Michele StuevenThe Catalina Museum for Art & History will present the 38th Annual Avalon Silent Film Showcase, one of the longest-running celebrations of silent film in the world. This year’s event takes place on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, 2025, offering rare screenings, live music, and expert commentary in two iconic Avalon venues.
On May 16, the showcase begins under the stars at the Catalina Museum’s Ackerman Family Amphitheater with a special 3-D screening of Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), the final film in Universal Pictures’ legendary monster series. Film historian and 3-D expert Eric Kurland will present rarely seen production photographs and introduce the film. Complimentary 3-D glasses are included with admission and are yours to keep. Tickets for the May 16 event cost $10.
The showcase continues on May 17 at the historic Avalon Casino Theatre, the stunning Art Deco landmark built in 1929 by William Wrigley Jr. In honor of the 100th anniversary of a cinematic milestone, the museum will screen The Phantom of the Opera (1925), starring Lon Chaney. The film will feature the world premiere of a newly commissioned score, performed live by composer Michael D. Mortilla and a talented ensemble of musicians. Tickets for the May 17 event are $20 for members, $25 for non-members, and $10 for children.
Providing historical and technical context, Randy Haberkamp, retired Executive Vice President of the Library, Archive, and SciTech at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will join Kurland in introducing both films and discussing their lasting influence and innovation.
Together, these two films offer a rare opportunity to experience the origins and legacy of genre-defining horror, celebrated in one historic weekend of cinema on Catalina Island.
Paris Barclay on the set of Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It (Courtesy Black Docs)
A mini film festival celebrating Black documentary filmmakers returns to LA on the same weekend, May 16 and 17. Day of Black Docs, the annual fundraising event for BADWest, is back for its 18th year in the form of a two-day mini film festival and celebration of documentaries that center the Black experience, both behind and in front of the camera.
With four screenings split into blocks of two, there will be back-to-back Black documentary, film screenings, panel discussions, and Q&As with filmmakers. The festival takes place on Saturday, from 12 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., with journalist and critic Tim Cogshell as the moderator. Tickets range from $25 to $50, and the event takes place at the American Film Institute campus.
This year’s screenings include:
- We Want the Funk, directed by Stanley Nelson & Nicole London
- Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It, directed by Paris Barclay
- It Was All A Dream, directed by Dream Hampton
- Shepherd’s Calling, directed by Wubetu Shimelash
An opening reception takes place the evening before, on Friday, May 16th, at Film Independent. BADWest brings together four veteran Black filmmakers in an intimate panel discussion and audience Q&A on the topics of Love/Resistance/Power, with clips from the filmmakers’ work shown and a reception to follow.
The panel will feature:
- Karen Hayes, director – A Better Way: James Lawson, the Architect of Nonviolence
- Laurens Grant, director – Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier
- Jennifer MacArthur, director- Family Tree
- Adisa Septuri, director – Ifine (beauty)
- Moderated by Krystal Tingle, award-winning Producer/Director
Due to seating, purchasing tickets in advance is highly recommended. Tickets purchased online only. No walk-ins. Food vendors include MamaAunties Vegan Goodies and Sybil’s Tacos.
It Was All A Dream (Courtesy Black Docs)