Amélie is back for some weekend encores, presented in a 4K restoration from our friends at Sony Picture Classics!
At a tiny Parisian café, the adorable yet painfully shy Amélie accidentally discovers a gift for helping others. Soon Amelie is spending her days as a matchmaker, guardian angel, and all-around do-gooder. But when she bumps into a handsome stranger, will she find the courage to become the star of her very own love story?
Directed by visionary filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Amélie is a dazzling burst of color and offbeat charm, successfully mixing storybook visuals with the perfect dose of romance.
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Join us for a special one-off screening of the new indie addiction drama Withdrawal. And stick around after the screening as we present an in-person Q&A with Director Aaron Strand and Cinematographer Emily Marquet, moderated by Francesca Rivera! Also, prior to the film they will be debuting a brand new teaser trailer for an upcoming film called Finding Jose, directed by local OC filmmaker Lisset Mendoza!
Artistic lovers Viv and Jay are trapped in a vicious cycle of codependent heroin addiction. When Viv’s wealthy parents hire an interventionist to take her to rehab, the couple decides to go it alone with nothing but a suboxone prescription and each other. All they have to do is survive one harrowing night of withdrawal. As the hours tick by, physical, mental, and emotional torments send them searching through fractured memories, trying to figure out where it all went wrong.
Raw, unflinching, and shockingly funny, Withdrawal was shot primarily on miniDV in Athens, Georgia. Winner of 12 awards on the festival circuit including Best Feature/Best Director at the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival and Best Actress at the Kanazawa Film Festival. Film Threat calls it “the best film about addiction since Requiem for a Dream.”
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Get ready to lock, pop, and break your way down memory lane! On May 11, 2026, The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana will host a highly anticipated theatrical anniversary screening of the 1984 summer blockbuster smash hit, Breakin’!
This unforgettable evening will double as a profound tribute to the film’s legendary star, the late Adolfo “Shabba-Doo” Quiñones, taking place on what would have been his 71st birthday. The exclusive anniversary event will be hosted by Vashawn Quiñones, Adolfo’s son. Following the screening of the film, Vashawn will conduct an intimate and exclusive Q&A session. He will share personal stories, explore his father’s groundbreaking contributions to hip-hop culture, and discuss how the man who famously brought the character Orlando “Ozone” to life earned the undisputed title of “The Godfather of Street Dance.”
Released in the summer of 1984, Breakin’ was a cultural phenomenon that took the world by storm. Grossing over $38 million domestically, it catapulted breakdancing and hip-hop culture from the underground club scenes of Los Angeles into the global mainstream. At the heart of this movement was Adolfo “Shabba-Doo” Quiñones. Before lighting up the silver screen, Quiñones was a founding member of the pioneering dance group The Original Lockers, where he helped innovate and popularize the “locking” style of street dance. His unparalleled talent eventually led him to choreograph and perform for some of the biggest names in music history, including Madonna, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and Chaka Khan. Through his explosive footwork, natural charisma, and visionary choreography, Shabba-Doo forever changed the landscape of modern dance.
“My father’s legacy is etched into every spin, pop, and lock you see in street dance today,” says Vashawn Quiñones, “Celebrating the 42nd anniversary of Breakin’ on his birthday is the perfect way to honor his memory, his artistry, and the lasting impact he left on dancers and fans all over the world.” Fans of the film, dance enthusiasts, and lovers of 80s pop culture are invited to experience the electric boogaloo magic on the big screen once again and pay homage to a true cultural icon.
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Who wants to cook Aloo Gobi when you can bend a ball like Beckham?
We’re celebrating the World Cup and Pride Month with two ultra-rare screenings of Bend It Like Beckham, presented by our friends over at the Orange County Soccer Club!
Jess Bhamra, the daughter of a strict Indian couple in London, is not permitted to play organized soccer, even though she is 18. When Jess is playing for fun one day, her impressive skills are seen by Jules Paxton, who then convinces Jess to play for her semi-pro team. Jess uses elaborate excuses to hide her matches from her family while also dealing with her romantic feelings for her coach, Joe.
Endlessly quotable and packed with charm, this early-2000s nostalgic classic hits the sweet spot by blending sports movie thrills with a fresh and funny look at identity. Chase your goals!
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Our Classic Movie Nights series is stepping into the courtroom for a battle of the sexes with the sparkling romantic comedy Adam’s Rib, starring the incomparable Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy!
Married lawyers Amanda and Adam Bonner find themselves on opposing sides of a headline-grabbing case: Amanda defends a woman who shot her unfaithful husband, while Adam takes on the prosecution. What starts as a legal dispute quickly spills into their personal lives, as debates over marriage itself turn their once-harmonious relationship into a witty war zone. With the ever-scandalous neighbor Kip Lurie (David Wayne) stirring the pot, tensions run high.
Directed by George Cukor and written by the husband-and-wife team of Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, Adam’s Rib is a masterclass in screwball dialogue and chemistry, showcasing one of classic Hollywood’s most iconic screen pairings at their absolute best.
Make sure to get to the screening early, as our Marketing Director Bekah will be doing a very informative and entertaining presentation on the film before it starts!
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The greatest adventure a man ever lived…with a woman!
The penultimate film on our Bogie Fest series sees everybody’s favorite Hollywood tough guy taking on his greatest opponent ever…Katharine Hepburn! It’s John Huston’s The African Queen, the movie that finally landed Mr. Bogart his first and only Oscar!
Set against the chaos of World War I in East Africa, the film pairs two people who, on paper, should never work. Humphrey Bogart is Charlie Allnut, a scruffy, gin-soaked riverboat captain whose loyalties extend about as far as his next drink. Katharine Hepburn is Rose Sayer, a prim, devout missionary whose world has been defined by order, restraint, and moral certainty. Then…their world collapses. What begins as survival quickly becomes something else: a borderline absurd plan to take the boat downriver and attack a German warship.
Huston leans into the physicality of it all: the mud, the insects, the heat, the relentless push of the river. It’s not the ideal romantic backdrop, but with talent like Bogart and Hepburn on screen, they somehow make it all work.
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We’re trading in trench coats for tuxedos with the charming romantic classic Sabrina, coming back for some final encores at The Frida Cinema!
Sabrina Fairchild (Audrey Hepburn) has long pined for the carefree playboy David Larrabee (William Holden), but after a transformative trip to Paris, she returns as a poised and captivating young woman who suddenly turns heads, including David’s. Concerned that his brother’s romantic entanglement could jeopardize a major business deal, the stern and work-obsessed Linus Larrabee (Humphrey Bogart) steps in to distract Sabrina…only to find himself unexpectedly falling for her.
Directed by Billy Wilder with his signature mix of wit and romantic tension, Sabrina earned multiple Academy Awards nominations and won for Best Costume Design, thanks in part to its iconic Parisian-inspired wardrobe. The film remains a high point of classic Hollywood romance, elevated by Hepburn’s radiant performance and the unlikely but compelling pairing of Bogart and Holden.
Make sure to get to the screening early, as our Marketing Director Bekah will be doing a very informative and entertaining presentation on the film before it starts!
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We’re cranking up the jukebox and continuing to celebrate the irresistible rebel spirit of John Waters with a double dose of his 1980s rock and roll flicks: Hairspray and Cry-Baby!
Hairspray: In 1960s Baltimore, Tracy Turnblad lands a spot on a popular local dance show. As she rises to fame, she uses her newfound platform to challenge racial segregation on the program, clashing with snobby rivals and narrow-minded authority figures along the way. With the support of her friends and family, Tracy proves that change can start on the dance floor!
Cry-Baby: In a stylized 1950s Baltimore, tensions run high between the clean-cut “Squares” and the rebellious “Drapes.” When straight-laced Allison falls for Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker, a motorcycle-riding outsider with a reputation for trouble, their romance sparks outrage on both sides. As rivalries escalate and loyalties are tested, the two must decide whether love is worth defying the rules of their divided world.
Packed with catchy songs and Waters’ signature ability to mix satire and sincerity, these two films prove that the weirdos will always have the last dance.
There will be a 10 minute intermission between the films. One ticket gets you access to both!
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Our first Volunteer Of The Month pick for April comes courtesy of Laisha, as she has chosen the Cher-Winona Ryder-Christina Ricci starrer Mermaids from 1990!
Fifteen-year-old Charlotte Flax is tired of her wacky mom moving their family to a different town any time she feels it is necessary. When they move to a small Massachusetts town and Mrs. Flax begins dating a shopkeeper, Charlotte and her 9-year-old sister, Kate, hope that they can finally settle down. But when Charlotte’s attraction to an older man gets in the way, the family must learn to accept each other for who they truly are.
Over time, Mermaids has gained a cult following, remembered for its bittersweet tone and affectionate portrait of unconventional family life in early-1960s America that captures the complicated love between parents and children. Come see this underrated gem on the big screen!
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Just added: this final encore of Dead Lover will be presented in scratch-and-sniff Stink-O-Vision!
Love conquers death in director Grace Glowicki’s deliriously dark new film Dead Lover, opening up for a special two night run at The Frida Cinema on April 3rd!
A lonely gravedigger who stinks of corpses finally meets her dream man, but their whirlwind affair is cut short when he tragically drowns at sea. Grief-stricken, she goes to morbid lengths to resurrect him through madcap scientific experiments, resulting in grave consequences and unlikely love.
A love story unlike any other, Dead Lover is a mix of Mario Bava, John Waters, and Guy Maddin, promising one of the goriest and smelliest movie experiences of the year!
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