When a twenty-something retail clerk encounters a rising pop star, he takes the opportunity to edge his way into the in-crowd. But as the line between friend and fan blurs beyond recognition, access and proximity become a matter of life and death.This is Lurker. 

The directorial debut from The Bear and Beef writer-producer Alex Russell, Lurker is an exhilarating cat-and-mouse thriller made for the moment. Online fixation meets reality in this parasocial, paranoid film driven by a brilliant score and star-making performances.

The Baltimorons is a mirthful and intimate holiday gem—Jay Duplass’s solo directorial debut since 2012—that transforms a cracked tooth into a night of transformative encounters. Against the wintry backdrop of Baltimore, an unlikely romance unfolds between a newly sober comedian and his reserved dentist in a walk-and-talk odyssey of quiet humor, emotional honesty, and offbeat charm. 

Winner of SXSW’s Audience Award, this modestly magnetic film is both a gift to indie lovers and a tender celebration of connection in the most unexpected of hours.

The penultimate film in our Arthouse 101: Japanese Cinema series is Isao Takahata’s Grave Of The Fireflies!

In the final days of World War II, two siblings—teenaged Seita and his little sister Setsuko—struggle to survive in firebombed Kobe after losing their home, their parents, and eventually, their place in a society that has collapsed around them. What follows is not just a war story, but a story of love, resilience, and unbearable loss.

Rendered with breathtaking beauty by the legendary animators at Studio Ghibli, Grave of the Fireflies is often called one of the greatest animated films ever made. It is also one of the most emotionally shattering anti-war films of any kind—haunting not because of spectacle, but because of its heartbreaking truth.

Arthouse 101: Japanese Cinema is a curated 12-film trip through the evolution of Japan—from the quiet post-war resilience of the 1940s all the way to the radical reinventions of the 1990s. Each Monday this July-September, we will explore a new facet of this incredible nation’s cinematic journey throughout the 20th century! All films will be presented in their original Japanese language with English subtitles!

Leos Carax’s delirious saga The Lovers On The Bridge is coming to The Frida Cinema in a brand new 4K restoration!

The story traces the highs and lows of the passionate relationship that develops between a homeless artist (Juliette Binoche) who is losing her sight and a troubled, alcoholic street performer (Denis Lavant) living on Paris’s famed Pont-Neuf bridge. Capturing their romantic abandon with a giddy expressionist energy—especially in a wild dance sequence set against an explosion of fireworks— this whirlwind love story is an exhilarating journey through a relationship that confirmed Carax’s status as one of the leading lights of the post–New Wave French cinema.

This 4K restoration was carried out by TransPerfect Media from the original 35mm film negative and multi tracks. Color grading supervised by Caroline Champetier, sound by Thomas Guader. Project supervised by Sophie Boyer, Jean Pierre Boiget and the StudioCanal team. Digitization and restoration done with the support of the CNC and the participation of Theo Films.

Volunteer of the Month pick, selected by one of September’s Volunteers of the Month – The Amazing Aaron!

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Hackers, director Iain Softley’s neon-soaked cyber-thriller that lives on as a 90’s cult classic. Jonny Lee Miller stars as Dade “Zero Cool” Murphy, a teenage hacker banned from computers after crashing Wall Street at age eleven. Now a high school senior, he falls in with a ragtag crew of cyber-rebels led by the brilliant and fearless Kate “Acid Burn” Libby (Angelina Jolie). When the group accidentally uncovers a massive corporate conspiracy, they must outwit the FBI, take on a ruthless security officer (Fisher Stevens), and prove their innocence before they’re taken down by the system.

A cult classic bursting with wild style, pulsing electronica, and gloriously outdated tech lingo, Hackers remains a fast-paced celebration of youthful rebellion, and the anarchic spirit of the early internet age.