently serves as a Board Member for The Athens County Independent News, and The Athens Artist Memorial Project.

Emily holds a BFA and an MFA in Painting from Ohio University. She has instructed and organized arts education opportunities for youth since 2006. Over the past 22 years, she has helped create and promote countless cultural events for her community. She is a visual artist, curator, grant writer, graphic designer, gardener, and professional DJ handler. She is currently creating a series of paintings which will focus on themes of the medieval, the apocalypse and women’s rights.

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Movies on the Rooftop

What could be better than settling down to a classic movie with a bag of popcorn and delicious refreshments..? Doing it under the stars!

With our Movies on the Rooftop Series, we’re recapturing the classic vibe of sitting in a convertible during the drive-in movie era. The films in this series are screened atop the Athens City Parking Garage – affording a lovely view of the Uptown skyline – using our large inflatable screen and outdoor A/V setup.

Once the sun goes down, the stars come out — both the ones in the sky and the ones on the silver screen!

Visit this link to view our Rooftop FAQ page which provides further details about the series events.

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From the Hills and Hollers: STRANGERS AND KIN: A HISTORY OF THE HILLBILLY IMAGE with Dr. Rachel Terman

Viewing: January 21,2027

Join us Thursday, January 21st as our Appalachian Stories Film Series continues with a poignant Appalshop documentary that examines the various “hillbilly” stereotypes associated with people from Appalachia!

Admission is FREE – Tickets are required

About the film

Sometimes funny, sometimes moving, this short 1983 Appalshop-produced documentary from filmmaker Herb E. Smith explores how the image of the “hillbilly” — and the negative stereotypes that come along with it — have unfairly taken root in the American psyche due to their proliferation in literature, film, news coverage, and other media of popular culture…in many cases as an underhanded way to ease the guilt of exploiting the rich resources and people of the Appalachian region of the United States.

About the speaker

Dr. Rachel Terman is Eric A. Wagner Associate Professor of Sociology at Ohio University and affiliate faculty with the Appalachian Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies programs. She will introduce the film by discussing the connections among Appalachia, gender, and labor in a historical and current context.

 

 

 

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, OU School of Film, and The Office of Signature Academic Experiences.

 

 

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Running Time: 48 MIN48 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Thursday 01/217:00
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LONGLEGS: Last Day Thursday, July 25th

Watch Trailer Director: Osgood Perkins
Cast: Nicholas Cage, Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood, Kiernan Shipka

FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) wrestles with solving a strange case centered around a spate of serial murders which seem to point to a Satanic killer known as “Longlegs”. As Harker uncovers more evidence and descends deeper into the occult world surrounding the case, her investigation becomes even more puzzling as she discovers that she may have a personal connection to the killer. Time is of the essence if she hopes to bring the murders to an end.

Set in the 1990’s, this stylish horror-thriller from writer/director Osgood Perkins (son of Psycho star Anthony Perkins) stars Nicholas Cage, Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood, and Kiernan Shipka.

 

 

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Running Time: 101 MIN101 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. This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

Longlegs gets under your skin and stays there, immersing you so thoroughly in the repulsive, discomforting nature of evil through terrifying imagery and a tactile atmosphere that it’s unshakable.

Meagan Navarro
Bloody Disgusting
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From the Hills and Hollers: A BEAST TOUCH THE MOUNTAIN

Viewing: February 25,2027

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Join us Thursday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m. for the next installment in our Appalachian Stories Film Series as we present a film that shows the tenacity, grit, and perseverance of Appalachian women!

Admission is FREE – Tickets are required

About the film

Filmed over a year’s time in the region around Bent Mountain, VA, the filmmakers join a band of Appalachian local women in their underfunded, outmatched, and long-term battle against a corporation whose greed and corruption will seemingly stop at nothing to build a natural gas pipeline through the beautiful landscape of the Virginia mountains and put at risk the environment and livelihoods of tens of thousands of residents throughout Virginia and West Virginia.

Directed by award-winning screenwriter and director James Mottern — a Virginian himself — A Beast Touch The Mountain is a film with both a widespread message and a deeply personal one.

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, OU School of Film, and The Office of Signature Academic Experiences.

 

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Running Time: 78 MIN78 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Thursday 02/257:00
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WE GROWN NOW: Last Day Thursday, May 16th

Watch Trailer Director: Minhal Baig
Cast: Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson

In 1992 Chicago, as Michael Jordan solidifies his legacy as a champion, the story of two young boys growing up in Cabrini Green begins — they may become legends in their own right. Wide-eyed and imaginative best friends, Malik and Eric wander the city, seeking to escape the banalities of school and the hardships of growing up in public housing. Their seemingly-unbreakable bond is challenged when tragedy shakes their community just as they are learning to fly.

Starring newcomers Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez, this new film from writer/director Minhal Baig has already won the Changemaker Award at TIFF and the Audience Choice for Best New US Feature award at the Chicago International Film Festival.

 

 

 

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Running Time: 103 MIN103 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. This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

It’s a resolutely poetic, at times even golden-hued portrait of lives unafraid to hope amid growing despair.

Robert Abele
Los Angeles Times
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