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November 5, 2026
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2026
CLEVELAND–The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque continues its commitment to bringing distinctive cinematic programming and experiences to Cleveland with its November and December 2026 film calendar. The schedule brings together contemporary international cinema, repertory classics, special guests, filmmaker discussions, 4K restorations and screenings from 35mm film.
"This schedule reflects what makes the Cinematheque so special," says Cinematheque Director David Huffman. "Audiences can discover new films from around the world, revisit essential classics on the big screen, meet filmmakers and special guests and experience films presented in new 4K restorations as well as 35mm. I am especially excited for our three film series, which give audiences a chance to explore the dimensions of film noir, celebrate the artistry of production design and revisit director John Schlesinger's remarkable four features from the 1970s."
For all Cinematheque screenings, visit cinematheque.cia.edu.
Filmmaker Q&As
FILMMAKER Q&As
- The Bulldogs (November 21 at 7:15pm) will be followed by an in-person Q&A with directors Noah Dixon, Ori Segev. This new documentary examines the train derailment and toxic spill in East Palestine, Ohio, and the disaster's effect on the surrounding community.
- Desperate Living (December 5 at 7pm) will feature a Cinematheque-exclusive prerecorded Q&A with production designer Vince Peranio and David Huffman, director of the Cinematheque. John Waters’ twisted 1977 comedy follows a woman who flees to the criminal town of Mortville after killing her husband with the help of her maid. The accompanying conversation examines Peranio’s production-design work on this film and other Waters classics.
SPECIAL GUESTS
- The Scout (November 12 at 6:45pm) will be followed by a Q&A with Greater Cleveland Film Commission Production Coordinator Mike Wendt. This subtle independent comedy follows a young location scout for a television pilot as she navigates New York City, eccentric property owners, unwanted attention and an extraordinary number of parking violations. The program explores a rarely seen side of film and television production.
- A Life Illuminated (December 19 at 6:45pm) will be followed by a discussion with Kelsey Hendrix, Program Coordinator for the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. The documentary profiles pioneering marine biologist Edie Widder, whose work includes capturing the first footage of the elusive giant squid and illuminating the mysteries of deep-sea bioluminescence.
Special Film Series
SHADES OF NOIR
Film noir is not always black and white. Shades of Noir traces the genre from hard-boiled 1940s crime films to international noir, neo-noir and modern neon noir. The series includes Ryan Gosling in Drive (November 5, November 8); The Postman Always Rings Twice starring Lana Turner and John Garfield (November 7, November 8); director Ida Lupina's The Hitch-Hiker (November 13, November 15); Steve Martin's comedy Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (November 22); the French thriller Three Men to Kill (November 22); Bound with Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gerson (November 28); and Underworld Beauty from Japan (November 28, November 29).
BY DESIGN
Actors and directors often receive the greatest attention, but By Design places the focus on the production designers and art directors whose work defines a film's visual world. Their artistry can be so convincing that it effectively disappears into the background, but their work in these films stands out.
The series includes Ken Russell's The Devils (November 6, November 7), with production design by Derek Jarman and art direction by Robert Cartwright; The Grand Budapest Hotel (November 20), with Oscar-winning production design by Adam Stockhausen and set decoration by Anna Pinnock; Desperate Living (December 5) followed by a recorded Q&A with John Waters' legendary production designer Vince Peranio; The Day of the Locust (December 12), with production design by Richard Macdonald and art direction by John J. Lloyd; 2001: A Space Odyssey (December 13), with production design by Ernest Archer, Harry Lange and Anthony Masters and art direction by John Hoesli; and The Poseidon Adventure (December 19, December 20), with production design by William J. Creber and art direction by Raphael Bretton.
70s SCHLESINGER
The Cinematheque celebrates the centennial of director John Schlesinger (born in 1926) with four films from one of the most adventurous periods of his career. The 70s Schlesinger series opens with a 35mm presentation of Sunday Bloody Sunday(December 6), followed by the 4K restoration of The Day of the Locust (December 12), Marathon Man (December 17, December 19) and the rarely screened Yanks (December 20). The first three films pushed cultural and cinematic boundaries through bold themes and shocking scenes, while Yanks reveals a more romantic and sentimental side of the filmmaker.
Cleveland Premieres + New International Cinema
CLEVELAND PREMIERES
The November–December schedule includes numerous Cleveland premieres, among them Atonement starring Kenneth Branagh, Boyd Holbrook and Hiam Abbass (November 5, November 8); Queen at Sea starring Juliette Binoche (November 6, November 7); the Latvian animated feature for adults Dog of God (November 12, November 14); Cannes Film Festival Best Director winner Paweł Pawlikowski’s Fatherland (November 14, November 15); The Last Picture Shows (November 19); Once Upon a Time in Harlem (November 20, November 21); Traces of Home (November 28); The Gymnasts of Fisherman's Colony (November 29); Closure (December 3); Minotaur and How to Divorce During the War (December 11, December 13); and Orfeo (December 12).
NEW INTERNATIONAL CINEMA
Other international highlights include Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love (November 13, November 14), winner of the Silver Lion at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, and La bola negra (December 4, December 5), which won recognition for its directors at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and received the People’s Choice Award at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
Film on Film
35MM SCREENINGS
The November–December calendar also features several presentations from 35mm prints: The Postman Always Rings Twice (November 7, November 8); Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (November 22); La bola negra (December 4, December 5); Sunday Bloody Sunday (December 6); and the holiday comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner starring Bette Davis (December 10, December 13).
Contacts
Cleveland Institute of Art
Michael C. Butz, Director of College Communications + External Relations
mcbutz@cia.edu / 216.421.7404
Michael C. Butz, Director of College Communications + External Relations
mcbutz@cia.edu / 216.421.7404
Cleveland Institute of Art
The Cleveland Institute of Art is a private, nonprofit college of art and design that has been the training ground for countless students who have gone on to make important contributions to the fields of creativity and innovation since it opened in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women. Its students have designed internationally recognized products, their artwork has been exhibited in major museums and private collections around the world, and their entertainment media has been enjoyed by audiences and game players for generations. It enrolls about 550 students nationally and internationally and has a faculty of about 100 full-time and adjunct members, all of whom are practicing artists, designers and scholars.
Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque
Founded in 1986, the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque is one of the country’s best repertory movie theaters, according to The New York Times. The program shows classic, foreign and independent films 50 weekends of the year. Its state-of-the-art Peter B. Lewis Theater features a 36-foot-wide screen, 4k digital and dual 35mm film projection, and Dolby Digital 7.1 sound.
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