films
The Dennos Museum Center presents films during the year from a variety of genres. Films are generally screened with captions. Milliken Auditorium features a T-coil loop for those with hearing impairments. Additional arrangements for a sign language interpreter can be made by contacting Liz Celeste at eceleste@nmc.edu or by calling 231-995-1029.
FALL 2024 films
The Fall 2024 films are presented in partnership with Care-O-Van as part of the Collective Self Cinema Series.
The Collective Self Cinema series offers a way for adults and kids to connect through film. By watching and discussing selected movies, participants gain insights into themselves and each other, nurturing a sense of connection and compassion.
Join us at the Dennos Museum Center for a movie screening, followed by a workshop with Care-O-Van and Tearwater T. Choose between two workshops: one in expressive arts (for all ages) or one focused on self-awareness and personal growth (for adults and young adults). Take home resources and activities to deepen the experience.
Workshops:
- Expressive Arts Workshop (All Ages) - Encourages creative exploration for youth, young adults, and adults.
- Learning Workshop (Adults and Young Adults) - Explores key themes from each film to help adults connect with themselves and the children they care for.
Facilitators:
- Learning Workshops: Led by Meg Mertaugh-Graber, a therapist specializing in trauma-informed and neuro-affirming care.
- Expressive Arts Workshops: Led by Tracy Smedes-Hepler, an early childhood educator and art program leader.
Key Themes for Each Film:
- Inside Out: All Feelings Are Valuable (Saturday, October 12, 2024)
- Encanto: All of YOU is a Gift (Saturday, November 16, 2024)
- Coco: Loss and Connection (Saturday, December 14, 2024)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Leading with Love (Saturday, January 11, 2025)
FAQs:
- Do I need to watch the film at Dennos? No, you can join the workshops if you’ve recently seen the film.
- Who can attend the expressive workshop? All ages are welcome.
- Is this for educators or caregivers? Yes! It’s ideal for anyone supporting children.
- Do I need a ticket? Yes, registration is required to reserve your spot.
- How to choose a workshop? If you want to create with your kids, join the expressive arts workshop. If you want to dive deeper into film themes and connect with children’s emotional needs, choose the learning workshop.
- Take-home resources: Both workshops offer handouts and activity guides you can use at home or in educational settings.
- Cost: Pay-what-you-can to keep the program accessible to all.
Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix // Collective Self Cinema Series
Saturday, January 11th | 1:00 PM
GET TICKETS
Rated PG-13 | Run Time: 2h 18 m
ABOUT THE FILM
With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.
Winter / Spring 2025 films - INDIE LENS POP-UP
Indie Lens Pop-Up is a community series that brings people together for film screenings and conversations. DMC will be working with local partners on programming for each film. Check back for additional details as they are made available. Tickets are free but please RSVP in advance to reserve your spot.
FREE FOR ALL: THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Wednesday, January 29th | 4:00 PM
REGISTER HERE
Free for All: The Public Library tells the story of the quiet revolutionaries who made a simple idea happen. From the pioneering women behind the “Free Library Movement” to today's librarians who service the public despite working in a contentious age of closures and book bans, meet those who created a civic institution where everything is free and the doors are open to all.
BIKE VESSEL
Wednesday, February 19th | 4:00 PM
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Knowing his dad miraculously recovered from three open-heart surgeries after discovering a passion for cycling, filmmaker Eric D. Seals proposes an ambitious idea: Bike together from St. Louis to Chicago. 350 miles. 4 days. On their journey, the two push each other as they find a deeper connection and a renewed appreciation of their quests for their own health and to reimagine Black health.
HOME COURT
Wednesday, March 19th | 4:00 PM
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Home Court is the coming-of-age story of Ashley Chea, a Cambodian American basketball prodigy in Southern California whose life intensifies as recruitment heats up. As she overcomes injury as well as racial and class differences between her home and private school worlds, in peer groups, and against rival schools, Ashley strives to become her own person and leave a legacy behind.
WE WANT THE FUNK: THE HISTORY OF FUNK MUSIC
Wednesday, April 16th | 4:00 PM
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Stanley Nelson's syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, from early roots to 1970s urban funk and beyond.
MATTER OF MIND: MY ALZHEIMER'S
Wednesday, April 30th | 4:00 PM
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Alzheimer’s disease transforms the lives of three families who confront the challenges of becoming primary caregivers.
PAST FILMS
coco Screening // Collective Self Cinema Series
Saturday, December 14th | 1:00 PM
Rated PG | Run Time: 1h 45 m
ABOUT THE FILM
Miguel, confronted with his family’s ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.
encanto Screening // Collective Self Cinema Series
Saturday, November 16th | 1:00 PM
Rated PG | Run Time: 1h 42 m
ABOUT THE FILM
A Colombian teenage girl has to face the frustration of being the only member of her family without magical powers.
Inside Out Screening // Collective Self Cinema Series
Saturday, October 12th | 1:00 PM
Milliken Auditorium
Rated PG | Run Time: 1h 35 m
ABOUT THE FILM
After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.
Street Heroines Screening
Thursday, August 29th | 4:00 PM
STREET HEROINES is an award-winning feature-length documentary celebrating the courage and creativity of women who despite their lack of recognition have been an integral part of the graffiti and street art movement since the beginning. With authentic vérité storytelling woven between an interview-driven narrative, STREET HEROINES juxtaposes the personal experiences of three emerging Latina artists from New York City, Mexico City, and São Paulo as they navigate a male-dominated subculture to establish artistic identities within chaotic urban landscapes.
Toofly, born in Ecuador and raised in Queens, NY, is determined to use her art to help others and embarks on a journey that leads her back to Ecuador after establishing a unique friendship with the first female of graffiti, Lady Pink. Fusca, a talented painter who moved to Mexico City inspired by its embrace of muralism, becomes dismayed by the machinations behind the urban art scene and is forced to reanalyze her passion. In the concrete jungle of São Paulo, Brazil Magrela expresses her feelings on the complexities of being a woman through vibrant colors and radical imagery painted across city walls only to one day be confronted by the very authorities that make her feel unwanted in the public space. Combined with historical anecdotes from pioneering artists including Lady Pink, Swoon, Lady Aiko, Nina Pandolfo and iconic graffiti photographer Martha Cooper, among others, Street Heroines is the first-of-its-kind documentary to capture the collective outcry of female street artists.
Eat Flowers Screening
Thursday, July 25th | 4:00 PM
Eat Flowers is a short film inspired by British artist Cig Harvey’s, Blue Violet, a book of photographs and writing that explores themes of isolation, beauty, and loss.
Told through a series of poetic vignettes, Eat Flowers brings us into the dreamy worlds that Cig creates for her best friend Mary who is being treated for Leukemia.
These artistic gifts create a portal for us to experience magic in unexpected places: a dahlia compost heap, a field of yellow weeds, a disco ball. Cig’s vibrant, passionate work breaks open a world we didn't know we were missing.
Eat Flowers tells an urgent story about living, all through the language of flowers.
Join us for a panel discussion following the screening. Our panel features representatives from Michael's Place, Got Grief House, Care-O-Van, and Interlochen Public Radio. We'll explore the question, "How can creative outlets help in processing grief?" This event also draws inspiration from Louise Jones' solo exhibition, 10,000 Flowers, now on view at the museum.
Don't miss this insightful conversation.
After the film and panel, join us for an afterglow at our film sponsor The Little Fleet. Enjoy a beverage of your choice for $1 off when you show your movie ticket, and chat about the film with your fellow movie-goers.
Zero Gravity Screening
Thursday, June 27th | 4:00 PM
Zero Gravity intimately follows a diverse group of middle-school students from San Jose, CA, who compete in a nationwide tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station.
Seen primarily through the wondrous eyes of three young innovators and their first-time coach, they each take an intimate and personal journey to space as their team grows from amateur coders to representing California in the ISS Finals Tournament -- the culmination of a summer-long adventure that sees their incredible accomplishment performed by astronauts in orbit.
After the film, join us for an afterglow at our film sponsor The Little Fleet. Enjoy a beverage of your choice for $1 off when you show your movie ticket, and chat about the film with your fellow movie-goers.
One Person, One Vote? Free Screening
Wednesday, June 19th | 3:00 PM
An absolute must-see for anyone who can vote for president in the United States, this eye-opening exposé of the origins and contentious history of the Electoral College gives context to current events recalling the often forgotten role of slavery in its creation. Throughout American history, the Electoral College has dramatically impacted American politics and society, particularly with respect to vote erasure of the minority party vote.
Then, join NMC and Northern Michigan E3 for a block-party style celebration and educational programs at 5:00 PM on NMC’s main campus.
