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DIA's Detroit Film Theatre

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DIA's Detroit Film Theatre

The 2026 Season marks a milestone for DFT – it has been over 50 years since we opened our doors in January of 1974.
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Over the decades millions of Detroiters have gathered in our historic theater to be inspired by modern and classic world cinema. Since its inception in January of 1974, the Detroit Film Theatre has presented of thousands of first-run and classic motion pictures in the DIA’s 1,000-seat, 1927 vintage auditorium. All year long, the DFT presents a carefully curated, globe-spanning selection of excitin

g and visionary cinema by established and first-time directors, as well as themed programs shown in association with current DIA exhibitions and in partnership with other local and international institutions. The Winter 2024 Season marks a milestone for Detroit Film Theatre –it has now been fifty years since we first opened our doors. Over the decades millions of metro Detroiters have gathered in the DIA's historic Auditorium to be moved and inspired by contemporary and classic world cinema, and kept the series thriving for more than half of the museum’s lifespan. Our sincere thanks for making it all possible!

02/20/2026

STARTING TONIGHT and running February 20th - March 15th at the Detroit Film Theatre.

The DFT’s most popular annual program brings together all of this year’s nominees in both the short animation and short live-action categories into one spectacularly entertaining event. Experiencing the Oscar® Shorts on the big screen is an astonishing reminder of how cinema can tell boldly imagined stories through the unbridled creativity of emerging filmmakers. Advance ticket purchase guarantees admission. Remaining seats are available at the door beginning one hour before each performance.

The Oscar® Shorts program runs approximately three hours, including a brief intermission between the animation and live-action categories.

Tickets can be purchased here: https://dia.org/events/2026-oscarr-nominated-short-films-animation-and-live-action

02/03/2026

Kicking off February with an epic new film from director Lav Diaz starring indie favorite Gael García Bernal.

From the first astonishing image to the last, everything in this monumental film from Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz carries surprising historical heft, thanks to the unique dimension that only cinema can provide. Actor Gael García Bernal (Amores Perros) reconceives his star power through Diaz’s discerning camera, disappearing into the role of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who in the 16th century navigated a crew to Southeast Asia after convincing the Spanish crown to fund his journey.

Debunking conventional colonialist histories and myths of the Age of Discovery, Diaz mounts an absorbing and visually breathtaking story of conquest and obsession, depicting Magellan’s journey to the Malayan Archipelago as an epic and relevant portrait of human vulnerability in the eternal struggle against oppression. In Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and French with English subtitles.

Tickets available online or in person at the DFT box office.
https://dia.org/events/magellan

01/29/2026

Ending January and kicking off February films with a one-day-only documentary (one of the best of the year)!

My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow
Directed by Julia Loktev 324 min. w/intermission
USA/2024

Sunday, February 1
1:00 pm
https://dia.org/events/my-undesirable-friends-part-i-last-air-moscow

American filmmaker Julia Loktev, born in the Soviet Union, returned to Moscow in 2021 to begin a documentary on the persistence of independent media journalism in Putin’s Russia—just months, as it turned out, before the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Loktev immerses herself with a group of young women striving to ensure the expression of dissent and outspoken criticism of the government, even as they are labeled foreign agents—soon discovering that their careers and even their lives are at risk as the country moves toward war.

Loktev’s award-winning new documentary, with climactic scenes filmed in Moscow during the first week of the invasion, offers a historic and suspenseful depiction of a moment of immense change and anxiety. It is also one of the most powerful films about the challenges and importance of independent journalism in the modern era.

In Russian with English subtitles.

01/23/2026

Not one, but two films at the Detroit Film Theatre this weekend! Stay out of the cold and cozy up at the DIA.

RESURRECTION

Directed by Bi Gan
160 min.
China/France/2025

This phantasmagoric dream from visionary Chinese director Bi Gan is an audacious, monumental love letter to a century of cinema.

Presented in five chapters filmed in a dazzling array of styles, Resurrection’s mind-blowing imagery is united by a single science fiction premise: in a world where people have surrendered their dreams in exchange for the hope of prolonging life, rogue “fantasmers” continue to tug at their imaginations.

The continually morphing protagonist (Jackson Yee) roams through a wonderland of cinematic genres, from Méliès-style fantasy to buddy picture to millennial vampire romance—the latter filmed in an astonishing single take.

By reimagining everything we’ve come to believe cinema can do, Bi Gan has created a work of staggering imagination on every level, designed for the most adventurous moviegoers. In Chinese with English subtitles.

THE GLASSWORKER

Directed by Usman Riaz
98 min.
Pakistan / 2025

In a windswept coastal town on the brink of war, Vincent (Sacha Dhawan), the son of a gentle glassblower whose art captures the fragile beauty of light, meets Alliz (Anjli Mohindra), a gifted violinist and the daughter of a stern military colonel. As their friendship blossoms into first love, familial loyalties, social divides, and the threat of conflict converge to test their bond. Rendered in lush, hand-drawn animation, this poetic anti-war fable explores love, loss, and the courage to remain true to one’s craft as the world unravels.

The Glassworker is a visually stunning animated film that marks a historic milestone as Pakistan’s first full-length animated feature. Created by acclaimed director Usman Riaz and produced by Mano Animation Studios, the film blends traditional 2D artistry with deeply rooted South Asian storytelling. Every frame is meticulously crafted, drawing inspiration from classical animation houses while presenting a uniquely Pakistani aesthetic and narrative voice.

Years in the making, The Glassworker stands as a testament to the power of independent animation, cultural expression, and artistic resilience—a groundbreaking achievement that places Pakistan firmly on the global animation map.

For ages 11 and up.

https://dia.org/dft

01/14/2026

See what all the buzz is about - this weekend the DFT presents NO OTHER CHOICE by director Park Chan-wook.

In his diabolically witty new thriller, Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) crafts a nerve-shattering tale about the savagely competitive nature of contemporary work culture. In a mesmerizing performance balanced between comedy and desperation, Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game) brings humor and high voltage to the role of Man-soo, a middle-aged husband and father who has been laid off from the company to which he devoted decades of his life.

Unwilling to accept joblessness, Man-soo finds unique ways to bolster his resumé with a potential new employer, leading to jaw-dropping shifts in the film’s trajectory, shaped by a master filmmaker in extravagant, pitch-black comic style.

Adapted from a novel by Donald E. Westlake, No Other Choice is an enthralling ride all the way to its stunning ending. People’s Choice Award, Toronto International Film Festival. In Korean with English subtitles.

Buy your tickets online or in person at the DFT box office.

https://dia.org/events/no-other-choice

01/06/2026

The holidays might be over, but it really is the most wonderful time of year here at the DFT as Oscar season approaches. This weekend we kick off two straight weeks of films that will likely be talked about as we get close to awards season. First up:

Father, Mother, Sister, Brother
Directed by Jim Jarmusch | 110 min | USA/2025

Friday, January 9 | 7 PM
Saturday, January 10 | 3 PM
Saturday, January 10 | 7 PM
Sunday, January 11 | 2 PM

Winner of the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion, the newest film from Jim Jarmusch (Stranger Than Paradise, Only Lovers Left Alive) is a delicate portrait of family dynamics. All three stories—set in the present but in different countries—are united by their focus on relationships between adult children and their aging or lost parents.

Siblings Adam Driver and Mayim Bialik check up on their hermetic father (Tom Waits) in New Jersey; sisters Vicky Krieps and Cate Blanchett reunite with their mother (Charlotte Rampling) in Dublin; and twins Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat return to Paris to confront a family tragedy. Jarmusch’s fourteenth feature film eloquently dramatizes the patience and deceptions that bind adult children and their parents, revealing a filmmaker whose empathetic vision continues to mature after more than forty years of extraordinary storytelling.

https://dia.org/events/father-mother-sister-brother

12/29/2025

Two films at the DFT to start 2026!

The Secret Agent
Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho | 159 min Brazil/France/Netherlands/2025

Friday, January 2 | 7 PM
Saturday, January 3 | 3 PM
Saturday, January 3 | 7 PM
Sunday, January 4 | 2 PM

From gifted Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho comes a thrillingly unpredictable, emotionally rich epic about people swept up in forces beyond their control. Set in Mendonça’s hometown of Recife during the late 1970s, The Secret Agent follows a technology expert (Wagner Moura) whose life is upended by the greed of a government bureaucrat.

On the run during the country’s military dictatorship, he tries to escape while reconnecting with the young son he once had to leave behind. The film’s deft subplots and affectionate tributes to the pleasures of cinema—and to the Brazil of Mendonça’s youth—add beauty and humanity to this portrait of one man holding onto his individuality under an abusive regime.

Winner of Best Director and Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival. In Portuguese with English subtitles.

https://dia.org/events/secret-agent

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Anishinaabe Food Sovereignty
Multiple Directors | USA
Saturday, January 3 | 2 PM

Three documentary shorts about Anishinaabe foodways—gardening, harvesting, and fishing—offer multiple perspectives on food sovereignty.

In Gitigaan: Spotted Earth, the Gitigaan Project bridges old and new ways of gardening throughout Anishinaabe history.

Sacred Waters features the Sault Tribe, who have been stewards of the fisheries of their Great Lakes territory for generations; the film follows their efforts to restore the declining whitefish population.

In Finding Manoomin, Minnesota Public Radio Senior Editor Leah Lemm reconnects with her heritage as she harvests wild rice (manoomin) for the first time.

https://dia.org/events/anishinaabe-food-sovereignty

12/24/2025

Home for the holidays? Looking to shake cabin fever after being stuck in the house? The DFT has three incredible silent film experiences for you this week.

A Night in the Show (1915)
The Rink (1916)
with musical guest Dave Drazin
USA/1915/1916 — directed by charlie chaplin | 54 min

Friday, December 26 | 7 pm
FREE FOR TRI-COUNTY RESIDENTS

Join us for a Charlie Chaplin Double Feature with live accompanying music by Dave Drazin! Charlie Chaplin starred in and directed A Night in the Show in 1915 at Majestic Studio in Los Angeles. The film was based on a turn-of-the-century English music hall play called Mumming Birds, which Chaplin often performed during his touring days with Fred Karno’s pantomime troupe.

In the film, Chaplin plays dual roles as Mr. Pest and Mr. Rowdy, audience members who demolish all theater etiquette and create a climax of chaos before the curtain drops.

Chaplin directed The Rink in 1916, drawing on another talent he developed during his stage career. A flamboyant and comic roller-skater, he could pirouette gracefully or perform spectacular pratfalls.

——————
Sparrows
USA/1926 — directed by William Beaudine | 109 min

Saturday, December 27 | 3 pm
FREE FOR TRI-COUNTY RESIDENTS
USA/1926 — directed by William Beaudine | 109 min.

Sparrows was Canadian-born film actress Mary Pickford‘s last great silent film, equal parts expressionistic thriller and epic melodrama. Set in an alligator-infested swamp on a “baby farm” where children are kept in rags and the keepers have a habit of “losing” babies, the film highlights Pickford’s flair for both suspense and heart.

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Go West
USA/1925 — directed by Buster Keaton | 88 min

Sunday December 28 | 3 pm
FREE FOR TRI-COUNTY RESIDENTS

Filmed on location in the Arizona desert, Go West stars Keaton as a young Midwestern man named Friendless, who takes the advice of newspaper publisher Horace Greeley and hops a freight train bound for the West.

12/03/2025

Kicking off December with two weekends of amazing film at the DFT.

BRITISH ARROWS
UK/2025 — multiple directors | 75 min
Tickets: https://dia.org/events/british-arrows-1

Friday, December 5 | 7 pm
Sunday, December 7 | 2 pm
Sunday, December 7 | 4 pm

The marvelously creative “adverts” of British TV continue to dazzle and delight. Annually recognized with the prestigious British Arrows awards, these tiny national treasures are brought together in a celebratory touring compilation that has become a cult favorite in cinemas worldwide, including the DFT.

With their quirky inventiveness, playfulness, and power, these British advertisements—crafted to present products with winningly off-center wit—always deliver a satisfying, decidedly British kick.

A door-busting phenomenon for years at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the refreshing British Arrows have also become a beloved December tradition at the DFT.

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IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
Hong Kong/2000 — directed by Wong Kar Wai | 99 min
Tickets: https://dia.org/events/mood-love

Friday, December 12 | 7 pm
Saturday, December 13 | 3 pm
Saturday, December 13 | 7 pm
Sunday, December 14 | 2 pm

In 1962 Hong Kong, Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are formal and polite—until a discovery about their spouses creates an intimate, life-changing bond. Delicately mannered and visually astonishing, Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love is a masterful evocation of romantic longing and fleeting moments.

With its brilliantly evocative soundtrack and exquisite color cinematography, it was named one of the ten best films of the 21st century by The New York Times.

This 4K presentation was supervised by the director and will be shown alongside his rarely seen short film In the Mood for Love 2001. In Cantonese and Shanghainese with English subtitles.

09/09/2025

Kicking off the fall 2025 DFT season this week with two incredible films!

CLOUD
tickets: https://dia.org/events/cloud

Friday, September 12 | 7 pm
Saturday, September 13 | 3 PM & 7 pm
Sunday, September 14 | 6 pm

Japan, 2024, directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa | 124 min

This stylish, subversive thriller from suspense maverick Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse) follows Yoshii, an ambitious young factory worker from Tokyo who side hustles in the murky world of online reselling, misleading buyers and sellers alike.

After swindling his way into stacks of cash, Yoshii tries to escape the crowded city by moving to the suburbs with his girlfriend, entrusting his business duties to a new assistant. Soon, however, mysterious incidents begin to threaten his security as the reality of his crimes creeps closer than he ever imagined.

At once a pulse-pounding provocation and a cautionary tale for our atomized, hustle-economy era, Cloud is a scary, genre-bending vision of real-world consequences, crafted with precision and dark, edgy humor. In Japanese with English subtitles.

SABBATH QUEEN
tickets: https://dia.org/events/sabbath-queen

Sunday, September 14 | 2 pm
Special screening with director!

USA/2024—directed by Sandi DuBowski | 105 min.

The result of 21 years of filming, SABBATH QUEEN illuminates the lifelong journey of Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, dynastic heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis, as he struggles with embracing his destiny, becoming a drag-queen rebel, a q***r bio-dad and the founder of Lab/Shul—an everybody-friendly, artist-driven, pop-up experimental congregation.

This spirited documentary joins Amichai on his quest to creatively re-examine the concepts of religion and ritual, challenge patriarchy, champion interfaith love, and stand up for tolerance in an age of turmoil. In English, Hebrew and Yiddish with English subtitles.

This special screening will be followed by a live, in-person Q & A with director Sandi DuBowski.

Address

5200 Woodward Ave
Detroit, MI
48202

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 9pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 8pm

Telephone

(313) 833-7887

Website

https://dia.org/dft

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