Film

Two filmmakers launched a nationwide fundraiser to help save the surviving bars.

The Rise and Fall of America's Lesbian Bars

Only 15 nightlife spaces dedicated to queer and gay women remain in the United States

Based on newly discovered and declassified files, the film MLK/FBI by the acclaimed Emmy Award winning director Sam Pollard, tells the story of the FBI’s surveillance and harassment of King.

A New Film Details the FBI's Relentless Pursuit of Martin Luther King Jr.

Smithsonian scholar says the time is ripe to examine the man's complexities for a more accurate and more inspirational history

Elizebeth Friedman was a star cryptanalyst who cracked hundreds of ciphers for the U.S. government.

How Codebreaker Elizebeth Friedman Broke Up a Nazi Spy Ring

A new PBS documentary traces her extraordinary life, from her Quaker upbringing to her career as the U.S.' first female cryptanalyst

Still from the 1974 film Julie by Robert and Ingrid Wiegand

Women Artists Reflect on How They Helped Shape SoHo

A Smithsonian online event kicks off a new monthly series exploring the pioneering art films and videos made by women

Smithsonian Associates Streaming presents "Mr. President: An Evening with Martin Sheen" on January 19.

An Evening With Martin Sheen and 24 Other Smithsonian Programs Streaming in January

Kick off the New Year with Smithsonian Associates' virtual multi-part courses, studio arts classes and study tours

Ma Rainey poses with her band for a studio group shot c. 1924-25.

'The Great Gatsby,' Songs by Ma Rainey and Other Classic Works Are Now in the Public Domain

Canonical books, songs and films became free to use in 2021

Will Cotton, Molasses Swamp II, 1999, oil on linen

Top Ten Favorite Holiday Movies as Seen in American Art

What is cozier than watching old holiday movies on a chilly winter’s night? Pairing them up with favorite artworks from SAAM's collection, that’s what

Grounded travelers, be thankful for these travel books released in 2020.

The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2020

In a year of travel restrictions, these titles helped us channel our wanderlust

The online market is flooded with coveted books, toys and antiques.

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, Avid Collectors Find Joy in Their Prized Possessions

At home with their collectibles, many people are expanding, shrinking or reorganizing their treasure troves

Jennifer Angus, "In the Midnight Garden," 2015.

Twelve Artworks and the Spooky Movies They Bring to Mind

Undead animals, creepy kitties, cyanotype cemeteries and other ghouls and creepy stuff to be found at the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Wally Koval has transformed his wildly popular Instagram account Accidentally Wes Anderson into a book of the same name.

Ten Places That Could Be Straight Out of a Wes Anderson Film

A new book showcases photographs of quirky and colorful places that aesthetically—and accidentally—match the filmmaker’s style

Film Still, My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Hayao Miyazaki

Movie Museum to Open With Show Honoring Japanese Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' inaugural exhibition debuts on April 30, 2021

With a countrified accent, Will Rogers (Above: (detail) by Walter K. Kinstler, c. 1923) attempted to link arms with ordinary Americans, always reminding them of his Native American ancestry. “My ancestors didn’t come over on the Mayflower, but they met the boat,” he said.

Will Rogers Was One of a Kind

The popular raconteur touched Americans with his humor, newspaper columns, movie star power, philanthropy and as political agitator

Olivia de Havilland's 1943 legal victory against Warner Bros. contributed to the downfall of the Hollywood studio system.

Olivia de Havilland, Star of Hollywood's Golden Age, Dies at 104

The actress is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Melanie Hamilton in "Gone With the Wind"

Attendees arrive to watch the movie Grease at a pop-up drive-in theatre at Bucktown Marina Park on May 22, 2020 in Metairie, Louisiana.

This Is the Summer of the Drive-In Theater

From longtime establishments to pop-up venues, this 20th-century attraction is providing a safe, socially distanced activity

Michael B. Jordan (left) and Jamie Foxx (right) star in Just Mercy as civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson and falsely accused death row inmate Walter McMillian, respectively.

'Just Mercy' Is Streaming for Free This Month to Educate Viewers on Systemic Racism

The 2019 film, which chronicles criminal justice reform in Alabama, stars Michael B. Jordan as lawyer Bryan Stevenson

Renee Tajima-Peña, series producer of the PBS show "Asian Americans," spoke with Smithsonian curator Theodore Gonzalves.

How a New Show Tears Down the Myths of Asian American History

Series producer Renee Tajima-Peña says the program is about “how we got where we are and where are we going next”

The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, founded in 1997, is one of the many festivals streaming offerings this year.

Eight Film Festivals Worth Attending (Virtually)

COVID-19 has caused numerous film festival cancellations. Luckily, these ones moved online

Will your pet be the star of the show?

Quarantine Cat Film Fest Will Raise Funds for Independent Theaters Closed by COVID-19

The quarantined felines of the world are coming for your screens

A five-week course, "Rome: A Virtual Tour of the Ancient City," focuses on the building of the ancient city of Rome and how it laid the groundwork for the construction of cities throughout the world.

Six Online Courses About Europe to Take Before You Can Safely Travel There Again

Sheltering in place doesn’t mean you can’t study up for your next European adventure

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