Conviction

A single mother (Hilary Swank) puts herself through law school so she can represent her wrongly-imprisoned brother (Sam Rockwell). Wait, this won best actor and best film at the Boston Film Festival, and we’re only showing it for three days? Your Honour, I object!

King In New York, A

Chaplin’s penultimate film tells the quasi-autobiographical tale of a deposed European king who flees to America, rapidly becomes a celebrity, and then just as rapidly becomes the focus of a Communist witch-hunt. But don’t worry, this late film is “as gentle, optimistic and funny as the first.” (Roger

Limelight

Chaplin’s tale of an aging comedian’s last-ditch attempts to realize his show biz dreams is “neither comedy nor tragedy altogether, it is a brilliant weaving of comic and tragic strands, eloquent, tearful and beguiling with supreme virtuosity.” (NY Times) Watch for an appearance by Buster Keaton!

Gold Rush, The

The Little Tramp heads to the Klondike but it’s the audience that strikes it rich, with such comedic gold nuggets as the scenes where Chaplin makes dinner rolls dance, and eats a shoe. This is comedy with a Midas touch.

Kid, The

Chaplin’s Little Tramp plays parent to an abandoned child (Jackie Coogan) in this six-reeler that promises, in its opening titles, “A picture with a smile and perhaps a tear.” It doesn’t disappoint.

Stone (2010)

A convicted arsonist (Edward Norton) tries to arrange his release from prison by having his wife (Milla Jovovich) seduce his parole officer (Robert De Niro). It’d work on me.

Reefer Madness (with Stoned)

Just to be clear, this classic cautionary tale of the effects of marijuana and overly-enthusiastic piano-playing is NOT a Participaction screening. SPECIAL ADDED ATTRACTION: Reefer Madness is a pretty short film (only 66 min.), so we’ve added a special screening of

Great Directors

OTTAWA PREMIERE Do you like good movies? Like, really good movies, by really good directors? Then don’t miss Angela Ismailos’ in-depth conversation with Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Liliana Cavani, Stephen Frears, Agnes Varda, Ken Loach, Todd Haynes, Catherine Breillat, Richard Linklater and John Sayles. Cut!

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest

Circus, The

Chaplin returns as The Tramp, who runs to the circus to elude police only to find himself become an accidental star in the big-top and to fall for a pretty acrobat.