Athena Cinema announces fall film series and special events

The Athena Cinema is proud to announce an exciting lineup of Fall 2026 programming. Following a record breaking year, the Athena is pleased to see attendance in the theater continue to thrive, and encourages theatergoers to purchase their tickets early.

This fall features a full slate of events with the return of many beloved showcase series alongside the debut of several new events. In addition to regularly scheduled first run theatrical films, a wide range of special events will offer something for everyone.

The Athena Cinema will resume its fifth annual Appalachian Stories Film Series and its 14th annual Sustainability Film Series, both which offer free admission screenings with featured guest lectures from experts in their respective fields. 

From the Hills & Hollers: Appalachian Stories Film Series

The Appalachian Stories Film Series features films that highlight Appalachian voices and examine the representation of Appalachia in film, media and culture. The series aims to increase the audience's cultural understanding of the many facets of life in Appalachia. 

• Sept. 17, 2026 – “Bluegrass: Country Soul” with Becks Lipshultz
• Oct. 22, 2026 – “Cocaine Bear” with Dr. Tiffany Arnold
• Nov. 12, 2026 – “This is Pike County” with Laura Paglin
• Jan. 21, 2027 – “Strangers and Kin: A History of the Hillbilly Image” with Dr. Rachel Terman
• Feb. 25, 2027 – “A Beast Touch the Mountain” with Jess Grim
• April 1, 2027 – “Walk the Line” with Adam Remnant

Sustainability Film Series

The Sustainability Film Series presents documentaries that delve into some of the Earth’s most pressing issues. The series aims to educate viewers on the topics of the documentaries, while also leaving them feeling inspired to take action and make change within their communities. These series are ticketed but offer free admission. 

• Sept. 9, 2026 – "Down by the Riverside" with filmmakers Jodie Childer and Dan Messina
• Sept. 23, 2026 – "Earth’s Greatest Enemy" with Dr. Geoff Dabelko
• Oct. 7, 2026 – "Ocean with David Attenborough" with Lauren Empire and Anna Earl
• Oct. 21, 2026 – "VS. Goliath + Appalachian Understories" with Dr. Tiffany Arnold
• Nov. 4, 2026 – "Ghost Elephants" with Tom Smucker
• Nov. 18, 2026 – "Ackroyd & Harvey: The Art of Activism" with Brooke Ripley

The Met: Live in HD Series

The Athena is also excited to be continuing its partnership with the Met Opera for the 2026-2027 season, inviting the local community to watch live in HD Peabody and Emmy Award-winning performances broadcast from the Met. Sponsored by Arts for Ohio, the Ohio Arts Council, and the Performing Arts and Concert Series, this series is a unique experience where local community members can see an expanded and critical catalog of the most exciting performances in opera unavailable anywhere else in the area.

• Oct. 3, 2026 – Mozart’s “Così Fan Tutte”
• Oct. 17, 2026 – Verdi’s “Macbeth”
• Nov. 14, 2026 – Twenty Years of the Met in Cinemas: An Anniversary Celebration
• Dec. 5, 2026 – Camille Saint-Saën’s “Samson et Dalila”
• Jan. 23, 2027 – Puccini’s “La Faniculla del West”
• March  20, 2027 – Kevin Puts’s “Silent Night”
• April 3, 2027 – Massenet’s “Manon”
• April 24, 2027 – Verdi’s “Othello”
• June 5, 2027– Wagner’s “Parsifal”

Hispanic Film Series

Additionally, The Athena is eager to announce the return of our highly anticipated Hispanic Film Series for the second year. In partnership with the Ohio University School of International Studies and Languages (SISAL) and Sigma Delta Pi (the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society), this series celebrates the films and filmmakers of Spain and Latin America. Sigma Delta Pi officers will introduce each film. With sponsorship of the series from Pragda, SPAIN arts & culture and the Secretary of State for Culture of Spain, this series will feature five free admission screenings of films that celebrate the dynamic and exciting culture of Hispanic film.

“The Hispanic Film Series is always something I enjoy and excitedly anticipate,” Emerson Hollarbush,  a junior nursing major with a minor in Spanish and current president of OHIO’s Sigma Delta Pi chapter. “It is such a cool opportunity for OU students and the Athens community to come together and meet one another, share their love for films and the Spanish language and to have a fun free activity to attend!"

This year’s theme is “Encounters” where the films will take audiences and travel from past encounters to present-day (dis)-encoutners and futuristic worlds with Artificial Intelligence. Films range from several different Hispanic countries including México, Ecuador, Cuba, Bolivia and Spain.  The films will be in Spanish with English subtitles.

• Sept. 22, 2026 – “Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires”
• Sept. 29, 2026 – “This Stolen Country of Mine (Nuestra País Robado)” with faculty panel discussion
• Oct. 6, 2026 – “The Companion (El Acompañante)”
• Oct. 13, 2026 – “Sun and Daughter (Cuidando Al Sol)” with faculty panel discussion
• Oct. 20, 2026 – “Artificial Justice (Justicia Artificial)”

“The Hispanic Film Series was the highlight of the semester! Every Tuesday, my heart filled with emotion to see so many members of our OU and Athens community all gathered to enjoy a film which brought us the opportunity to reflect, analyze and learn from different cultures, languages, practices and perspectives,” Morelia Uuh Chi, an MA Spanish alumni and current MA Linguistics student, as well as current treasurer of OHIO’s Sigma Delta Pi chapter, said. “As a teacher, I enjoyed seeing students partake and share their impressions on the films, I think the Hispanic Film Series was a great chance for Spanish elementary learners to get exposed to different Spanish varieties, other than mine or my fellow colleagues.”

Special Events

The theater is also excited to announce several more special events. In celebration of Tim Curry and his unforgettable performance as Wadsworth, the theater will host two screenings of “Clue the Movie” during Family Weekend. Bring the whole family to The Athena on Sept. 25 and 26 for a  classic “whodunit” that everyone is sure to enjoy. The film is being shown in celebration of OHIO Family Weekend, but the screening is open to the community as well. Audience members are encouraged to come dressed up as their favorite character and there will be themed drinks and activities.

In October, The Athena is pleased to announce the inaugural showing of “CatVideoFest.” In partnership with the Athens County Humane Society, this event will take place on Oct. 17. Oscilloscope Laboratories’ “CatVideoFest” features a compilation of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos and classic internet powerhouses. Fifty-percent of the proceeds from the event will go to the Athens County Humane Society.

In addition to the series and events showcased here, the theater will be hosting dozens of other events, including screenings of “The Room” with Greg Sestero live and in person, screenings of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” for OHIO Dad’s Weekend, a fall showcase of the student work from the School of Film at Ohio University and a screening of Percival Everett’s “American Fiction” ahead of his campus visit. The theater is also excited to be hosting a screening with alumna Libby Ewing of her film “Charliebird” and a screening of “Twilight” in partnership with OU Health Promotion where audience members will have the opportunity to  interact with the film by waving red, green and yellow flags during relationship moments. 

Sign up for the Athena’s email list and follow the theater on social media to stay in touch and learn more about events coming this fall. 

As the area’s premier arthouse theater, The Athena Cinema will continue to offer community members the chance to experience an array of films that are sure to challenge, provoke and entice. Whether it’s your first time at the theater, or you’ve been coming for years, The Athena is looking forward to providing fun, interesting and engaging community experiences, and showing the best independent and blockbuster films of the day.

Tickets to all Athena Cinema screenings and events can be purchased in person or online at athenacinema.com.