Monica Film Center

The latest episode of Inside the Arthouse features La Cocina filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios. The drama takes us behind the scenes at a Times Square restaurant, illuminating the lives of the people who prepare and serve our meals while chasing the American Dream. The ensemble cast, which includes two-time Academy Award-nominee Rooney Mara, delivers stunning performances in this beautifully shot film.Laemmle Theatres opens La Cocina this Friday at the Monica Film Center. Writer-director Alonso Ruizpalacios will participate in Q&A's after the 7 PM screening at the Monica Film Center on Friday, November 1st and the 4 PM screening on Saturday, November

When he accepted the Palme d'Or for his colorful, authentic, surprising, exciting, thrilling comedy Anora earlier this year at Cannes, writer-director Sean Baker (Tangerine, The Florida Project, Red Rocket) spoke eloquently about seeing movies in theaters. You can watch the whole thing online, but here's the key excerpt:"This literally has been my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years. So I’m not really sure what I’m gonna do with the rest of my life, but I do know that I will continue to fight for cinema because right now, as filmmakers, we have to fight to keep cinema alive. This means making feature films intended for theatrical

Union Q&A schedule:Royal 10/23: co-director Brett Story, producer Samantha Curley, and subject Chris Smalls;Monica Film Center 10/25, 7:20 PM show: co-directors Steve Maing and Brett Story, producer Samantha Curley, and subject Chris Smalls with Adam Conover moderating;Monica Film Center 10/26, 4:20 PM show: co-director Steve Maing, producer Samantha Curley, subject Chris Smalls, and UTLA president Cecily Myart-Cruz;Glendale 10/26, 7:20 PM show: co-director Steve Maing, producer Samantha Curley, and subject Chris Smalls;Glendale 10/27 noon show: co-director Steve Maing, producer Samantha Curley, and subject Chris Smalls.

The newest episode of Inside the Arthouse features the fantastic documentary Union. Having received a Special Jury award at Sundance, and played thirty of the most prestigious documentary film festivals around the world, it opens October 25 at Laemmle Monica Film Center and Glendale. (We'll have multiple in-person Q&A's with the filmmakers and the main subject, Chris Smalls; details here.)Through intimate cinema vérité, Union chronicles the extraordinary efforts of a group of warehouse workers as they launch a grassroots campaign to unionize an Amazon fulfillment center on Staten Island.The filmmakers document the struggle from day one against one

In Exhibiting Forgiveness, which we open on October 18 at the Laemmle Claremont, Monica Film Center, NoHo and Town Center, Tarrell (Andre Holland) plays an admired American painter who lives with his wife, singer Aisha (Andra Day), and their young son, Jermaine. Tarrell’s artwork excavates beauty from the anguish of his youth, keeping past wounds at bay. His path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, La’Ron (John Earl Jelks), a conscience-stricken man desperate to reconcile.Tarrell’s mother, Joyce (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) a pious woman with a profound and joyful spirituality, hopes that Tarrell can open his heart