Before he gave us The Lady Eve, writer-director Preston Sturges delivered one of Hollywood’s great love letters to the movies with Sullivan’s Travels, a hilarious and heartfelt comedy that asks one timeless question: what good are movies in difficult times?

Successful movie director John L. Sullivan, convinced he won’t be able to film his ambitious masterpiece until he has suffered, dons a hobo disguise and sets off on a journey, aiming to “know trouble” first-hand. When all he finds is a train ride back to Hollywood and a beautiful blonde companion, he redoubles his efforts, managing to land himself in more trouble than he bargained for when he loses his memory and ends up a prisoner on a chain gang.

More than eighty years later, Sullivan’s Travels’ message feels as vital as ever. If you’ve ever wondered whether movies can change lives, this is one of the greatest arguments ever put forward! Come see this classic on the big screen!

An auteur emerges from America’s underclass.

From migrant farmworker to revolutionary artist, Luis Valdez changed American culture. His El Teatro Campesino performed on flatbed trucks and helped mobilize California’s farm workers. His Zoot Suit was the first Chicano play on Broadway. Despite critical rejection that killed the show’s New York run, he persevered, creating La Bamba, a blockbuster that brought Mexican-American life to a global audience.

Now in its 60th year, El Teatro continues to be a beacon for Latino creators. American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez is the first feature documentary about this American original, narrated by Edward James Olmos reprising his legendary El Pachuco role, featuring Cheech Marin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dolores Huerta, and Linda Ronstadt. The film weaves 4K-restored archival footage, including over 80,000 feet of deteriorating 1970s celluloid rescued and digitized for the first time, with the story of a man who proved that Chicanos have always been America.

Don’t worry, you’ll like it.

Gregg Araki’s long-awaited return to the big screen, I Want Your Sex, is coming to The Frida Cinema!

When fresh-faced Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder.

More than thirty years after the Teen Apocalypse Trilogy shocked independent cinema, I Want Your Sex proves Araki hasn’t lost his appetite for challenging audiences, reminding us why he is one of American cinema’s most fearless and singular voices.

Frida Cinema favorite Kiyoshi Kurosawa is back, yet again, with his latest epic: The Samurai and the Prisoner!

When Lord Murashige (Masahiro Motoki) rises up against the tyrannical Oda (Bando Shingo), he finds himself besieged within the walls of his own castle. Isolated, he is confronted with a series of mysterious crimes that shatter the fragile order of his court, plunging the fortress into fear and suspicion. With Oda’s army closing in and a traitor hiding among his ranks, Murashige is forced into an uneasy alliance with Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda), a brilliant yet dangerous strategist held prisoner in the dungeon. Helped by his wife Chiyoho (Yuriko Yoshitaka) and his most loyal generals, Murashige must uncover the truth before the castle falls.

A restrained samurai mystery that uses the genre to explore morality, The Samurai and the Prisoner boasts an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoesand was one of the major standouts at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Don’t miss your chance to see it on the big screen!

This special film screening will be held at The Frida Cinema located in the Downtown Santa Ana Historic District.

Admission includes a complimentary small popcorn 🍿, film screening, and a Q&A w/ Danny Jolles!

About the Film

What Happens in a Year: A Danny Jolles Special | Runtime: 1 hr 3 min

On his 36th birthday, comedian Danny Jolles set out to document a year of his life and the standup it inspired. He hoped to capture a fun look at how a comedian’s jokes come to be.

What emerged instead was a funny–and unexpectedly wrenching–rumination on loss, family and the cost of art.

Presented by Alex Edelman and created alongside Don’t Tell Comedy, What Happens In A Year is a chronicle of what happens when making sense of your life onstage becomes essential to living it.

After the screening, Danny Jolles will discuss the making of the special, offering exclusive insight into the filming process, followed by an audience Q&A!

About Danny Jolles

Danny Jolles is a versatile comedian best known for playing “George” on The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, created by Rachel Bloom. His other comedy credits include appearances on Ramy (Hulu), Babylon (Paramount), Imperfect Woman (Apple), and the Peacock series Ted, created by Seth MacFarlane. Danny also appeared in six episodes of the penultimate season of Hacks (HBO) as Nate. A former face of the JFL in 2017, Danny released his first stand-up show, Danny Joles: Six Parts, in 2021, which was recognized as one of the best comedy shows of 2021 by The New York Times. In 2023, he followed up with the first-ever interactive stand-up show, You Choose, which garnered critical acclaim from publications such as The New York Times, Vulture, and Forbes. His third show, What Happens In A Year, is currently touring various festivals worldwide.