Brazilian biographical drama about the early life of real‑world ballet star Thiago Soares, tracing his unlikely rise from Rio’s hip‑hop street culture to the elite world of classical ballet. Presented in Portuguese language with English subtitles.

An All-American trucker gets dragged into a centuries-old mystical battle in Chinatown. Join Friends of Gardena Cinema for the 40th Anniversary screening and celebration with The Golden Six Shooter, actor Gerald Okamura, and musical score composer, Alan Howarth. Both will be meeting and greeting ticketholders at 5:30 pm in our lobby and the movie will start at 7:30 pm. Also confirmed to attend are: Steve Johnson (Animatronic and makeup FX artist); James Lew (Chang Sing #1 & Martial Arts Choreographer); Darryl Chan (Chang Sing); Gary Toy (Chang Sing) Rommel Mor (Joe Lucky); Eric Lee (Wing Kong Hatchet Man); Lap Nguyen (Wing Kong); Joycelyne Lew (Wing Kong Girl). Cast and crew will be updated as RSVPs arrive. Exclusive fan merchandise and special guest autographs will be sold separately in the lobby from the event admission fee. Stay after the screening for a special Q&A session with actor Gerald Okamura and score composer Alan Howarth and other cast and crew members moderated by Josh Horowitz, the co-host of the Big Trouble in Little China podcast called "5 Minutes of Trouble" and creator of The Wing Kong Exchange Website at wingkong.net.

FILMMAKER FACE-OFF: BROADWAY VS. SUNSET Presents: An end of day reception held in the Gardena Cinema lobby, where you can mix, mingle and network with other filmmakers, film lovers & the hosts of the Filmmaker Face-Off event: Liz Weist & Ryan Lambert! Running from 9:00-10:30pm, each admission includes 2 complimentary drink tickets. Part of the Filmmaker Face-Off: Broadway vs. Sunset event taking place Sunday July 19th at Gardena Cinema, hosted by Liz Wiest & Ryan Lambert!

FILMMAKER FACE/OFF: BROADWAY VS. SUNSET Presents: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN - A boatful of graduating high school students headed to Manhattan accidentally pull Jason Voorhees along for the ride. Part of the Filmmaker Face-Off: Broadway vs. Sunset event taking place Sunday July 19th at Gardena Cinema, hosted by Liz Wiest & Ryan Lambert!

Beset with personal and professional problems, George Bailey finds his previously happy life falling apart around him on Christmas Eve. Seeing no way out, George considers suicide from the edge of a bridge - but Clarence, his guardian angel, intervenes and shows George what his beloved hometown of Bedford Falls would be like without him. Shocked by what he sees and at the unforeseen circumstances of his absence, George reconsiders and begs Clarence to return him to the problems of the present and the loving community he has fostered throughout his life.

A Spinosaurus, Eggs, & ALAN!: The Jurassic Park III 25th Anniversary - Celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of fan favorite Jurassic Park sequel, Jurassic Park III, with comic writer Rosie Knight (Godzilla, Supergirl), "See Jurassic Right" podcast host Steven Ray Morris (Ologies, My Favorite Murder), and special guests (TBD). Set eight years after the events of the original Jurassic Park, Sam Neill returns as Dr. Alan Grant, “persuaded” to return to a new island full of dinosaurs by a couple looking to find their son, who is stranded all alone.

Aliens who look like clowns come from outer space and terrorize a small town. JOIN US for The 3rd Annual Killer Klowns Punk Rock Fest at Gardena Cinema on Saturday, July 11, from 2-10:30 PM. 2:00 PM: JOHN MASSARI opens the event with an incredibly rare screening of Mike Jittlov's zany 1988 film The Wizard of Speed and Time followed by a Q&A at 3:30 PM. John's score for The Wizard... is wonderfully unique & beloved by fans. You won't want to miss this! 4:00 PM: COSPLAY all of your favorite Killer Klowns for a chance to WIN the Grand Prize giveaway: a 3-Day, 2-Night Stay in LAS VEGAS! Runner-up prizes will also be awarded to 2nd and 3rd Place participants. 5:00 PM: LIVE musical performances from pop-metal band S8nt Elektric, Sik Sik Sicks and the Radioactive Chicken Heads with Leonard Graves Phillips singing the KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE theme song! 8:30 PM: KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE with Special Introduction by Klowns film composer JOHN MASSARI celebrating its 38th Anniversary. BUT WAIT, there's more! Exclusive 11"x17" full-color Event Flyer available for purchase ONLY at the event (with proof of entry). Numbered and signed by JOHN MASSARI. Ltd. to 150! NOTE: THIS IS AN INDOOR CINEMA EXHIBITION. PLEASE PURCHASE (1) TICKET PER PERSON. ️

FILMMAKER FACE-OFF: BROADWAY VS. SUNSET Presents: MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN - Kermit and his friends go to New York to get their musical on Broadway only to find it's a more difficult task than they anticipated. Part of the Filmmaker Face-Off: Broadway vs. Sunset event taking place Sunday July 19th at Gardena Cinema, hosted by Liz Wiest & Ryan Lambert!

In a culture where digital presentation is taking over, Out of Print celebrates the unique Revival and Art House Cinemas where 35mm film prints are still going strong - and explores why 35mm film should be allowed to coexist with digital forever. Featuring interviews with: Kevin Smith, Edgar Wright, Rian Johnson, Stuart Gordon, Joe Dante, John Landis, Tom Holland, Richard Kelly, Mark Romanek, Lloyd kaufman and more! Please stay after the screening for a filmmaker Q&A with director Julia Marchese.

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

FILMMAKER FACE-OFF: BROADWAY VS. SUNSET Presents: "Shorts Heard 'Round the World" Short Film Block & Post-screening Awards Ceremony YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, KID (10 mins.) Directed by Michael Matsui; "Sophia, 9 year old, is pursued by an entity in her home and the terror is experienced from the imaginative perspective of Sophia. An imagination where all of her nightmares come to life, and what normally brings her comfort is personified into horror." CHARACTER ACTORS (13 mins.) Directed by Ben Wiseman; "A suspiciously large pair of laced panties threatens the relationship between a Broadway actor and an actor who performs on Broadway." SANCTUM OF HORROR (8 mins.) Directed by Nic Reader; Trailer for SACTUM OF HORROR, which includes parts of the pilot episode." HORS D'EOURVE (6 mins.) Directed by Aleksandra Svetlichnaya; "During a road trip three girlfriends are stranded in a strange town where no one will utter a word. They soon learn that the town is cursed and they must use their collective power to stop the monster haunting it." DIANE DE NIRO (16 mins.) Directed by Laura Ornella; "After failing to be seen for a big toe audition, all hope is lost for Diane until inspiration strikes and she opts to change her last name to a famous celebrity's. As opportunities roll in, Diane struggles to keep her charade alive, amidst her roommate's rise to stardom." HAVE A SAFE TRIP (11 mins.) Directed by Liz Wiest; "Carl and Michelle are going to traverse the galaxy together...without leaving the comfort of his living room." Part of the Filmmaker Face-Off: Broadway vs. Sunset event taking place Sunday July 19th at Gardena Cinema, hosted by Liz Wiest & Ryan Lambert!

ARTHOUSE CINEMA DAY - From filmmaker Boots Riley (I LOVE BOOSTERS): "In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe." (Starring LaKeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Danny Glover & Steven Yuen)

Urban Thursdays Presents - THE COOKOUT (2004): Todd Anderson's life changes overnight when he signs a $30 million contract with the NBA. Determined not to forget who he is and where he's from, he throws a cookout for his family and friends from the hood, in his new neighborhood.

In the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr Zorg at bay.

A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.

The Movie Screeners Club is an ongoing monthly short film festival featuring short movies made by local filmmakers every third Thursday of each month. After the last short film is shown, we have a filmmaker panel about the motivation behind making the movie and the process that was done to make it. Audience members will vote for their top 3 favorite short movies and each month we will announce the winner of the Audience Award. At the end of the year, we will feature each monthly Audience Award winner to vote for the Champion of the Year in December! Stay after the filmmaker panel concludes, join us in the lobby for a social and networking mixer.

A filmmaker creates a short for a devious studio while its producer secretly bets $25,000 against the film's usefulness. His friends step in to help. 1988 American feature film written by, directed by, and starring animator Mike Jittlov. It was preceded by a 1979 short film of the same name, also by Jittlov. Stay after the screening for a special Q&A with filmmaker Mike Jittlov moderated by score composer John Massari, who was also featured in the movie.

A poor but hopeful boy seeks one of the five coveted golden tickets that will send him on a tour of Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory.

As part of Slamdance On The Road 2026, join us at the historic Gardena Cinema for a special screening of You Look Fine, preceded by Episodics Jury Winner: Vicky Wakes Up VICKY WAKES UP: Stuck in a dead-end office job, Vicky lives an uninspired existence until she’s confronted by a mystical pop star through vivid dreams and visions. When a mysterious gift arrives, Vicky takes a step to face her fears and discover her true calling. YOU LOOK FINE: Trapped in a hospital bed during a sickle cell crisis, comedian and filmmaker J Snow turns the camera on himself and his disease to document the brutal, funny, and deeply human story behind the pain no one sees. Part stand-up set, part survival log, and part visual journal, You Look Fine blends hospital footage, humor, and hard truths to explore what it actually feels like to live with sickle cell disease. J. Snow and Victoria Blade will be in attendance to give a musical and comedic introduction before the film and stay afterward for an audience Q&A discussion. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the film with the filmmakers in person! Timeline: 7:30 - 7:50 Vicky Wakes Up & light Q&A 7:50 - 8:05 Slamdance and J. Snow Intro 8:05 - 9:30 Film Screening 9:30 - 9:50 Q&A with J. Snow