If you've seen Martin Scorsese's Hugo, you've gotten a taste of the fantastical filmmaking of Georges Mélièls. Mélièls (pronounced mel-YEZ), who made films from the 1890s through the 1920s, is credited with making the first science-fiction film and was even known as the “Cinemagician.” Time-lapse photography, multiple exposures and hand-tinted coloring were a few of the techniques he helped develop. American Cinematheque presents a Georges Mélièls Shorts Program with live musical accompaniment, featuring such rarely seen titles as L'Auberge du Bon Repos, Le Chapeau A Surprise (the surprising hat!), Le Monstre, Le Livre Magique and many more. (But if you want to see the restored version of his most famous film, A Trip to the Moon, you'll have to return to the Aero in February.) Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica; Sun., Jan. 22, 5 p.m.; $11, $9 students & seniors. (323) 466-FILM, americancinematheque.com.

Sun., Jan. 22, 5 p.m., 2012

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