Cornell Cinema

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Cornell Cinema, Cinema, 104 Willard Straight Hall, Ithaca, NY.

Cornell Cinema has been cited as one of the best campus film exhibition programs in the country, screening over 150 different films/videos each year, five to seven nights a week in the beautiful Willard Straight Theatre.

09/01/2026

School's back in session with FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH on Friday (9/4) at 8:30pm! 🍎

Plus Mel Brooks classics, Wayfaring Strangers, newly restored films, and more!

08/30/2026

Series Spotlight: Doc Spots 🎥🌎🔎

Our "Doc Spots" series kicks off today (8/30) at 5:30pm with the Ithaca premiere of CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS, an Academy Award-nominated documentary about 37-year-old Sara Shahverdi, a motorcycle riding, land owning, former midwife-turned-fierce citizen advocate and recent divorcée, who won a landslide election to become the first elected councilwoman in her remote village in northwest Iran.

Shahverdi aims to use her position to break long-held patriarchal traditions by training teenage girls to ride motorcycles and stopping child marriages. When accusations arise questioning Sara’s intentions to empower local girls, her identity is put in turmoil, making her bold dreams feel impossible to realize.

Filmed over several years, CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS is an intimate portrait of Shahverdi's determined efforts to upend daily injustices and improve the lives of women in her town.

Our ongoing “Doc Spots” series highlights a dynamic range of new non-fiction films, foregrounding both powerful narratives and compelling storytelling techniques. We aim to present films that resonate with local concerns and with the cutting-edge teaching and research happening across campus, so many screenings are presented in collaboration with Cornell departments, programs, or other community organizations.

Check out our full "Doc Spots" line-up at cinema.cornell.edu.

08/29/2026

Series Spotlight: Happy Birthday, Mel Brooks! 🎂🥳

Among the most prolific and idiosyncratic filmmakers in American cinema history, the legendary director Mel Brooks celebrates his 100th birthday in 2026. To celebrate, Cornell Cinema will present three of his most unforgettable comedies—THE PRODUCERS (1967), SPACEBALLS (1987), and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974).

Brooks is best known for creating comedic films that cleverly spoof popular genres and indiscriminately lampoon cultural groups, all the while celebrating the history of cinema.

The series kicks off tonight at 6pm with THE PRODUCERS!

The series is cosponsored by the Jewish Studies Program.

More at cinema.cornell edu!

08/25/2026

We're baaaaaack!!! 👀👀👀

It's an action-packed opening weekend of the fall semester at Cornell Cinema featuring restorations of THELMA & LOUISE (1991) and PERFECT BLUE (1998), a special presentation of PROJECT HAIL MARY (2026), Mel Brooks' THE PRODUCERS (1968), MEAN GIRLS (2004), and the Ithaca premiere of the Oscar-nominated documentary CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS (2025).

08/24/2026

It's our opening weekend of the fall semester and Cornell Cinema is thrilled to partner with Carl Sagan Institute and Cornell Astronomical Society @ Fuertes Observatory on a special screening of PROJECT HAIL MARY (2026) on Friday, 8/28 at 7pm! 🚀🌌🪨

Based on the science fiction novel by Andy Weir, PROJECT HAIL MARY is an irresistible interstellar adventure, anchored by a heartful performance from Ryan Gosling, who stars at Ryland Grace, a high school science teacher who wakes up alone on a spaceship, light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there.

As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance that is causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction… but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.

Before the film, Lisa Kaltenegger, Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Carl Sagan Institute, and Abigail Bohl '26, Research Intern at the Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, will discuss their research on rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone and efforts to identify more than 45 rocky worlds that have potential to support life beyond earth.

After the film, all are welcome to join the Cornell Astronomical Society for an open telescope night from 8pm-12pm at the Fuertes Observatory, 209 Cradit Farm Drive, Ithaca, New York 14850.

Attendees will also be entered to win a copy of Dr. Kaltenegger's book "Alien Earths: The Science for Planet Hunting in the Cosmos" (2024)!

Presented in collaboration with the Cornell Astronomical Society, the Carl Sagan Institute, and the Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science

Tickets at cinema.cornell.edu

📸: Amazon MGM/Swank Motion Pictures

08/23/2026

Series Spotlight: Wayfaring Strangers 👣🤔

Christopher Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY (2026)—the box office hit of the summer—is, at its core, the tale of a troubled man on a long walk home to Ithaca.

Drawing inspiration from both this recent screen adaptation and Homer’s foundational text, our "Wayfaring Strangers" series considers a selection of international art house films in which characters embark on arduous journeys that challenge them physically, mentally, and emotionally. It includes the work of acclaimed directors Agnes Varda, Jia Zhangke, Michelangelo Antonioni, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Werner Herzog.

Rooted in anxieties about surviving in an uncertain, changing, and even hostile world, the protagonists of these films at once embody a profound sense of alienation and a profound sense of freedom. Their wanderings are less about reaching a destination than about grappling with a sense of disconnectedness—from both society and themselves.

Learn more at cinema.cornell.edu.

08/18/2026

Series Spotlight: Too Cool for School 🍎✏️🚌

Our “Too Cool for School” series explores the American high school experience through classic films from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

The series kicks off in September with some more recent entries in the high school cinema canon: Reginald Hudlin’s iconic coming-of-age comedy HOUSE PARTY (1990); Justin Lin’s thrilling crime drama BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003); and the now cult-classic MEAN GIRLS (2004), written by Tina Fey and starring Lindsey Lohan.

Nothing screams Halloween like a little high school horror. We are delighted to celebrate the spooky season with screenings of THE CRAFT (1996) and SCREAM (1996), both of which celebrate their 30th anniversary year, and a special 50th anniversary presentation of Brian de Palma’s CARRIE (1976) on Halloween night.

Finally, the 1980s introduced some of the most iconic American high school movies of all time and our series will include three: Amy Heckerling’s FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982), FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF (1986), and THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985), the latter of which were both directed by John Hughes, the quintessential chronicler of the American high school experience.

These films share a common focus on the trials and tribulations of adolescent life, including evolving friendships, romantic relationships, journeys of self-discovery, and the consequences of newfound independence.

Learn more at cinema.cornell.edu

08/13/2026

Cornell Cinema is delighted to welcome you back for another year of movie magic in the historic Willard Straight Theatre!

From thought-provoking docs and enigmatic art house hits to high school nostalgia and our annual CatVideoFest, there is something for everyone at Cornell Cinema!

Fall semester screenings will begin on Thursday, August 27.

You can learn more about all that's happening at cinema.cornell.edu.

See you soon! 📽️🎬🍿🎟️❤️

07/15/2026

Congratulations to , who won a Cornell Cinema All-Access Pass in our year-end survey raffle! 🎉

We're delighted to announce that All-Access Passes for the 2026-2027 academic year are now on sale!

The Cornell Cinema All-Access Pass offers complimentary admission to all regular film screenings plus a discount on special events for one incredibly low price. Passes are valid for the entire academic year in which they are purchased and expire each May.

Passholders also will receive early news of our fall calendar launch in August, so be sure to get yours today!

Our 2026-27 prices are:

$40 general admission, $30 students (including K-12 and college students), $25 Cornell Grad & Professional Students, and $36 Cornell faculty and staff members

Follow the link in our bio to purchase your pass today!

06/29/2026

Last week, cinema director Molly Ryan participated in a panel discussion on "Memorable Audience Engagement in the Letterboxd Era" at IND/EX Independent Film Exhibition Conference, organized by and .

It was so much fun to share stories with the inspiring Matt Carr () from the Music Box Theatre in Chicago!

Address

104 Willard Straight Hall
Ithaca, NY
14853

Telephone

+16072553522

Website

https://cinema.cornell.edu/

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