Last Updated: 3/16/24
Since 1992, the Secret Cinema has been the Philadelphia area’s premiere floating repertory cinema series, bringing hundreds of unique programs to nightclubs, bars, coffee houses, museums, open fields, colleges, art galleries, bookstores, and sometimes even theaters and film festivals. Drawing on its own large private film archive (as well as other collections), the Secret Cinema attempts to explore the uncharted territory and the genres that fall between the cracks, with programs devoted to educational and industrial films, cult and exploitation features, cartoons, rare television, local history, home movies, erotic films, politically incorrect material, and the odd Hollywood classic. As long as it exists on real celluloid, that is—Secret Cinema screenings never use video/digital projection. While mainly based in Philadelphia, the Secret Cinema has also brought programming to other cities and countries.
Friday, March 22, 2024
7:30 pm until 11:30 pm
Admission: $$40, $35 Franklin Institute members (online sales only, NO tickets available at door)
The Franklin Institute
222 N. 20th Street
Philadelphia, PA
215-448-1200
On Friday, March 22, the Secret Cinema will again participate in the Franklin Institute's multi-dimensional event Science After Hours. This popular series features programming for grown-ups that combines live performances, music, food, drink, and once more, a film screening, all throughout the museum's historic galleries. The theme this month is (again) "Spectacular Spectacular."
Doors open at 7:30 pm, and the event ends at 11:30 pm.
Admission is $40, and $35 for Franklin Institute members (online sales only, NO tickets will be available at the door).
The Secret Cinema portion -- with all-new selections this year -- will consist of an approximately 90-minute program of shorts, to be shown twice. We'll draw from our archive films featuring spectacular musical and dance clips, spectacular destinations, a spectacular cartoon, and much more. All projected from rare 16mm film prints, on the spectacular big screen of the museum's Franklin Theater.
Sunday, March 24, 2024
4:00 pm
Workshop fee: $25 adults, $15 children 12 and under
Grace Rotzel Center at
The School in Rose Valley
20 School Lane, Rose Valley, Pa.
484-444-2961
The Secret Cinema has long championed (and frequently displayed) the charms of the one film in our archive about bubblegum. And, we've always loved bubblegum music, even devoting some of the occasional d.j. events we've produced to that misunderstood genre.
But on Sunday, March 24, the Secret Cinema will participate for the first time in an actual class in which bubblegum is made, when the Rose Valley Museum offers their first Bubblegum Workshop (to be held at the adjacent Rose Valley School…in Rose Valley, Pa, naturally).
This family-friendly event will include a brief presentation by Ryan Berley of Shane Confectionery on the history of bubblegum, followed by a hands-on workshop where participants will get to make their own bubblegum from scratch using base ingredients. Somewhere along the way, we'll project one of our prize possessions, The Story of Bubblegum , a colorful 17-minute tour of Philadelphia's Fleer bubblegum factory.
Cost for the workshop is $25 adults, $15 for children 12 and under. Space is limited and reservations are advised.
Details of the short film we will project:
The Story of Bubblegum (1952) - This beautiful Kodachrome film sets out to answer the question, "Can bubblegum be good food?" Made at the old Fleer bubblegum plant in Olney, showing its giant vats of pink rubber, plant cafeteria and garden, and their amazing R&D department. Quite possibly the greatest film ever made, short or long.
The Rose Valley Museum at Thunderbird Lodge tells the story, through displays of objects and art, of the Arts and Crafts community founded by William Lightfoot Price in 1901. The historic homes of Rose Valley (just outside of Media, Pennsylvania) remain largely intact. The Rose Valley Museum is currently open select weekends, and at other times by appointment.
NEW! 2008 interview with Secret Cinema's Jay Schwartz from an academic journal
Channel 29 news piece on Secret Cinema from 1999!
Secret Cinema 1999 Annual Report
Secret Cinema 1998 Annual Report
Secret Cinema 1997 Annual Report
Information about the 1998 Secret Cinema "Class Trip" to the Syracuse Cinefest