Film Program

About the Film Program

Cinema is a powerful form of narrative art that connects people through compelling stories and genuine emotion. It is also a tool for capturing motion and creating dazzling visual experiences that communicate beyond language.

The Lucas Museum’s film program brings these approaches together, showcasing two distinct cinematic traditions. The Robert Flaherty Theater highlights the work of documentary filmmakers, while the Slavko Vorkapich Theater features experimental, creatively ambitious short films that reveal the expressive power of cinematic motion and editing.

This program runs continuously throughout the day, allowing visitors to come and go at their leisure and discover films at their own pace.

Robert Flaherty Theater: Documentaries

Named for one of the pioneers of documentary filmmaking, the Robert Flaherty Theater presents films that explore the creative process, from the earliest forms of art and illustration to the latest advances in digital cinema. The program provides historical and creative context for the works visitors will encounter in the galleries, helping to illuminate the museum’s approach to narrative art. It celebrates the artists and illustrators who have shaped the history of visual storytelling, as well as the documentarians who have preserved their stories.

Slavko Vorkapich Theater: The Emotion of Motion

Named in honor of the influential filmmaker who helped bring avant-garde editing techniques to Hollywood, the Slavko Vorkapich Theater showcases innovative short films spanning the history of the medium, from its earliest years to the present day. The program explores the essence of cinema—editing, light, motion, color, and sound—through the work of filmmakers who have pushed the boundaries of the art form. Featuring early film experiments, abstract and experimental cinema, visual music, and animated shorts, it invites audiences to experience the magic of images in motion.