Our first Volunteer of the Month pick for September comes from Sophia T, who has chosen the 1963 musical Bye Bye Birdie!

Based on the beloved Broadway musical, this ’60s classic follows rock ‘n’ roll heartthrob Conrad Birdie as he heads to a small Ohio town for one last televised kiss before being drafted into the Army, throwing the entire town into a frenzy of teenage rock ‘n’ roll mayhem.

Starring Ann-Margret, Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh, Bobby Rydell, Paul Lynde, and Maureen Stapleton, Bye Bye Birdie is a colorful, energetic blast of early-’60s pop culture packed with unforgettable songs!

Hope, the wild new sci-fi epic from The Wailing director Na Hong-jin, is coming to The Frida Cinema!

In the remote South Korean village of Hope Harbor, police chief Bum-seok and officer Sung-ae are called to investigate a mysterious creature wreaking havoc on the community. But all is not as it seems, and perceptions can be misleading. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions.

Starring Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell, Hope is a sprawling, genre-bending monster movie that mixes Korean thriller intensity with wild sci-fi spectacle. The film premiered in Competition at Cannes, where it received a six-minute standing ovation, and has already been hailed for its ferocious action and audacious filmmaking.

An entire civilization must confront its destiny in alternative-animation pioneer René Laloux’s final feature, Gandahar, a cult classic of mind-bending science fiction that has been restored in 4K thanks to fine folks at Janus Films! 

In a distant world, a merciless army of automata attacks Gandahar, turning its peace-loving people to stone. Hoping to discover the source of these Men of Metal, a council of matriarchs enlists the brave yet inexperienced warrior Sylvain (Pierre-Marie Escourro), who, while journeying through his planet’s outer regions, teams up with the Deformed, a race cast out from Gandahar after failed science experiments rendered them mutants. Soon, Sylvain learns that a gargantuan brain called Metamorphis (Georges Wilson) is responsible for his utopian society’s strife, and together with the beautiful Airelle (Catherine Chevallier), travels through time to defeat him, in the process risking their lives and Gandahar’s very existence.

Featuring stunningly surreal creatures and wondrously bizarre environments designed by renowned comic-book artist Caza, Gandahar is a visceral, visionary head-trip in which animation opens a gateway to the furthest reaches of the imagination.

You want. He wants. She wants. But nobody wants what I want.

Our second Volunteer of the Month pick for September 2026 comes courtesy of Amrut, who has chosen Todd Solondz’s hilarious and deeply uncomfortably 1998 film Happiness, which we are presenting in a brand new 4K restoration thanks to Universal Pictures!

The story follows three sisters and the increasingly troubled people orbiting their lives, leading to a brutally funny look at the desperate search for connection in suburban America. The less plot explained about this one…the better!

Featuring Jane Adams, Dylan Baker, Lara Flynn Boyle, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Cynthia Stevenson, Happiness is a fearless portrait of how disturbing things can get when you’re searching for the purpose of life.

Our fuzzy overlords return to the big screen with CatVideoFest 2026!

What’s CatVideoFest? Well…it’s a compilation of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. Each year, across the country, local theaters partner with nearby cat-focused charities, animal welfare associations and shelters alike, donating a portion of ticket proceeds from every show goes directly to local cats in need. 

This year, The Frida Cinema is partnering with local org Smitten With The Kittens, who will receive 20% of all tickets sold, plus will be taking additional donations in our lobby! 

Portal to Hell, the new indie horror gem, is coming to The Frida Cinema! And stick around the screening for a Q&A with writer/director Woody Bess and producer Lucas Ford!

After a debt-collector finds a portal to hell in a washing machine at his local laundromat, he’s propositioned into feeding it sinners to save his neighbor’s soul, maybe even at the expense of his own.

Check out the trailer below and come see it on the big screen!