Block Cinema is dedicated to encounter, exchange, and learning through the art of the moving image.
The Block Museum is home to one of the region’s most innovative cinemas. Through its quarterly screening series “Block Cinema,” the museum explores the global past and present, showcasing film and other time-based media across genres, from classic to experimental.
This free, in-house cinema is dedicated to providing Northwestern, the North Shore, and Chicago a quality venue for film and to highlighting the diversity of voices and practices in the media arts field. Post-screening discussions with a filmmaker or scholar, are a staple of the program, providing a unique opportunity for audiences to gain valuable context about the works and offering unique insights into the creative process. In keeping with the Museum’s commitment to presenting art across time, culture, and media, media art is a staple of the Block Museum’s exhibition program.
Always free and open to all
Upcoming Screenings

LOCAL HERO (1983) on 35mm

EAMI (2022) with filmmaker Paz Encina

RESIDUE (2020) with filmmaker Merawi Gerima

X: THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES (1963) on 35mm

Shamanic Cinema: Trance as Resistance with Colectivo Los Ingrávidos

OUR VOICE OF EARTH, MEMORY & FUTURE (1981)

Science on Screen: FIRST MAN (2018)

LOVE, WOMEN & FLOWERS (1989)

DRY GROUND BURNING (2022) with filmmaker Joana Pimenta

FOG LINE (1970) and HORIZONS (1973) with filmmaker Larry Gottheim

GIUSEPPINA (1960) and THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964)

ONE IMAGE, TWO ACTS (2020) with filmmaker Sanaz Sohrabi

BEING BEBE (2021) with BeBe Zahara Benet & filmmaker Emily Branham

Working, Weaving, Filming
Current Film Series

Science on Screen: Inner and Outer Space
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition The Heart’s Knowledge: Science and Empathy in the Art of Dario Robleto, this series explores representations of the inner workings of the human body and the celestial mechanics of the cosmos throughout the history of cinema. Across our Winter and Spring calendars, Block Cinema will present a range of screenings, from cult classics to silent treasures and contemporary blockbusters, that resonate with the key themes of Dario Robleto’s artwork.
