Editor Hilda Rasula in conversation about American Fiction edit with Ben Elliot.

Film Synopsis : In a tour-de-force directorial debut from Cord Jefferson, AMERICAN FICTION is a smart, heartwarming comedy that stars Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious "Monk" Ellison. Monk is a frustrated novelist fed up with the literary establishment’s continual ignorance and blind promotion of what they consider “Black” entertainment. In a moment of exasperation, he writes an outlandish “Black” book of his own under a pen name, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain. Amidst this secret success, Monk reunites with his spirited family who challenge his notions of prosperity and happiness. The film’s first-rate ensemble also includes Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Keith David, Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown.

On Monday, January 8 join us for a Q&A with director Justin K. Thompson, as he discusses 2023 American animated superhero film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is another audacious, immersive feat of filmmaking that matches the already-astonishing original and ups the ante with its ambition and visual innovation. Grounding its high-flying story with humanity and some genuine pain, this film goes weirder, darker, trippier than its predecessor, deepening the story it set up in surprising ways. Edited by Mike Andrews, ACE, it’s obvious that this Spider-Verse came from a place of love and passion which helped make it one of 2023's essentials. This event will be a Zoom webinar on Monday, January 8 at 8PM ET/5PM PT. Please RSVP by Monday, January 8, 3PM ET/12PM PT.

For questions, please contact Picturehouse 441 Programmer, Joshua Handler (joshua@picturehouse441.com).

Virtual Glass of Wine, Editor Michael Harte, ACE BFE hosted by Tatjana Rhodes. This conversation is about the work of Michael Harte, ACE BFE.

On Tuesday, January 16 join us for a Q&A with screenwriter Brian Helgeland, as he discusses his work on the 1997 crime film L.A. Confidential. A modern-day noir that pays loving homage to ‘40s detective films while giving it a distinctly modern sensibility, L.A. Confidential takes James Ellroy’s bestseller and adapts its labyrinthine plot into something more digestible yet no less complex and compelling. For their adaptation, Brian Helgeland and his co-writer Curtis Hanson (who also directed), won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and for her performance, Kim Basinger won Best Supporting Actress. Editor Peter Honess, ACE, was nominated for Best Film Editing. Hard-hitting and ruthlessly intelligent, L.A. Confidential is neo-noir at its finest and the kind of mid-budget, adult-oriented film rarely seen anymore. This event will be a Zoom webinar on Tuesday, January 16 at 8PM ET/5PM PT.

Tune in on Thursday, January 18, to watch a Q&A with editor Nick. Houy, ACE, as he discusses the editing of the 2023 hit Barbie. After the one-two punch of Lady Bird and Little Women, filmmaker Greta Gerwig took on her biggest project yet: Barbie. A triumph of imagination, Barbie cleverly uses the eponymous character and Ken to explore the roles of women in society and the challenges they face. Cut by longtime Gerwig editor Nick Houy, ACE, the film moves at a breakneck pace, perfectly in sync with Gerwig’s unique rhythms. Both the highest grossing and one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2023, Barbie is destined to influence the next many years of cinema, but it will be hard to replicate the infectious energy of the inimitable original. This event will be a Zoom Webinar on Thursday, January 18 at 8PM ET/5PM PT.

Picturehouse 441 and ACE are proud to be partnering on a series of live virtual Q&As as part of our mutual efforts to promote film literacy.
Join us for a Q&A with screenwriter Hampton Fancher, as he discusses his work on science fiction film Blade Runner: The Final Cut. Upon its release in 1982, Blade Runner opened to mixed reviews and middling box office in a cut that reeked of studio intervention. A decade later, Ridley Scott released a director’s cut that more closely aligned with his vision, and it was immediately hailed as a landmark work of cinema (this was followed by the 2007 final cut, Scott’s preferred version). A potent mix of film noir, science fiction, and dystopian drama, Blade Runner is an uncommonly intelligent work, written by Hampton Fancher and David Webb Peoples and edited by Terry Rawlings, ACE, and Marsha Nakashima, that asks major philosophical questions about what makes human beings human. The event will be a Zoom Webinar on Tuesday, January 23 at 8PM ET/5PM PT.