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.

The first film in our 13-film Humphrey Bogart retrospective is  To Have and Have Not, the film that introduced the world to the electric pairing of Bogie and Bacall!

Set in wartime Martinique, Bogart plays a tough American boat captain trying to stay neutral while Bacall arrives as a mysterious young drifter with a cigarette, a razor-sharp wit, and a look that could stop the story cold. What begins as a smoldering battle of nerves soon pulls both into a dangerous resistance plot.

Directed by Howard Hawks and written in part by William Faulkner, To Have and Have Not belongs entirely to its stars, launching one of cinema’s most iconic romances.

The award-winning documentary The Shepherd And The Bear is coming to The Frida Cinema! And stick around after the film as we have an in-person discussion with the director of the film, Max Keegan!

Set high in the majestic French Pyrenees, The Shepherd And The Bear explores a conflict provoked by the reintroduction of brown bears in the midst of a traditional shepherding community. The film follows an aging shepherd who struggles to find a successor as bears prey on his flock, and a teenage boy who becomes obsessed with tracking the bears. Through its breathtaking cinematography and immersive storytelling, the film is a modern folktale about tradition, community, and humanity’s relationship with a vanishing natural world.

The Shepherd And The Bear won the Living with Wildlife Award at the 48th International Wildlife Film Festival and played at Margaret Mead Film Festival in the American Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, Big Sky Documentary, Visions du Réel, Full Frame, Sydney Film Festival, Salem Film Fest where it was nominated for the American Cinematography Magazine Award.

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.

Just added: actor/comedian Sam Brown and director Sevan Najarian will be joining us for the 7:30PM screening on April 11th for a post-screening Q&A!

Mars, an animated feature film by the cult comedy troupe, The Whitest Kids U’Know, is having its long-awaited theatrical release, and we’re playing it!

The movie revolves around Kyle, who enters a contest to go to Mars only half seriously, since he’s getting married in a few days. When he wins, he decides to ditch his wedding to escape to the red planet. This would all be great for him except the luxury accommodations are a facade, his shipmates are insane, and the crew gets stranded on Mars with no way home.

Mars was conceived during the production of the original sketch series, often held in the same high regard as “Saturday Night Live,” “Kids in the Hall” and “SCTV.” Thanks to a booming fanbase on Twitch, the troupe was able to crowdfund the animated film’s budget and commence production. Come see it on the big screen with like-minded fans!

Update: our guest will no longer be able to join us for this screening! Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause!

Utopia proudly presents I Live Here Now, the feature film debut from writer/director Julie Pacino!

The story follows Rose, an aspiring actress, checks into a remote California motel, seeking solace from the chaos of her life. But the walls of the motel pulse with the echoes of her past, with each room a distorted reflection of her fears, desires and regrets. As reality warps and fractures, Rose must confront the haunting specters of her trauma, identity and the oppressive forces that have shaped her existence.

I Live Here Now is described as a visually arresting journey into the labyrinth of the female psyche. Shot on 35mm, it blends surrealist horror with psychological depth, drawing comparisons to Lynchian narratives and films like Black Swan.

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.