Highlights of the Academy Museum Calendar of Events


The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures offers a well-curated and busy calendar of exhibitions, public programs and screenings of significant films. Notable this season are Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema and Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema; along with the ongoing Boyz n the Hood, Casablanca, Lourdes Portillo and Hollywoodland exhibits.

For the full calendar of events and to purchase tickets, visit the Academy Museum website.

David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures | Photo by Iwan Baan, courtesy of Academy Museum Foundation/LA Tourism

Oscars Season 2025

The Academy Museum is celebrating the 97th Academy Awards with a series of exclusive events and memorable activities like the sold-out Official Oscars® Watch Party.

Oscar Nominee Spotlights (Feb. 21 - Mar. 1)
Enjoy screenings of this year's nominated short films and panels with select nominated feature filmmakers. Tickets to the Oscar Nominee Spotlights are required for each event. Seating in the David Geffen Theatre will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Breaking the Oscars Ceiling: Casting Directors (Feb. 21)
  • Animated Short Film (Feb. 22)
  • Animated Feature Film (Feb. 22)
  • Documentary Short Film (Feb. 23)
  • Documentary Feature Film (Feb. 23)
  • Live Action Short Film (Feb. 24)
  • Cinematography (Feb. 26)
  • Best Picture (Feb. 27)
  • International Feature Film (Feb. 28)
  • Makeup & Hairstyling (Mar. 1)
"Godzilla Minus One" at the Academy Museum
"Godzilla Minus One" | Photo: Academy Museum

Oscars Screenings (Mar. 8-30)
Following the 97th Academy Awards ceremony on March 2, the Academy Museum presents screenings of Oscar-winning films from the Documentary Feature Film, International Feature Film, Animated Feature Film and Best Picture categories, plus a wild card selection! Each film will be presented in the state-of-the-art David Geffen Theatre in its high-quality theatrical screening format, some with guests in attendance.

Oscars Gallery at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Oscars Gallery at the Academy Museum | Photo: Joshua White, JWPictures / © Academy Museum Foundation

Oscars Tours (Through Mar. 30, 2025)
Explore Academy Awards show history with a museum educator on 30-minute highlight tours Wednesdays - Sundays. The Academy Awards History galleries showcase the glamorous and sometimes complicated stories of the Academy Awards and feature a collection of significant Oscars, an illustrated timeline of awards history, and a presentation of iconic ceremony speeches and fashions.

Community Conversation: Oscars in the Community at the Academy Museum
Community Conversation: Oscars in the Community | Photo: Academy Museum
Oscar Statuettes at the Academy Museum
Archiving the Academy Awards | Photo: Academy Museum

Public Programs (Through Mar. 21, 2025)

Discover the stories behind the arts, sciences and history of film through the Academy Museum's impactful public programs.

Gallery Spotlight: Inside the Editing Room With Joi McMillon (Feb. 14, 2025)
Join the Academy Museum in conversation with editor Joi McMillon as she discusses the technique and artistry of film editing and revisits her 2018 historic nomination when she became the first African American woman nominated for Best Achievement in Film Editing for Moonlight (2016). The conversation will highlight her work on co-editing the award-winning film Moonlight, among other memorable films.

Community Conversation: Oscars in the Community (Feb. 28, 2025)
On Friday, February 28, the Academy Museum's ongoing Community Conversation series welcomes National Association of Latino Independent Producers and Hola Mexico Film Festival Executive Director Diana Luna, Gold House Cultural Consulting Lead of Entertainment & Media Roc Su, YháWright Productions Executive Producer and Black TV & Film Collective Former Programs Director Yhá Mourhia Wright, and Academy Museum Director, Community and Impact Eduardo Sánchez as they explore the meaning of the Oscars in their communities, significant wins, memories of watching the ceremony and more.

Archiving the Academy Awards (Mar. 21, 2025)
The Academy Awards have always had triumphs, surprises and heartbreaks. Since 1929, the Oscars have recognized excellence in cinematic achievements. But what happens after the show ends? How do we remember it, and most importantly, how do we preserve the movies, memories, and objects from it? During Archiving the Academy Awards, guests will go behind the scenes with the Academy Museum and their work on preserving and conserving cinematic history.

Fanny's Best Picture Cocktails 2025
Fanny's Best Picture Cocktails 2025 | Photo: © Academy Museum Foundation, photo by Timony Siobhan

Fanny's Oscars Watch Party (Mar, 2, 2025)
The signature restaurant of the Academy Museum, Fanny's is hosting its own Oscars Watch Party that's separately ticketed from the sold-out screening in the David Geffen Theatre. Enjoy Chef Jun Bum Oh's special prix fixe menu while watching the Oscars live on ABC from the comfort of your table inside Fanny’s dining room.

Your ticket includes a champagne toast upon arrival, tray-passed bites from 3pm to 4pm, and a glass of wine to pair with your prix fixe meal; or indulge in one of the themed cocktails inspired by this year's Best Picture nominees:

  • A Complete Unknown (N/A) - Whiskey alternative, orange, sugar ($12)
  • Anora - Crop Vodka, red wine, lemon, rose, beets, egg white ($20)
  • The Brutalist - La Luna Mezcal, lemon, orgeat, creme de violette ($20)
  • Conclave - Red Wine, sage honey, lemon, soda ($20)
  • Dune: Part Two - Overholt Rye, graham cracker syrup, sweet vermouth, chocolate and orange bitters ($20)
  • Emilia Pérez - Arette Tequila, soda, lime, spiced syrup, grapefruit, cinnamon ($20) I'm Still Here (N/A) - Limeade, condensed milk, nutmeg ($12)
  • Nickel Boys - Remy Martin 1738, orange liqueur, lemon ($20)
  • The Substance - Ford's Gin, apple, orchard fruit, lime ($20)
  • Wicked - Crop Vodka, banana liqueur, strawberry, cream foam ($20)

Pricing is $250 per person, book your reservation at OpenTable.

Dorothy's Ruby Slippers at the Academy Museum
Dorothy's Ruby Slippers | Photo: Academy Museum
Color in Motion at the Academy Museum
Color in Motion | Photo: Academy Museum

Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema (Through Jul. 13, 2025)

Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema investigates the role of color in film, from the scientific and technological advancements that made it possible, to its emotional and psychological impact on viewers, to the ways filmmakers use color as a storytelling tool.

The exhibition takes an immersive and innovative approach to understanding cinematic color through six unique galleries, each focusing on a different aspect of film color. Color in Motion engages visitors through dynamic, colorful film installations and features objects from the silent era through the digital age, including cameras, projectors, costumes, props, animation cels and film posters. Exhibit highlights include:

  • Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz
  • Green costume worn by Kim Novak in Vertigo
  • Blue costume worn by Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained
  • Red jacket worn by Jack Nicholson in The Shining
  • Yellow color study model of the house from Pixar’s Up
  • Original materials from Disney’s Ink & Paint Department
"The Matrix" at the Academy Museum
"The Matrix" | Photo: Academy Museum
Cyberpunk: A Virtual Production Experience at the Academy Museum
Cyberpunk: A Virtual Production Experience | Photo: Academy Museum

Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema (Through Apr. 12, 2026)

Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema examines the global impact and lasting influence of the science fiction subgenre cyberpunk on cinema culture. Featuring near-future scenarios set in worlds that resemble our own, cyberpunk films juxtapose technological advances with social upheaval, ecological crisis and urban decay. Central to these stories are outcasts and rebellious characters who fight against corrupt political systems, technology gone haywire, global mega-corporations and colonialism.

The exhibition features production materials, costumes, props and concept art from iconic cyberpunk films including Blade Runner, Tron and eXistenZ. It also spotlights international films like Sleep Dealer (Mexico/USA, 2008) and foundational animated features such as Ghost in the Shell (Japan, 1995). At the exhibition’s core, an immersive installation explores themes and visual motifs of cyberpunk and futurist films. With a voice-over scripted by writer-director Alex Rivera, the installation illustrates cyberpunk’s 20th-century origins and the new, global directions it has taken in the 21st century as it has expanded into genres like Afrofuturism (Neptune Frost, Rwanda/USA, 2021), Latinxfuturism (Alita: Battle Angel, USA, 2019), and Indigenous Futurism (Night Raiders, Canada/New Zealand, 2021).

Cyberpunk: A Virtual Production Experience
Produced in conjunction with the exhibit, Cyberpunk: A Virtual Production Experience invites guests to step into an immersive mixed reality (MR) experience and explore a world inspired by the neon-drenched, rain-slicked streets of the Blade Runner universe. Your virtual guide, actor Rosa Salazar, will lead you on an investigation into the future of cutting-edge technologies that create science fiction's most compelling dystopian worlds.

Morris Chestnut, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube in "Boyz n the Hood"
Morris Chestnut, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube in "Boyz n the Hood" | Photo: Academy Museum
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in "Casablanca"
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in "Casablanca" | Photo: Academy Museum

Significant Movies and Moviemakers

Located on Level 2 of the ongoing Stories of Cinema exhibition, Significant Movies and Moviemakers is a three-gallery experience that showcases the groundbreaking Boyz n the Hood (1991), the classic drama Casablanca (1942) and documentarian Lourdes Portillo.

Boyz n the Hood (Through Jan. 4, 2026)
The feature film debut of writer-director John Singleton, Boyz n the Hood is a coming of age story of three friends growing up in South Central LA. The critically acclaimed movie offered breakout roles for Cuba Gooding Jr, Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long and Angela Bassett. It's been three decades since the film's release, and the finale is as powerful as ever.

The space highlights Singleton’s unique vision for the film, for which he became both the first African American and the youngest person ever to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. The gallery includes rare production photos by D Stevens, costumes and props from the film, as well as ephemera from Singleton’s personal collection. The exhibit also features an original mural by Uber Lopez Enamorado and original location photos of South Central Los Angeles by Al Seib.

Casablanca (Through Jan. 4, 2026)
One of the greatest romances in movie history, Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart as cynical nightclub owner Rick Blaine, who must decide whether to help his former flame Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) and her fugitive husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) escape from the Nazis. Directed by Michael Curtiz, Casablanca received eight Academy Award nominations and won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.

The Casablanca gallery features original production objects that highlight beloved characters, settings, music, and the cinematic virtuosity that make this film one of Hollywood’s most enduring classics. While timeless in its romance and artistry, Casablanca is also inextricably tied to its production environment during WWII. The gallery explores this historical context, including the influx of European émigrés who contributed their talents both in front of and behind the camera, echoing the narrative themes of the film itself.

Lourdes Portillo (Through Jan. 4, 2026)
The gallery devoted to Lourdes Portillo highlights the life and career of a truly remarkable documentarian. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico and raised in Los Angeles, Portillo’s work has focused on themes of identity and social justice in both the U.S. and Latin America. A filmmaker since 1979, her significant works include Las Madres: The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo; La Ofrenda: The Days of the Dead; The Devil Never Sleeps; and Senorita Extraviada/Missing Young Woman, all of which are represented in this important exploration of her contribution to documentary film.

Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital

Los Angeles and in particular Hollywood are almost synonymous with moviemaking, but why? Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital traces the history of filmmaking in LA back to its early 20th century roots, illustrating how and why the city became (and remains) the world’s cinema capital. Comprising an immersive gallery conveying the evolving topography of Los Angeles along the timeline of the developing movie industry, the exhibition spotlights the Jewish founders of the Hollywood studio system, foregrounding the ways in which the birth of the American film industry – and the depiction of the “American Dream” – is at its heart an immigrant story.

Cyberpunk exhibit at the Academy Museum
Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema | Photo: Academy Museum

Drop-In Tours

The Academy Museum’s Drop-In Tours are public drop-in style gallery conversations with museum educators that happen 1–3pm on Friday afternoons. Created by the Education and Public Engagement team, they offer opportunities to explore the museum’s ongoing Stories of Cinema core exhibition that presents diverse, international, and complex stories of significant moviemakers and their works. Additionally, the three-level Stories of Cinema highlights the crafts central to moviemaking: screenwriting, performance, cinematography, editing, costume design, hairstyling and makeup, and more.

Halle Bailey in "The Little Mermaid" (2023)
Halle Bailey in "The Little Mermaid" (2023) | Photo: Academy Museum

Family Matinees

Every Saturday at 11am, the Academy Museum presents Family Matinees for families of all ages! Every movie in this series is rated G or PG, unless otherwise noted. The final Family Matinee of every month is an accessible screening where the museum offers open captioning, keeps the theatre dimly lit, and maintains a lower volume for viewers who are neurodiverse. For the Spring 2025 season, the museum is showcasing films that focus on the climate and our Earth.