Our second Volunteer Of The Month pick for April is courtesy of Brett, as he has chosen the 1963 classic The Great Escape!

The story follows a group of captured Allied soldiers are held in a high-security German POW camp designed to be escape-proof. Instead of waiting out the war, they band together to plan a meticulously coordinated breakout. As they dig tunnels, forge documents, and risk everything for a chance at freedom, one small mistake could lead to their ultimate demise.

Led by an all-star cast including Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough, this WWII classic is remembered for its unforgettable set pieces, making it one of the most thrilling escape adventures ever put on screen.

Some search for battle, others are born into it…

Paul Thomas Anderson’s towering epic One Battle After Another, fresh off of its six Oscar wins for Best Picture, Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), Best Adapted Screenplay (Paul Thomas Anderson), Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn), Best Film Editing (Andy Jurgensen), and first ever Best Casting award (Cassandra Kulukundis), is finally coming to The Frida Cinema!

Washed-up revolutionary Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa (played by the incredible Chase Infiniti, in her first movie role ever). When his evil nemesis (Sean Penn) resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.

Immediately becoming one the defining films, for better or worse, of the 2020s, now is the time see One Battle After Another loud and proud on the big screen.

Watermelon Pictures is proud to present Palestine 36, their new humanist cinematic tour de force!

1936. As villages across Mandatory Palestine rise against British colonial rule, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.

One of the year’s most lauded and highly anticipated films, Palestine 36 has received universal audience and critical acclaim in its festival rollout, including a record-setting 23 minute standing ovation at TIFF, and a win for Best Film at The Tokyo International Film Festival, while holding a rating of 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Desire takes a dangerous turn in David Cronenberg’s controversial Cannes classic Crash, playing for a limited time at The Frida Cinema in April for its 30th anniversary!

In Crash, James Spader plays a film producer drawn into a secretive subculture after a near-fatal car accident. Alongside his wife (Deborah Kara Unger), he encounters a group of outsiders led by the enigmatic Elias Koteas, whose members, including characters played by Holly Hunter and Rosanna Arquette, share an unsettling obsession with the erotic possibilities of car crashes. It’s exactly as wild as it sounds.

This cold, controversial drama explores the intersection of technology, desire, and the human body, making it potentially the most Cronenbergian film ever made.