FILMMAKER JENNIFER RUTH IN ATTENDANCEUniversities are meant to be places where ideas can be argued without fear. Yet as Israel’s war on Gaza grinds on, that ideal feels increasingly fragile. Across the United States, administrators discipline students for protest, lawmakers threaten faculty, and new visa restrictions target Palestinian students. These are reminders that the space for dissent is narrowing fast,The Palestine Exception looks squarely at this crisis of academic freedom. Through archival footage and candid interviews with scholars including Judith Butler, the film follows students and professors as they demand a ceasefire and divestment from companies tied to Israel. Their movement, already the largest U.S. anti-war uprising since the 1970s, meets a swift backlash, exposing what activists call the “Palestine exception,” where speech and assembly rights end the moment Israel is named.The film resonates with today’s headlines while telling a story of campuses as both refuge and battleground, of personal and collective histories colliding, and of the stubborn insistence that a university remain a place for truth-telling, even when power wants silence.USA. 2025Directed by Jan Haaken & Jennifer Ruth,In English.Running time 70 min.Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Presented with

Nosferatu: A Symphomy of Horror is arguably the most important horror film of the silent era and one of the first vampire movies. It's an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula." The film follows Thomas Hutter as he journeys to Transylvania to sell property to the eerie Count Orlok (Max Schreck). Orlok's obsession with Thomas' wife, young Ellen Hutter, leads to a climactic showdown as she attempts to thwart his evil plans.The film is celebrated for its atmospheric cinematography, haunting performances, and enduring influence on the horror genre, including remakes by Werner Herzog and Robert Eggers.Violin, glockenspiel, organ, flute, bass clarinet, voices and vocals, music box, loops, electric guitar, bass, piano and percussion all play prominent roles in the Invincible Czars' score. It's a sight to behold when performed live by only four or five players. Don't miss your chance to experience it LIVE on Sunday, October 19.

The iconic moment when Mary Philbin removed Lon Chaney's mask in The Phantom of the Opera is one of cinema’s most enduring images. Now, The Invincible Czars will bring their signature blend of eclectic instrumentation, adventurous arrangements and sense of emotional depth to this 100-year-old classic with their new, tastefully modern soundtrack, performing it live with the film in art house cinemas across the US and Canada in 2025.The Czars’ Phantom of the Opera soundtrack is the culmination of nearly a year of meticulous composition, recording, and collaboration. The group drew inspiration from the film’s gothic visuals and haunting narrative to craft a score using their primary instruments: piano, violin, electric guitar/bass, organ, flute, drums and bass clarinet. They create a live experience so immersive that it’s easy to forget the music is being played live.The tour will celebrate the 100th anniversary of this early American horror film. The band has been captivating both music and film enthusiasts across North America since 2015 when their soundtrack for Nosferatu earned them accolades in the art house community and made them staple of the silent film circuit. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. 

FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCEOn October 7, 2023, Liat was abducted from her kibbutz by Hamas. In the days that followed, filmmaker Brandon Kramer began filming with her family, documenting their raw and unfiltered struggle as they searched for answers. What begins as a portrait of grief quickly becomes something more: a window into the deep fractures within Israeli society, the reach of global diplomacy, and the human cost of a war that continues to devastate Gaza and Israel alike.At the center is Liat’s father, Yehuda, a US citizen, a pacifist, and a man unwilling to remain silent. Traveling to Washington with his family, he pleads for his daughter’s life while fiercely challenging both Israeli and American policies. Within the family itself, emotions and politics collide, exposing the tensions that mirror an entire society: fear and defiance, longing and rage, despair and fragile hope.Winner of the Berlinale Documentary Film Award, Holding Liat is more than a chronicle of one family’s ordeal. It is an urgent, unflinching reminder of how personal trauma and political violence are inseparably bound, and how even in the darkest of moments, the possibility of reconciliation depends on recognizing the humanity of those on the other side.2025Directed by Brandon Kramer.In Hebrew with English subtitles.Running time 98 min.Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Presented with

Nosferatu: A Symphomy of Horror is arguably the most important horror film of the silent era and one of the first vampire movies. It's an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula." The film follows Thomas Hutter as he journeys to Transylvania to sell property to the eerie Count Orlok (Max Schreck). Orlok's obsession with Thomas' wife, young Ellen Hutter, leads to a climactic showdown as she attempts to thwart his evil plans.The film is celebrated for its atmospheric cinematography, haunting performances, and enduring influence on the horror genre, including remakes by Werner Herzog and Robert Eggers.Violin, glockenspiel, organ, flute, bass clarinet, voices and vocals, music box, loops, electric guitar, bass, piano and percussion all play prominent roles in the Invincible Czars' score. It's a sight to behold when performed live by only four or five players. Don't miss your chance to experience it LIVE on Sunday, October 19.

The iconic moment when Mary Philbin removed Lon Chaney's mask in The Phantom of the Opera is one of cinema’s most enduring images. Now, The Invincible Czars will bring their signature blend of eclectic instrumentation, adventurous arrangements and sense of emotional depth to this 100-year-old classic with their new, tastefully modern soundtrack, performing it live with the film in art house cinemas across the US and Canada in 2025.The Czars’ Phantom of the Opera soundtrack is the culmination of nearly a year of meticulous composition, recording, and collaboration. The group drew inspiration from the film’s gothic visuals and haunting narrative to craft a score using their primary instruments: piano, violin, electric guitar/bass, organ, flute, drums and bass clarinet. They create a live experience so immersive that it’s easy to forget the music is being played live.The tour will celebrate the 100th anniversary of this early American horror film. The band has been captivating both music and film enthusiasts across North America since 2015 when their soundtrack for Nosferatu earned them accolades in the art house community and made them staple of the silent film circuit. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. 

The iconic moment when Mary Philbin removed Lon Chaney's mask in The Phantom of the Opera is one of cinema’s most enduring images. Now, The Invincible Czars will bring their signature blend of eclectic instrumentation, adventurous arrangements and sense of emotional depth to this 100-year-old classic with their new, tastefully modern soundtrack, performing it live with the film in art house cinemas across the US and Canada in 2025.The Czars’ Phantom of the Opera soundtrack is the culmination of nearly a year of meticulous composition, recording, and collaboration. The group drew inspiration from the film’s gothic visuals and haunting narrative to craft a score using their primary instruments: piano, violin, electric guitar/bass, organ, flute, drums and bass clarinet. They create a live experience so immersive that it’s easy to forget the music is being played live.The tour will celebrate the 100th anniversary of this early American horror film. The band has been captivating both music and film enthusiasts across North America since 2015 when their soundtrack for Nosferatu earned them accolades in the art house community and made them staple of the silent film circuit. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. 

FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCEFilmmaker Ibtisam Mara’ana leaves her childhood home in Fureidis, an Arab village near Haifa, to build a life in Tel Aviv. Early on she meets Jonathan, a Jewish immigrant from Montreal, and their romance becomes the heart of the story. What begins as a tender cross-cultural love affair quickly collides with larger realities, unfolding against the backdrop of the 2009 Gaza war. Quiet dinners at home shift into anti-war activism, tense family encounters, and a fraught visit to Jonathan’s grandfather’s kibbutz, where personal memory sparks political confrontation.More than a decade later, 77 Steps resonates with striking immediacy. As the current crisis in Gaza once again underscores the deep fractures of Israeli and Palestinian life, Mara’ana’s intimate journey becomes a powerful reminder of the fragile, complicated spaces where love, identity, and politics converge. What begins as a nostalgic pilgrimage unfolds into a profound journey—one that pulls each of them into the tangled legacies of memory and identity, of dreams and disillusionment.Israel, 2010.Directed by Ibtisam Mara'ana.In Hebrew, Arabic, and English with English subtitles.Running time 56 min.Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Presented with

In a town divided by duty and class, Vincent, a glassmaker’s son, and Alliz, a violinist who is the colonel’s daughter, fall in love. As their bond grows, rising tensions between their families threaten to pull them apart. Brought to life through stunning hand-drawn animation, THE GLASSWORKER Is a poetic tale of first love, family, and the price of staying true to your art.“A humanist tale...showcasing how art and creativity can provide solace and strength, even in the darkest time” — Screen AnarchyDistributed by Watermelon Pictures. Pakistan, United States. 2024.Directed by Usman Riaz.In English.Running time 98 min.Doors open at 5:00 p.m. 

The iconic moment when Mary Philbin removed Lon Chaney's mask in The Phantom of the Opera is one of cinema’s most enduring images. Now, The Invincible Czars will bring their signature blend of eclectic instrumentation, adventurous arrangements and sense of emotional depth to this 100-year-old classic with their new, tastefully modern soundtrack, performing it live with the film in art house cinemas across the US and Canada in 2025.The Czars’ Phantom of the Opera soundtrack is the culmination of nearly a year of meticulous composition, recording, and collaboration. The group drew inspiration from the film’s gothic visuals and haunting narrative to craft a score using their primary instruments: piano, violin, electric guitar/bass, organ, flute, drums and bass clarinet. They create a live experience so immersive that it’s easy to forget the music is being played live.The tour will celebrate the 100th anniversary of this early American horror film. The band has been captivating both music and film enthusiasts across North America since 2015 when their soundtrack for Nosferatu earned them accolades in the art house community and made them staple of the silent film circuit. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. 

In a town divided by duty and class, Vincent, a glassmaker’s son, and Alliz, a violinist who is the colonel’s daughter, fall in love. As their bond grows, rising tensions between their families threaten to pull them apart. Brought to life through stunning hand-drawn animation, THE GLASSWORKER Is a poetic tale of first love, family, and the price of staying true to your art.“A humanist tale...showcasing how art and creativity can provide solace and strength, even in the darkest time” — Screen AnarchyDistributed by Watermelon Pictures. Pakistan, United States. 2024.Directed by Usman Riaz.In English.Running time 98 min.Doors open at 5:00 p.m. 

Since losing our space in July 2023, Cinema Detroit has continued to offer access to a wide variety of films. Most of these are exclusive to us and would not otherwise be seen in the City of Detroit or even the Metro area. We pay other organizations to use their spaces, we pay distributors for film rights, and we no longer sell concessions, which was a major source of revenue. We need your support to keep going. Please give today!

Check out More Cinema Detroit Merch on Bonfire and shop official merchandise today! Featuring limited edition custom apparel, printed with care in the USA just for you.

Since losing our space in July 2023, Cinema Detroit has continued to offer access to a wide variety of films. Most of these are exclusive to us and would not otherwise be seen in the City of Detroit or even the Metro area. We pay other organizations to use their spaces, we pay distributors for film rights, and we no longer sell concessions, which was a major source of revenue. We need your support to keep going. Please give today!

Jedi ends the trilogy with Ewoks, recycled beats, and merchandising mayhem. Mike talks with Jim Bloom and co-hosts Jamie & Stephen.