The UCLA Film & Television Archive has announced its fall 2025 season, which will feature 29 feature films, 19 short films, and four evenings dedicated to television. The program begins on October 17 at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in Westwood. The lineup includes Los Angeles premieres, restored works, tributes, classics, and Academy Award–nominated films. Several events will include appearances by filmmakers and scholars.
“This season’s programming transforms the big screen by looking to the past — through the lens of UCLA scholars and student activism, visionary explorations of AI and technology, and 60 years of Archive preservation,” said May Hong HaDuong, director of the UCLA Film & Television Archive. “We invite audiences to come together and experience art as a collective act — rooted in history and alive in community.”
Among the highlights is “Toward a More Perfect Rebellion: Multiracial Student Activism at UCLA,” which screens October 17–18. This selection features films created by students during UCLA’s Ethno-Communications Program from 1969 to 1973. The event is guest programmed with Josslyn Luckett from New York University.
“A Place of Rage: Women and Anger on Screen,” running October 26 to December 6, draws on research by UCLA Professor Kathleen McHugh. It features shorts, television episodes, and full-length films such as Pratibha Parmar’s “A Place of Rage” (1991) and Joan Crawford’s performance in “Sudden Fear” (1952), along with in-person Q&A sessions.
The archive will also present restorations like “An Evening With Fred Astaire” (1958) and “Another Evening With Fred Astaire” (1959) on October 19. These color videotape specials have not been widely seen since 1987; dancer Barrie Chase will participate in a Q&A session after the screening.
“Wanda” (1970), directed by Barbara Loden and restored by the archive after salvaging film elements from a closed laboratory, will be shown November 2. The screening includes a discussion with Elena Gorfinkel.
On November 22, “The Best of ‘Ralph Story’s Los Angeles’” brings rarely seen segments documenting local landmarks from a series aired between 1965 and 1969. Producer Joe Saltzman and Alison Martino from Vintage Los Angeles will join for a Q&A.
A program honoring Desi Arnaz is scheduled for December 13 with screenings that include early television appearances alongside Lucille Ball. Author Todd S. Purdum will lead a discussion afterward.
Contemporary issues are explored through events such as “The Future of Reality: From Locarno to L.A.” on October 24–25—pairing shorts from the Locarno Film Festival about technology’s impact with archival newsreels—and “Reality Frictions” / “Bontoc Eulogy” on December 12 featuring new work by UCLA Professor Steve F. Anderson.
Other programs focus on preservationist Ross Lipman (November 7–9), revolutionary filmmaking (“Reel Politik,” November 21–December 20), family-friendly classics (“Family Flicks,” Sundays from October 26–December 7), LGBTQ+ cinema (“Legacy Project Screening Series,” November 1), food-themed film pairings (“Food and Film,” November 15), and documentary storytelling (“Eyes on Ukraine,” December 5).
All events are free to attend with first-come seating. Details about schedules can be found at the UCLA Film & Television Archive website.
The archive operates under the UCLA Library system.
