“The Trip” film series (2011-2020) Imagine a joint venture between the Travel Channel, the Food Network and Comedy Central. What you might end up with is a four-film series starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing fictionalized versions of themselves. “The Trip” and “The Trip to Italy” were cut from episodes of the 2010…

With a spirit of improvisation, Fresno Filmworks is proud to present its first Virtual Cinema engagement: the documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” opening Fourth of July weekend and available on-demand throughout the month. Featuring new interviews woven together with rare archival footage from the Civil Rights Movement, the film explores the iconic Georgia congressman’s sixty-plus…

Hello, Filmworks fans. We’ve been thinking about you. We remain heartbroken that we had to cancel the last two screenings of our 2019-20 season. While so much keeps changing in our lives, we’ve been keeping close watch on the changing landscape of film, too. If you follow us on Twitter or Facebook, you’ve no doubt…

Dear Filmworks Fans, It is with heavy hearts that we’ve decided to cancel our April 10 and May 8 screenings. Our public health and safety is important to us, and we feel it would be irresponsible to hold public gatherings at this time. Based on the information currently available, from local health agencies and the…

The tradition of Georgian dance stands as an important symbol of the country. It is a powerful form of dance, rooted in masculinity and grace. In “And Then We Danced,” Sweden’s Oscar nomination for Best International film, we witness the sexual awakening of Merab, a young man who has danced since he could walk. In…

Our “Streaming Surprises” series calls attention to good movies new and old that our board members are watching. Titles are available from various streaming services. “Her Smell” (2018) Submitted by Cassandra R. McGuire. Streaming on Kanopy. As a fan of riot grrrl music and sub-culture, I knew I had to check this one out. Moreover,…

This year’s screening of the Oscar-Nominated Short Films marks the 15th anniversary of the collaboration between Fresno Filmworks, Magnolia Pictures, and ShortsTV to share the world’s best in short-form cinema with the Central Valley. The 2020 Oscar shorts program, scheduled for Feb. 7 and 8 at Fresno’s historic Tower Theatre, features 19 films representing 10…

December 2019 Volunteer in the Spotlight: Katie McQuone Botello Occupation: Katie teaches video production and broadcasting at her high school alma mater, Sunnyside High School, in southeast Fresno. She coordinates Sunnyside’s Video Production Academy. This past December, Katie was surprised with a $25,000 Milken Educator Award for her outstanding teaching and mentoring work at Sunnyside.…

The New Yorker lauds her “radically personal films.” The British Film Institute calls her “a playful visionary.” Editors of The Criterion Collection declare she is the “mother and grandmother of the French New Wave.” And in 2017, when she was awarded an honorary Oscar, special mention was made of her “compassion and curiosity that inform…

In an effort to support community art making, celebrate local stories, and feature homegrown filmmaking talent, Fresno Filmworks presented an exclusive program of five short films with Central Valley connections at our 15th annual Fresno Film Festival. There was a Q&A after the program. We also introduced the winners of our 2019 student filmmaker competition,…

Our “Streaming Surprises” series calls attention to good movies new and old that our board members are watching. Titles are available from various streaming services. “Ash is Purest White” (2018) Submitted by Cassandra R. McGuire. Available on Kanopy. Master filmmaker Jia Zhangke’s latest drama is loosely based on stories of the jianghu (Chinese gangsters) from…

I Heart Film: Lilia Gonzáles-Chávez Lilia works as executive director of the Fresno Arts Council, one of the Fresno Film Festival’s longtime sponsors and supporters. Why is it important, from the perspective of the Fresno Arts Council, to support Filmworks? Lilia: Filmworks provides a unique opportunity for the cinema lovers of Fresno to see a…

For several years, I was lucky to teach a few film studies classes at Fresno City College. As a journalist and writer by trade, I often felt out of my element when it came to knowing the history of cinema, and the expectation from my students (or maybe from myself?) that somehow I should have…