Starring Oscar nominee Steve Coogan ("Philomena"), this inspiring dramedy from director Peter Cattaneo ("The Full Montey") follows an Englishman’s profound personal and political awakening after adopting a penguin during a tumultuous time in Argentine history. In 1976, Tom (Coogan) arrives in Buenos Aires to teach at a prestigious English boarding school, where political violence looms heavily. The headmaster (Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce, "The Two Popes") encourages calmness amidst the chaos. When a coup d'état shuts down the school, Tom seeks refuge and distraction in Uruguay. unexpectedly rescues an oil-covered penguin during a romantic beach walk. This devoted creature becomes his companion, symbolizing hope and resilience. As Tom sneaks the penguin back to Argentina, their unique friendship empowers him to confront his past and inspires transformative change within the school, even as the dictatorship tightens its grip.

For half a decade, Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist, films his community of Masafer Yatta being destroyed by Israel's occupation, as he builds an unlikely alliance with an Israeli journalist who wants to join his fight. "No Other Land" is an unflinching account of a community's mass expulsion and acts as a creative resistance to Apartheid and a search for a path towards equality and justice. This film made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective shows the destruction of the occupied West Bank's Masafer Yatta by Israeli soldiers and the alliance which develops between the Palestinian activist Basel and Israeli journalist Yuval.

Becoming Led Zeppelin explores the origins of this iconic group and their meteoric rise in just one year against all the odds. Powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music, Bernard MacMahon’s experiential cinematic odyssey explores Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. The film is told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.

Oh Tenenbaums! It’s a bittersweet symphony of family dysfunction as we take a Detour into the wonderful world of Wes Anderson. Gene Hackman is the ne'er-do-well, absentee patriarch of the eccentric Tenenbaum family. Possibly ill — possibly faking — he seeks to reconnect with his three offspring: stock whiz Ben Stiller, a hyper-protective father since the death of his wife; playwright Gwyneth Paltrow, formerly prolific, now merely searching for inspiration; and tennis pro Luke Wilson, a one-time phenom undone by a broken heart. This is the story of the family’s sudden, unexpected reunion one recent Winter. Starring an ensemble cast of amazing actors including Angelica Huston and Bill Murray, this whimsical story remains the director’s magnum opus; a film (and soundtrack) that has only gotten better with time. It's a hilarious, touching, and brilliantly stylized study of melancholy and redemption.

There’s Magic in Believing! Upon hearing that she may be the very last of her kind on Earth, a Unicorn (Mia Farrow) goes in search of others like her. Her quest won't be easy, as it leads her straight to the evil King Haggard (Christopher Lee) and his infamous Red Bull. And the journey is made even more complicated when, to protect her from the envious wrath of Haggard, a spell is cast to turn the Unicorn into the Lady Amalthea, a beautiful, young human woman. But with this new body comes new thoughts and feelings, such as love for Haggard's son, Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges). Will Amalthea get lost inside this new body? Will she meet the fate of the other Unicorns? Or will she be able to defeat Haggard and his Red Bull with the aid of her friends, Schmendrick the bumbling magician (Alan Arkin) and Molly Grue (Tammy Grimes)? Animated by some of the same team who would go on to work with Hayao Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli, this is a jewel of a film that has been treasured for generations.

New 4K Restoration! We continue our tribute to the great David Lynch with this rare screening of his poignant second feature, a film that showcases his atmospheric visual style and applies it to a notorious true story set in Victorian England. When the London surgeon Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) meets the freak-show performer John Merrick (John Hurt), who has severe skeletal and soft-tissue deformities, he assumes that he must be intellectually disabled as well. As the two men spend more time together, Merrick reveals the intelligence, gentle nature, and profound sense of dignity that lies beneath his shocking appearance, and he and Treves develop a friendship. Shot in gorgeous black and white and boasting a stellar supporting cast that includes Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, and Wendy Hiller, "The Elephant Man" was nominated for eight Academy Awards, cementing Lynch’s reputation as one of American cinema’s most visionary talents.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Studio Ghibli, GKIDS presents Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki’s epic fantasy masterpiece in a brand new 4K restoration! From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, and Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes an epic masterpiece that has dazzled audiences worldwide with its breathtaking imagination, exhilarating battles, and deep humanity. Inflicted with a deadly curse, the young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure. There, he stumbles into a bitter conflict between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a young girl raised by wolves, who will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there. Note: these screenings screenings will be Subtitled.

Unlikely hero Mickey Barnes finds himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.

In a time when horror was taboo in Indian cinema, one filmmaking family pushed the limits of what was showable, serving hungry audiences hungry for spectacle in the communities far from Bombay. The Ramsay Brothers (Tulsi & Shyam) were Bollywood’s undisputed kings of horror, and 1989’s VEERANA is their most cracked creation. Heavily inspired by The Exorcist (and with a heaping helping of Mario Bava’s wildly colourful style), "Veerana" tells the story of a woman possessed who is possessed by a witch to become a violent killer… and uses her seductive charms to lure unsuspecting victims. Get ready for all of the catchy music, broad comedy, and heavy melodrama you’d want from good Indian pop cinema, plus the shocking mayhem and sensuality you’ll only get from the Ramsays. Important Cinema Club Masterpiece Classics is proud to present a rare cult classic you’ve probably never seen and will certainly never forget. Featuring an intro by Will Sloan & Justin Decloux.

Wrangle your Brat Pack for our next Cinema Slumber Party featuring one of the best sleepover movies of all time! Five very different high school kids connect when they spend their Saturday in school detention lockdown. As they argue and ridicule one another, they come to understand that a Jock, a Princess, a Brain, a Rebel and an Outcast actually have a lot in common; they’re all mixed up and misunderstood in their own special ways. John Hughes’ masterpiece of teen angst and awakening is a career-best best portrait of youth in revolt starring Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy. Put on your jammies and come celebrate the revelations and rebellions that unite us all.

Cinephiles unite and prepare to delight in this brand new 4K restoration of Jean-Luc Godard’s playful and unconventional homage to the American musical! Angela (Anna Karina) is a vivacious Parisian striptease artist who desperately wants to have a child. However, her boyfriend Émile (Jean-Claude Brialy) is reluctant, leading Angela to flirt with his best friend Alfred (Jean-Paul Belmondo) in an attempt to provoke jealousy and perhaps find a willing father. Blending humour, romance, and a wink to Ernst Lubitsch’s "Design for Living", this vibrant and whimsical film remains a landmark of the French New Wave, with an eye-popping colour palette made to be seen on the big screen!

Based on the bestselling novel, writer and teacher Iris (Watts) finds her comfortable, solitary New York life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor (Murray) bequeaths her his beloved 150 lb. Great Dane. The regal yet intractable beast, named Apollo, immediately creates practical problems for Iris, from furniture destruction to eviction notices, as well as more existential ones. Yet as Iris finds herself unexpectedly bonding with Apollo, she begins to come to terms with her past, and her own creative inner life in this story of healing, love, and friendship. Featuring a warm, emotionally present central performance from Watts, Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s ("The Deep End") deeply fulfilling adaptation of Sigrid Nunez’s beloved, slyly shape-shifting National Book Award winner is a rare kind of contemporary American film—humane, philosophical, curious, yet never diagnostic about loss, grief, and anger.

Considered one of the best American films ever made, this masterpiece garnered five Academy Awards, has made AFI’s top 100 list and is one of the many highlights of Gene Hackman's long career. After getting wind of a big shipment of heroin making its way to New York City, hard-nosed police detectives “Popeye” Doyle (Hackman) and Buddy Russo (Roy Scheider) hope to break up a narcotics smuggling ring and ultimately uncover their European suppliers, The French Connection. But when a suave French drug dealer (Fernando Rey) tries to kill Doyle, the loose cannon detective begins a deadly pursuit that will take him far beyond his jurisdiction and far outside the city limits. Filmed down and dirty in the streets of NYC, William Friedkin packed his film with memorable setpieces, including the legendary car chase underneath the elevated-train tracks that set the gold standard for all chase scenes that followed. Don't miss it!

It's our birthday and we want to meet you! We'll open our doors for you to drop in, watch an old newsreel or two on our big screen and shop around for some unique and special stuff! We’ll have posters for sale along with discounts on our regular merch! Doors will be open from 4pm until 5:30pm. No tickets necessary! Just come by and say, "hello!

It's our 111th birthday and we can't wait to gift YOU, our beloved members, with one of our favourite classic films for FREE! In celebration of cinema’s wonderful history of freedom of expression, we’re happy to present Charlie Chaplin’s 1940 masterpiece. Chaplin’s first all-talkie picture was a scathing critique of Adolf Hitler. Released before the United States entered World War II, the film clearly and bluntly exposed the Nazis’ horrifying anti-Semitic agenda and, in a famous monologue, called for everyday people to stand up for liberty. Both hilarious and profound, "The Great Dictator" is a lasting example of how film may be used to shine a light on injustice and how comedy in particular has always been an outlet for important political speech. Not a member? No problem! Treat yourself to an annual membership and enjoy fantastic cinema experiences like this for one whole year!

National Canadian Film Day seems like the perfect time to party with the Great Canadian Band! Chronicling the epic 2016 tour that The Tragically Hip embarked on after iconic frontman Gord Downie announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and featuring a bounty of Intimate moments, behind-the-scenes and on-stage footage, as well as personal interviews with the band and close friends. Filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier provide a window into the lives of these beloved musicians and reveal the heart-breaking final performances of that now-legendary final tour. No other band encapsulated the rugged soul of Canada quite like the Hip, and it was completely in character for Downie – the everyman poet laureate of Canada – to go out on his own terms, with a powerfully galvanizing tour that delivered some of the most exhilarating performances of band’s history. Don't miss this FREE screening and get ready to dance, sing and celebrate the music of The Hip!

Bloody revenge is raised to the level of visual poetry in this stunning action thriller by Toshiya Fujita. A major inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" saga, this endlessly inventive film, set in late 19th-century Japan, charts the single-minded path of vengeance taken by a young woman named Yuki (Meiko Kaji), whose parents were the unfortunate victims of a gang of brutal criminals. Fujita creates a wildly entertaining film filled with operatic violence while also maintaining an effortless balancing act between beauty and brutality as Yuki blazes a crimson trail of a merciless gore in the fulfillment of her destiny. Don’t miss your chance to see the original female assassin on the big screen!

When his beloved wife is suspected of betraying the nation, an intelligence agent faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.

Celebrate Good Friday at the movies with the film that The New York Times called “A swift, sharp-edged gangster story in a classic mold. “ A combustible performance from Bob Hoskins is the fuse that lights this underworld saga, a landmark of British crime cinema. Hoskins plays Harold Shand, an ambitious London mobster who, just as he attempts to close a major real-estate deal with the American Mafia, finds his crime empire rocked by a string of attacks, sending him on a ruthless quest to find out who’s responsible. Abetted by an ice-cool performance from Helen Mirren as Shand’s in-command moll, The Long Good Friday is not only a gripping gangster thriller but also a vivid portrait of late-1970s Britain—a powder keg of cultural and political tensions on the verge of explosion. You won't want to miss one of the all-time great British gangster films on the big screen!

Stop the presses! It’s the crime of the century — and investigative reporters Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo are out to crack the case in this song-filled, star-studded extravaganza directed by the legendary Jim Henson. Our heroes arrive in London to interview Lady Holiday (Diana Rigg), a high-fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace has just been stolen. But when Kermit mistakes lovely receptionist/would-be model Miss Piggy for her aristocratic employer; it’s love at first sight. Unfortunately, Lady Holiday’s scheming brother (Charles Grodin) is also wooing the sultry swine so he can frame her for another brazen jewel heist. Now it’s up to Kermit and his Muppet pals to clear Piggy’s name and catch the real culprits. Filled with madcap musical numbers and cameo appearances by John Cleese, Peter Falk, Jack Warden, and more, PLUS action, romance, excitement and non-stop energy, it's puppet-packed joy in the greatest Muppet tradition!

40th Anniversary screening! You’ve received a mysterious invitation to a classic comedy at your local indie cinema… One stormy night, six supposed strangers, with secrets to hide, are summoned to a dinner party by the enigmatic Mr Boddy. What’s on the menu? Monkey’s brains. What’s for dessert? MURDER. When their host is found dead, they must survive their increasingly wild set of circumstances, gather clues, and identify the killer at large. An ensemble cast including Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd and Madeline Kahn ropes you in for an unmissable night at the cinema, you won’t be able to wrench yourself away!

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Studio Ghibli, GKIDS presents Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki’s epic fantasy masterpiece in a brand new 4K restoration! From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, and Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes an epic masterpiece that has dazzled audiences worldwide with its breathtaking imagination, exhilarating battles, and deep humanity. Inflicted with a deadly curse, the young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure. There, he stumbles into a bitter conflict between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a young girl raised by wolves, who will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there. Note: these screenings will be Dubbed in English.

Celebrate 4/20 with this all-time stoner classic! 1976. Austin. It’s the last day of school, and teenagers all over town are preparing for a long and perhaps life-changing summer. The Freshmen are searching for their places, the Seniors are celebrating their new power positions, and the football team faces a contract from their coach banning them from having any fun. But before the summer truly begins, a long, hazy, rock-and-roll-filled night lies ahead. Writer/director Richard Linklater's honest, hilarious, and enduringly quotable love letter to a bygone era is a unique take on coming-of-age films and the teen cliques that populate them. It's a genuine and true portrait of its time and place. We get older, but "Dazed and Confused" stays perfect.

“It’s the best, funniest, worst movie ever made.” - Actress Lee Grant In this installment of our Diva! series, we're tearing the lid off of Hollywood's darkest secrets! This iconic adaptation Jacqueline Susann’s best-selling novel stars Patty Duke, Barbara Parkins, and Sharon Tate as three fierce young actresses weathering the Tinseltown storm of sex, betrayal, backstabbing, “boooooooze and dope,” bathroom catfights, and... lasagna. Through it all, they attempt to stay loyal to one another and fight their way to the very tip top of an industry that seems determined kill them along the way. Blending old-fashioned gloss with Madison Avenue grooviness, director Mark Robson’s slick look at the early days of sexual liberation and an entertainment industry coming apart was a giant box-office hit, and has become an unforgettably campy time capsule of the 1960s.

Muriel and her husband Lee are beginning a bright new life in California when he returns from the Korean War. But their newfound stability is upended by the arrival of Lee’s charismatic brother, Julius, a wayward gambler with a secret past. A dangerous love triangle quickly forms.

Don't touch that Dial! We're taking a Detour into the very silly world of Weird Al Yankovic and you'll definitely want to be along for the wild ride! George Newman (Yankovic) can’t hold down a job to save his life, but, still, he’s a man of vision. After daydreaming his way out of a gig flipping burgers, George’s uncle bequeaths the young dreamer the reins of the struggling UHF station, Channel 62. Dead last in the ratings and desperate for programming, George starts letting every flight of fancy and weirdo onto the airwaves, everything from “Conan the Librarian” to “Stanley Spadowski’s Clubhouse,” a kids’ show hosted by a borderline nutcase (Michael Richards) who shoots children in the face with a firehouse (Don’t worry, they love it). Naturally, Channel 62 becomes a ratings sensation — which doesn’t sit well with the corporate grease-balls over at Channel 8 who sic the FCC on George and his merry band. Will the goofy gang save their beloved station? Come find out!

In this instalment of our Showstoppers! series, we're bringing a glam rock spectacle by way of a staggeringly ambitious rock opera back to the big screen! Written and Directed by Ken Russell and adapted from The Who’s album of the same name, the film follows Tommy (The Who frontman Roger Daltrey), who suffered from a traumatic incident as a child, leaving him without sight or speech. One day finds himself in an unlikely place: the world of professional pinball. As it turns out, he's a "Pinball Wizard" and soon fame and fortune follow for Tommy, as he becomes a champion and later the messiah of a religious cult, which views his pinball skills as a miraculous sign of divine intervention. Visually overwhelming, with an astonishing production design, and a vibrant cast including Elton John, Tina Turner, Ann-Margret, and Jack Nicholson, Tommy tells a compelling narrative of the cult-like, parasocial relationship we have with celebrity.

Get ready for a silly time at the cinema with this month's Golden Age selection! The legendary Marx Brothers run amuck in the world of opera when Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho Marx) meets aspiring singer Ricardo (Allan Jones), who is determined to win the love of fellow performer Rosa (Kitty Carlisle). Aided by Fiorello (Chico Marx) and Tomasso (Harpo Marx), Otis attempts to unite the young couple, but faces opposition from the preening star Lassparri (Walter Woolf King), who also has his sights on Rosa. Traveling from Italy to New York, Otis and friends rally to try and win the day. Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, Groucho's personal favourite of the 13 Marx Brothers films, it's a fearless compilation of outrageously funny one-liners, wacky stunts and catchy tunes. All we can tell you is that in order to save the opera, our heroes must first destroy it. And what ensues is relentless hilarity that may take your breath away!

Join us for a special screening of this iconic Canadian documentary with filmmakers Janis Cole and Holly Dale in attendance! At the height of the '80s, Janis Cole and Holly Dale turned their lens on Vancouver’s Davie Street neighbourhood, a bustling, neon-soaked hub for both trans and cisgender sex workers informally known as “the prostitution capital of Canada.” The result was a this landmark doc combining candid interviews with a group of instantly memorable subjects and vivid location footage of their street work, surreptitiously captured with hidden cameras. Much lauded upon its release in 1984 and no less potent 40 years later, it showcases Cole and Dale’s deeply humanist approach, bringing care and compassion to subjects often represented in more reductively moralistic terms. The Fox and Canadian International Pictures are proud to present this groundbreaking classic in a new 4K restoration that confirms its place among the greatest non-fiction films ever produced in Canada.

Fabled English record producer Mark Pritchard, luminary songwriter Thom Yorke and groundbreaking visual artist Jonathan Zawada present Tall Tales – a debut collaborative visual and audio cinema experience a decade in the making. Landscapes of synth-pop, prog, dub, 70s synth, Joe Meek, Ivor Cutler, Library, kraut and classic Warp™? – Tall Tales sounds like musicians meeting in the Hinterland. Transmitted by Australian visual artist Jonathan Zawada, Tall Tales is a fairy tale for the modern world; depicting rising tides, kings & queens, amazon logistics and robotic arms under iridescent skies. We wanted computers to do our accounting – instead, they try to paint our pictures and sing our songs. Like all good fairy tales – this work edges light with the dark as Thom's echoed chants intertwine with Mark's shimmering electronics. On Tall Tales, we hear seasoned musicians continue down the path of experimentation.

In association with The Great Escape Book Store we're happy to present Hiroshi Teshigahara's adaptation of Kobo Abe’s 1962 novel. With a post-film Q&A . In one of the '60s great international art-house sensations, Eiji Okada plays an amateur entomologist who has left Tokyo to study an unclassified species of beetle that resides in a remote, vast desert; when he misses his bus back to civilization, he is persuaded to spend the night in the home of a young widow (Kyoko Kishida) who lives in a hut at the bottom of a sand dune. What results is one of cinema’s most bristling, unnerving, and palpably erotic battles of the sexes, as well as a nightmarish depiction of everyday Sisyphean struggle, for which Teshigahara received an Academy Award nomination for best director. For those interested, The Great Escape Bookstore will be holding a discussion of Abe's novel on April 9 at 7:30pm at Kingston Road United Church (975 Kingston Road). Special Event Pricing in Effect.

Brand New 40th Anniversary 4K Restoration! Inspired by Shakespeare’s King Lear and considered to be one of Akira Kurosawa's greatest achievements, this Academy Award-winning film was the legendary director's last great epic. Set in sixteenth-century Japan, the story is a profound examination of the folly of war and the crumbling of one family under the weight of betrayal, greed, and the insatiable thirst for power. At the age of seventy, after years of consolidating his empire, the Great Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai) decides to abdicate and divide his domain amongst his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other…and him. With colour-coded troops and a Gustav Mahler–inspired film score by Toru Takemitsu, the battle sequences are magnificent and majestic in scope. Don't miss this rare chance to see one of the world’s cinematic masterpieces on the big screen.

Full of charm, wit, and a true affection for the work it takes inspiration from, Laura Piani’s debut feature is a contemporary romantic comedy that fans of Jane Austen and rom-coms alike have been eagerly anticipating! Agathe (Camille Rutherford) is a hopelessly clumsy yet charming young woman who works in the legendary Shakespeare & Co. bookshop in Paris, while she dreams of being a successful writer, and of experiencing love akin to a Jane Austen novel, she finds herself desperately single and plagued by writers block. When Agathe’s best friend (Pablo Pauly) gets her invited to the Jane Austen Writers' Residency in England, she finally has her Jane Austen moment…and is caught in a very unexpected romantic triangle. Agathe must let go of her insecurities to decide what she really wants for herself, and to achieve her romantic and professional dreams.

"Friendship truly has all the makings of a future comedy classic." - Collider Channelling the comedy of his hit sketch series I Think You Should Leave, Tim Robinson portrays a suburban dad obsessively pursuing camaraderie with his charming neighbour (Paul Rudd). When a delivery mistake introduces suburban dad Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) to his new neighbour, Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), a friendship begins. They bond over urban exploration, punk rock, and ancient artifacts. However, Craig’s obsessive behavior soon drives Austin away, threatening to upend Craig’s life. Writer-director Andrew DeYoung adeptly creates moments for Robinson to display both his innocent side and his comically frustrated side, which he is well-known for. This is especially effective as he interacts with Paul Rudd's disarmingly charming character, creating a contrast to the energy that Robinson brings to the film.