Thursday, February 28, 2019 

Madeline’s Madeline (2018) Directed by Josephine Decker

(Part of The Mini Mini Series: The Female Frame)

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Madeline got the part! She’s going to play the lead in a theater piece! Except the lead wears sweatpants like Madeline’s. And has a cat like Madeline’s. And is holding a steaming hot iron next to her mother’s face – like Madeline is. Madeline (newcomer Helena Howard) has become an integral part of a prestigious physical theater troupe. When the workshop's ambitious director (Molly Parker) pushes the teenager to weave her rich interior world and troubled history with her mother (Miranda July) into their collective art, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur. The resulting battle between imagination and appropriation rips out of the rehearsal space and through all three women’s lives. Writer/director Josephine Decker has long been an independent filmmaker to admire, utilizing a welcome expressionistic approach that imbues her subjects with a vibrant sense of urgency. Anchored by a virtuoso performance from newcomer Helena Howard, whose powerful screen presence commands attention, Decker’s film displays a rare sensitivity for capturing the messy struggles of discovering a sense of one's self that defies easy narrative categorization. (94 min)

Also screening: Sunday, March 3, 2019

Free with $5 suggested donation

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Born in Flames (1983) Directed by Lizzie Borden

(Part of The Mini Mini Series: The Female Frame)

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Lizzie Borden’s “Born in Flames” stands as a singular achievement, being perhaps the only queer-femme-socialist sci-fi quasi-documentary ever committed to film. Set in an alternate 80s New York City after a Second American Revolution has succeeded in winning social democracy but nevertheless failed to end racism and sexism, the film follows diverse cadres of activist women -- black, white; gay, straight; student, worker; native-born, immigrant -- as they fight for further progress. Their debates over ideology and strategy raise questions that animate the American Left to this day. What is the relationship between identity and class? How can disparate factions synthesize their aims to achieve solidarity? Should their battles be waged on the street, in government or through culture? Mixing an array of genres, Borden’s film, like the politics it advances, is an eruption of pent-up populist energy: fervent, unruly, plural, humane. (80 min) 

Free with $5 suggested donation

Saturday, February 23, 2019

A Prophet (2009) Directed by Jacques Audiard

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Presented by the UC Center for Film & Media Studies and part of the 2019 UC European Film Festival

Unable to read or write, Franco-Arab protagonist Malik (played by Tahar Rahim) finds himself alone in prison and more vulnerable than the other convicts due to his young age. The reigning Corsican gang approaches him, and the leader assigns him a number of “missions” he must complete. While gaining the gang leader’s trust, Malik’s intelligence and courageousness give him the tough skin he needs to plot on his own. A Prophet navigates perseverance despite the dangerous demands of a corrupt prison divided by race and defined by gang hierarchies. Audiard’s thriller received the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009 and was an Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee. Introduced by Stan Corkin from the University of Cincinnati. (150 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Ohio Women Media Makers

Co-Curated by Tess Cortés and Jeanne Philipp

(Part of The Mini Mini Series: The Female Frame)

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Ohio Women Media Makers is a program of short, experimental films and video by Diana Abells, Jacklyn Brickman, Tess Cortés, Lynn Kim, Jeanne Philipp, and Kate Raney. Also included in the program are films by Janis Crystal Lipzin completed during her time at Antioch College in Yellow Springs. Tess Cortes is a Curator-in-Residence at the Contemporary Dayton and teaches motion design at The Modern College of Design. Jeanne Philipp is an instructor at the University of Dayton. (60 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

This screening is supported by the Ohio Arts Council

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Shockwaves: Theatrical Cut Directed by Kasumi 

Supported by the Ohio Arts Council

(Part of The Mini Mini Series: The Female Frame)

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

The darkly comic Shockwaves is about a man whose traumatic memories of childhood send him on a hallucinogenic carnival ride of self-destruction and murder. Through a Möbius strip of alternate realities, shifting times and multiple dimensions, Shockwaves weaves a kaleidoscopic nightmare tapestry of abuse and revenge. Media artist Kasumi deploys an astonishing 25,000 public domain film samples, rotoscoped and live action film clips, dance choreography, animation and stunning sound design to produce a brilliant, darkly madcap, grotesque, beautiful and transcendent remix of signs, gestures, and actions that underlie meaning within a culture saturated by moving pictures. It is an utterly remarkable achievement that deserves to be seen by anyone who loves film, and to be studied by artists of all mediums, not just for its amazing technical accomplishment, but also for its deep and lasting emotional impact as a story of liberation and survival. A “dazzling” "metaphorical zeitgeist story," Shockwaves expresses what film until now has not been able to. It is a genuinely new and original cinematic language that goes beyond images, entering intravenously into our visceral understanding. The liquid blood of cinema. (80 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Monday, February 18, 2019

Gun Chronicles in America

A Project by JR and Time Magazine

In partnership with 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ 21c Museum Hotel (609 Walnut St. Cinti, OH 45202)

In association with a special edition of TIME Magazine, artist JR will be addressing the gun debate in the United States through a traveling exhibit. A moving image mural will be presented, which combines his portraits of hundreds of individuals, which gives a face to the full and complex spectrum of views on guns in America, including: gun collectors, hunters, law enforcement officials, shooting victims, emergency room teams that have worked on victims of mass shootings, and lobbyists for the industry. Join us for this special event and discussion. (60 min)

Sunday, February 17, 2019

The Anniversary Show (Screening + Fundraiser)  

North by Northwest (1959) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Tickets: $25 - Eventbrite

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

The Anniversary Show is The Mini’s new monthly fundraiser celebrating films that reach significant historical milestones in 2019. Support our mission by attending these special ticketed events, which include themed drinks and snacks. Our February program presents North by Northwest, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2019. 

“New York advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant) is mistaken by a gang of spies for a Federal agent named George Kaplan. They make various attempts on his life and make him look like a murder suspect at the United Nations building. He flees their clutches, crossing America by train and coach, and is menaced by a crop duster, while he uncovers a plot involving smuggled microfilm. He faces the villains in a final showdown on Mount Rushmore.” - BFI (136 min)

Saturday, February 16, 2019

Distant Tracings: Experimental films by Claudia Esslinger

Supported by the Ohio Arts Council

(Part of The Mini Mini Series: The Female Frame)

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Distant Tracings is a program of short experimental films that use human gesture to explore private narratives. Using diverse metaphor, the films survey family histories and personal curiosities. They arise from intuitive interactions of filmmaker and performer, discovered context and prepared props. They develop texture with audio responses by musicians and authors. Together they trace a trajectory of experience both profound and mundane: the shared histories of the makers. Claudia Esslinger is a visual artist and filmmaker working in single and multi-channel experimental film, collaborative performance and media-based installations. Her work thrives by interacting with dancers, authors, musicians and scientists and has been screened and exhibited nationally and internationally. She is the recipient of seven Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence grants and has had artist’s residencies from Dresden, Germany to the Headlands, California. (55 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Singin’ in the Rain (1952) Directed by Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day at The Mini! Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor star in one of the greatest musicals ever filmed. Musician Don Lockwood (Kelly) rises to stardom during Hollywood's silent-movie era--paired with the beautiful and jealous Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen). When Lockwood becomes attracted to young studio singer Kathy Selden (Reynolds), drama ensues. Set during the advent of "talkies," this film's classic song-and-dance numbers celebrate the beginning of movie musicals. (103 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Out (2017) Directed by György Kristóf

Presented by the UC Center for Film & Media Studies and part of the 2019 UC European Film Festival

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Out paints a touching and unexpected picture of a lost generation of post-socialist citizens. Kristóf’s film traces the quixotic voyage of recently unemployed 50-something protagonist Ágoston. His solitary trek across Central and Eastern Europe towards Latvia’s Baltic coast becomes a quest to find employment, a giant fish, and perhaps redemption for an unfulfilling life predetermined by a difficult cultural and economic transition from socialism. He discovers an almost post-apocalyptic former Soviet shipyard, a stuffed rabbit, and a bizarre cast of characters. Out premiered in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. (Various languages with English subtitles.) Introduced by Michael Gott from the University of Cincinnati. (90 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Open Screen #6 (Like open mic night but with movies...)

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Join us as we host our sixth “Open Screen” event, highlighting work by local film and video makers. The program will include a mix of short films from varying genres. All filmmakers will be in attendance to present their work. Interested in screening your work? For more information visit our website. Program details will be announced one week prior to the screening. Organized by Andy Marko! (80 min)

Presenting work by:

Max Kaplan, Elliot Feltner, Taylor Roebuck & Jahan Swanson, Liddy Hade, Ann Driscoll, CJW

Free with $5 suggested donation

Saturday, February 9, 2019

Lil’s + Lils - Films for Kids

Doors 10:30 AM / Start 11:00 AM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Enjoy a selection of short films for children. The screening includes animated films from all over the world that are either in English or without dialogue. Arrive early to enjoy free bagels from Lil’s Bagels and free coffee from Iris BookCafe. Fun for all ages! (30 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Contemporary Filmmakers from the Middle East / Basma Alsharif

Presented with the Contemporary Arts Center

(Part of The Mini Mini Series: The Female Frame)

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Basma Alsharif’s feature film Ouroboros (2017) is an homage to the Gaza Strip based on the eternal return. A journey following one man through five different landscapes marks the end as the beginning, forgetting as the way forward, and the failure of civilization. This screening is presented in conjunction with Lebanese artist Akram Zaatari’s exhibition, The Fold, on view now at the CAC through February 10th, 2019. Presented by David Serio, Educator & Public Programming Specialist, Arab American National Museum, (Dearborn, Michigan). (Various languages with subtitles.) (77 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

The Moscow Trials (2014) Directed by Milo Rau

Presented by the UC Center for Film & Media Studies and part of the 2019 UC European Film Festival

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

In the summer of 2012 the punk activists Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in a penal colony. This was only the latest episode in a ten-year series of trials implicating artists and dissidents within Putin’s system. In The Moscow Trials, Rau draws on the techniques of political theater to explore this issue. In March 2013, a courtroom was set up in Moscow to provide a stage for a show trial that pitted the different sides of the Russian cultural war against each other. The trial was stormed by the Russian authorities and by units of the Cossacks and led to an international scandal. The film documents the project and illuminates the historical and political situation. (Various languages with English subtitles.) (90 min)

Introduced by Tanja Nusser from the University of Cincinnati.

Free with $5 suggested donation

Thursday, January 31, 2019

56th Ann Arbor Film Festival Tour - 16mm Program

(Part of The Mini Mini Series: Mid by Midwest)

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

The Ann Arbor Film Festival is a pioneer of the traveling film festival tour which launched in 1964 with film screenings in Paris, Los Angeles and Berkeley. Since that time, the AAFF Tour has presented hundreds of influential works by film artists including Barbara Hammer, Gus Van Sant, Sally Cruikshank, Don Hertzfeldt, Bill Brown, Ross McLaren, Paul Winkler, James Duesing, Martha Colburn and Jay Rosenblatt. This 16mm program includes six new experimental, animated, documentary, and narrative works by filmmakers Josh Weissbach, Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin Liu, Nazlı Dinçels, Richard Tuohy, Michael Morris, and Josh Lewis. (58 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Dinosaurs in a Mining Facility

(Part of The Mini Mini Series: Mid by Midwest)

SECOND SCREENING JUST ADDED!

SCREENING #1 - Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

SCREENING #2 - Doors 9:15 PM / Start 9:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

"Dr. Stone's mysterious mining outpost just got a new employee. Ian is finally making something of himself, but will he become a hero or dinosaur food?" Five years in the making, JambleVision's no-budget sci-fi debut, Dinosaurs in a Mining Facility, sponsored by WAMO Soda, is sure to be an outrageous good time for fans of low budget, B grade sci-fi and absurdity of all kinds. Come see the campy epic that has been pleasing rowdy crowds both locally and abroad. Written & directed by Jordin Goff, starring Christian Gough, Jacob Stephens, Ethan Partin and Jackson Deal. (Based on an original idea by Christian Gough and Jacob Stephens) Jordin Goff is a connoisseur of B-Movies and bonus features. In 2018 he completed his debut feature with the invaluable aid of 20 odd loyal friends. Jordin has also spent the last decade drumming for his favorite band, The Yugos. WAMO Soda, founded in 1885, was and continues to be the most satisfying soda in the known universe. There is not a single taste bud on the tongue, human or otherwise, that they take for granted. Taste the drink! (75 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Sunday, January 27, 2019

The Anniversary Show (Screening + Fundraiser)

sex, lies, and videotape (1989) Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Tickets: $25 - EventBrite

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

The Anniversary Show is The Mini’s new monthly fundraiser celebrating films that reach significant historical milestones in 2019. Support our mission by attending these special ticketed events, which include themed drinks and snacks. We kick off the series with a screening of sex, lies, and videotape, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019. 

“With his provocative feature debut, twenty-six-year-old Steven Soderbergh trained his focus on the complexities of human intimacy and deception in the modern age. Housewife Ann (Andie MacDowell) feels distant from her lawyer husband, John (Peter Gallagher), who is sleeping with her sister, Cynthia (Laura San Giacomo). When John’s old friend Graham (a magnetic, Cannes-award-winning James Spader) comes to town, Ann is drawn to the soft-spoken outsider, eventually uncovering his startling private obsession: videotaping women as they confess their deepest desires. A piercingly intelligent and flawlessly performed chamber piece, in which the video camera becomes a charged metaphor for the characters’ isolation, the Palme d’Or–winning sex, lies, and videotape changed the landscape of American film, helping pave the way for the thriving independent scene of the 1990s.” - Criterion (100 min)

Refreshments by Liz Wolf from PLEASE.

Cocktail
“I think it’s gonna rain” (In honor of Ann's last line to Graham at the end of the film)Lemongrass Rose Infused Gin, Aromatized Wine, Bitters and Palo Santo Essence

Mocktail
”Did you want lemons?” (In honor of Graham's iced tea offer to Ann and Cynthia)
Pu'erh Tea with Cherry Bark Honey, Lemon Oleo, Citric Acid and Chinotto

Appetizers 
A charcuterie board of French/Cajun Flavors (in homage to the film’s setting of Baton Rouge), including meat, cheeses, cornichon, and bread.

Tickets: $25 (mini-cinema.org or EventBrite)

Saturday, January 26, 2019

UC European Film Festival

Double Feature (Part 2)

Genezis (2018) Directed by Árpád Bogdán

Presented by the UC Center for Film and Media Studies and part of the 2019 UC European Film Festival

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM

A story about fate, Genezis unites a Roma youth, a young female lawyer, and a teenage girl who become inextricably linked after a series of racist murders. Their trajectories intertwine as the boy’s childhood ends and dark truths come to light upon further investigation of the case. Life, solidarity, and responsibility guide the choices of the diverse protagonists whose lives are forever changed following this horrendous crime. Each path leads to a new beginning in Árpád Bogdán’s film.  Introduced by Sunnie Rucker-Chang from the University of Cincinnati. (In Hungarian with English subtitles.) (62 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Saturday, January 26, 2019

UC European Film Festival

Double Feature (Part 1)

Pasażerka (1963) Directed by Andrzej Munk & Witold Lesiewicz

Presented by the UC Center for Film and Media Studies and part of the 2019 UC European Film Festival

Doors 4:00 PM / Start 4:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Pasażerka tells the story of former SS member, Liza, who was a guard at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. She enslaves Polish prisoner Marta and psychological warfare ensues between the two. Years later, Liza believes the only witness to her crime to be dead. Then she sees the face of a passenger and the memories will come flooding back. Director Andrzej Munk died in a car accident before completing the film and the unfinished result is one of the most gripping cinematic depictions of the Holocaust. Introduced by Evan Torner from the University of Cincinnati. (In Polish with English subtitles.) (120 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Thursday, January 24, 2019

MILOTI Program Two

(Part of The Mini Mini Series: Mid by Midwest)

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

MILOTI Program Two is a curated film/video screening that showcases moving image artists in Ohio who have come together to screen contemporary media projects, eat tacos, and find community. Each year, the initial screening is held at Milo Arts in Columbus, Ohio before traveling on tour. MILOTI was created by Cameron Sharp, a Columbus based artist, in 2017 and has been made possible with the help of Calista Lyon, Bryan Ortiz, Roger Beebe, and a cast of thoughtful volunteers.

MILOTI Program Two includes media work by Liz Roberts, Fair Brane, Roger Beebe, Jason Annas, William Randall, Kellie Bornhoft, Calista Lyon, Claudia Esslinger, Andrew Wood, Michael Stickrod, Axel Cuevas Santamaria, Dani ReStack, Crystal Beiersdorfer, and Cameron Sharp. (70 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

2018 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour 

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

The 2018 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is a theatrical program of seven short films selected from last year’s Festival, widely considered the premier showcase for short films and the launchpad for many now-prominent independent filmmakers for more than 30 years. Including fiction, documentary and animation from around the world, the program offers new audiences a taste of what the Festival offers, from laugh-out-loud comedy to contemplative reflections of the world we live in. The Festival's Short Film Program has long been established as a place to discover talented directors. Screening work by Anna Margaret Hollyman, Kamau Bilal, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Mariama Diallo, Kangmin Kim, Jérémy Comte, and Álvaro Gago. (90 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Saturday, January 19, 2019

Lil’s + Lils - Films for Kids

Doors 10:30 AM / Start 11:00 AM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

Enjoy a selection of short films for children. The screening includes animated films from all over the world that are either in English or without dialogue. Arrive early to enjoy free bagels from Lil’s Bagels and free coffee from Iris BookCafe. Fun for all ages! (30 min)

Free with $5 suggested donation

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Monrovia, Indiana (2018) Directed by Frederick Wiseman

(Part of The Mini Mini Series: Mid by Midwest)

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

“I thought a film about a small farming community in the Midwest would be a good addition to the series I have been doing on contemporary American life. Monrovia, Indiana appealed to me because of its size (1,063 residents), location (I have never shot a film in the rural Midwest) and the shared cultural and religious interests within the community. During the nine weeks of filming the residents of Monrovia were helpful, friendly and welcoming and gave me access to all aspects of daily life. Life in big American cities on the east and west coasts is regularly reported on and I was interested in learning more about life in small town America and sharing my view.” - Frederick Wiseman (143 min)

Also screening: Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Free with $5 suggested donation

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Monrovia, Indiana (2018) Directed by Frederick Wiseman

(Part of The Mini Mini Series: Mid by Midwest)

Doors 7:00 PM / Start 7:30 PM @ The Mini - 1329 Main St.

“I thought a film about a small farming community in the Midwest would be a good addition to the series I have been doing on contemporary American life. Monrovia, Indiana appealed to me because of its size (1,063 residents), location (I have never shot a film in the rural Midwest) and the shared cultural and religious interests within the community. During the nine weeks of filming the residents of Monrovia were helpful, friendly and welcoming and gave me access to all aspects of daily life. Life in big American cities on the east and west coasts is regularly reported on and I was interested in learning more about life in small town America and sharing my view.” - Frederick Wiseman (143 min)

Introduction by Steve Rosen - Former Arts & Culture Editor at Cincinnati CityBeat

Also screening: Thursday, January 17, 2019

Free with $5 suggested donation