Saved! in 35mm

In person: conversation with director Amy Heckerling, actors Alicia Silverstone, Elisa Donovan and Breckin Meyer, costume designer Mona May and casting director Marcia Ross.

Writer-director Jared Hess’s debut film stars Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite, a gangly teen who lacks ambition and connection with his peers. The chaos of his home is exacerbated by his grandmother’s accident, which brings another agent of disruption into Napoleon’s life in the form of his Uncle Rico (Jon Gries). Meanwhile, Napoleon is inspired to rebel against the status quo of his high school by running a campaign for class president with his new friend, Pedro (Efren Ramirez). Hess enlists comedic timing and satirical depictions of daily life to illustrate the wonder found in the mundane moments of adolescence.

Note by Shyla Corona.

In person: conversation with actors Jesse Bradford and Brandi Williams.

Taking his ninth sick day of senior year, Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) bands together his anxiety-prone best friend, Cameron (Alan Ruck), and his down-for-the-ride girlfriend, Sloane (Mia Sara), to have the best day off before they graduate. To avoid suspicion from his high school principal and big sister, Ferris and company rely on his quick wit to navigate a day filled with thrills. Through their adventures, they learn a valuable lesson: in a world that moves fast, sometimes you have to slow down and live in the moment. Nearly four decades since its release, John Hughes’s fourth film serving as both writer and director is an undisputed comedy classic.

Note by Bama Bardocz and Levi Cutler.

Dope follows Malcolm, a music-loving kid from Inglewood who dreams of attending Harvard. When he gets ensnared in the drug trade during a night out, his life takes an unexpected turn. As he is forced to decide between doing what’s good or what’s right, Malcolm must outsmart the dealers, stay alive, and get into Harvard. Writer-director Rick Famuyiwa blends witticisms with raw social commentary, tackling real-world issues like systemic barriers, gun violence, and the expectations placed on Black youth in high-crime neighborhoods. Unlike traditional coming-of-age films that are often lighthearted, Dope dares to explore taboo topics while capturing modern adolescence. Despite the odds stacked against him, Malcolm refuses to be defined by his environment, proving that ambition and intelligence can change anyone’s fate.

Note by Isabella Mancinas.

In person: introduction by actor Keith Coogan.

Very few films apart from Love, Simon manage to accurately depict the feeling of being a closeted gay teen. Based on the bestselling novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, director Greg Berlanti’s adaptation introduces us to the roller coaster that is Simon Spier’s life after he develops an online crush on a fellow closeted classmate at his high school who uses the alias “Blue.” While trying to figure out who “Blue” is, Simon also juggles collapsing friendships, potential blackmail, and his undisclosed sexuality. Love, Simon is acclaimed for being the first film distributed by 20th Century Fox that centers around an LGBTQIA+ teenage romance.

Note by Rami Gross.

On his first day at Padua High School, Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) becomes infatuated with the popular Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik). When Bianca’s overprotective father stipulates that she cannot date unless her outcast, tough-to-crack sister Kat (Julia Stiles) does as well, Cameron bribes the mysterious Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to woo Kat. This modern classic of the teen comedy canon is a contemporary retelling of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and remains one of the most cited films on best romantic comedy lists.

Note by Sari Navarro.