FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Denver Film Media Contacts:
Ambriehl Turrentine: ambriehl@denverfilm.org
Marty Schechter: marty@schechterpr.com
(SCI-FI FILM SERIES assets available here)
DENVER – June 3, 2025 – Denver Film and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science announced the line-up for the 2025 Sci-Fi Film Series, beginning July 9 and running through July 30 at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. Series passes are $40 for Denver Film Members/$50 Non-Member, and individual film tickets are $12 for Denver Film Members/$15 Non-Member. Passes and individual tickets go on sale June 3 at 10 a.m. at denverfilm.org.
Founded in 2011, the weekly series showcases classic sci-fi films followed by discussions led by museum scientists examining the intersections of science and cinema, debunking or proving the film science against real facts and theories. The 2025 season launches July 9 with a presentation of Steven Spielberg’s 1977 Academy Award-winning blockbuster Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A landmark in sci-fi cinema, the film follows a line worker whose life is transformed after UFO encounters. The series will conclude July 30 with a presentation of the 1966 adventure film Fantastic Voyage. Celebrated for its extravagant special effects and imaginative storytelling, the film follows a (literally!) small crew of scientists shrunk and injected into a comatose government scientist’s bloodstream in order to save him from a blood clot.
“This year, the Infinity Theater at DMNS is getting an upgrade, so all screenings will occur at the Sie FilmCenter, which gives us an opportunity to screen one of the titles on 35mm film (a science all its own) and, of course, make the Sie’s award-winning popcorn readily available for snacking,” said Sie FilmCenter Artistic Director Keith Garcia.
Each film presentation begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by a discussion immediately after the screening. Participating scientists from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science include Assistant Curator of Space Science Dr. Ka Chun Yu, Postdoctoral Scholar Dr. Annaka M. Clement, Associate Curator of Mammalogy Dr. Holly Lutz and Genomics Scientist Dr. Bridget Chalifour.
“We are so excited for summer at the Museum, because summer means Sci-Fi Film Series,” said Austin Terrell, adult programs coordinator for DMNS. “Denver Film is such a fantastic organization to partner with – and we are honored to spend the summer at the Sie FilmCenter while the Infinity Theater is getting its glow-up. Our Science Department loves the lineup this summer, and they can’t wait to dig into all of the scientific (and fictional) goodies that these films have to offer.”
Click to see the full schedule and purchase tickets and passes.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
Director: Steven Spielberg
Wednesday, July 9, 6:30 p.m.
In this Steven Spielberg blockbuster, Richard Dreyfuss stars as cable worker Roy Neary, who along with several other stunned bystanders experience a close encounter of the first kind – witnessing UFOs soaring across the sky. After this life-changing event, the inexplicable vision of a strange, mountain-like formation haunts him. He becomes obsessed with discovering what it represents, much to the dismay of his wife and family. Meanwhile, bizarre occurrences are happening around the world. Government agents have close encounters of the second kind – discovering physical evidence of extraterrestrial visitors in the form of a lost fighter aircraft from World War II and a stranded military ship that disappeared decades earlier only to suddenly reappear in unusual places. Roy continues to chase his vision to a remote area where he and the agents follow the clues that have drawn them to reach a site where they will have a close encounter of the third kind – contact.
Includes post-film discussion with Dr. Ka Chun Yu, PhD – Assistant Curator of Space Science, DMNS
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY – on 35mm film!
Director: Garth Jennings
Wednesday, July 16, 6:30 p.m.
Earthman Arthur Dent is having a very bad day. His house is about to be bulldozed, he discovers that his best friend is an alien, and to top things off, Planet Earth is about to be demolished to make way for a hyperspace freeway. Arthur’s only chance for survival is to hitch a ride on a passing spacecraft with the help of his best friend Ford Prefect. Arthur sets out on a journey in which he finds that nothing is as it seems—for example, a towel is the most important thing in the universe. He finds the meaning of life, and discovers that everything anyone ever wanted to know can be found in one fantastically entertaining electronic book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe.
20th Anniversary Screening!
Includes post-film discussion with Dr. Annaka M. Clement, Postdoctoral Scholar, Earth Sciences, DMNS
GATTACA
Director: Andrew Niccol
Wednesday, July 23, 6:30 p.m.
Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Alan Arkin and Jude Law star in this engrossing sci-fi thriller about an all-too-human man who dares to defy a system obsessed with genetic perfection. Hawke stars as Vincent, an “In-Valid” who assumes the identity of a member of the genetic elite to pursue his goal of traveling into space with the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation. However, a week before his mission, a murder marks Vincent as a suspect. With a relentless investigator in pursuit and the colleague he has fallen in love with beginning to suspect his deception, Vincent’s dreams steadily unravel.
Includes post-film discussion with Dr. Holly Lutz, PhD – Associate Curator of Mammalogy, Earth Sciences, DMNS
FANTASTIC VOYAGE
Director: Richard Fleischer
Wednesday, July 30, 6:30 p.m.
The brilliant scientist Jan Benes (Jean Del Val) develops a way to shrink humans, and other objects, for brief periods of time. Benes, who is working in communist Russia, is transported by the CIA to America, but is attacked en route. In order to save the scientist, who has developed a blood clot in his brain, a team of Americans in a nuclear submarine is shrunk and injected into Benes’ body. They have a finite period of time to fix the clot and get out before the miniaturization wears off.
Includes post-film discussion with Dr. Bridget Chalifour, PhD – Genomics Scientist, DMNS
Members of the press interested in covering the Sci-Fi Film Series may contact Denver Film’s Ambriehl Turrentine at ambriehl@denverfilm.org or Marty Schechter at marty@schechterpr.com.
About Denver Film
Denver Film has been transforming and entertaining the Colorado community through the power of diverse voices in film since 1978. Operating as the region’s only membership-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit film institution, Denver Film has grown into a signature cultural organization in the West, screening international and independent movies found nowhere else in the region.
Serving more than 100,000 patrons annually through 600-plus screenings that include year-round programming at Denver Film’s flagship home the Sie (pronounced SEE) FilmCenter, the annual Denver Film Festival celebration, the iconic Film on the Rocks program at Red Rocks Amphitheater, and Spotlight Festivals including CinemaQ, Women+Film, and the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival. Spotlights highlight underrepresented communities and foster inclusivity. Denver Film works to build resilience across all of its programming and events by amplifying diverse voices, promoting equity, and fostering community connections.
For more information or to explore the full suite of Denver Film programming, events, and ticketing visit: denverfilm.org.
About Denver Museum of Nature and Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain Region’s leading resource for informal science education. Our mission is to be a catalyst and ignite the community’s passion for nature and science. The Museum envisions an empowered community that loves, understands and protects our natural world. A variety of engaging exhibits, discussions and activities help Museum visitors celebrate and understand the wonders of Colorado, Earth and the universe. The Museum is located at 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO, 80205. To learn more about the Museum, visit dmns.org or call 303.370.6000. Many of the Museum’s educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). The Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Connect with the Museum on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, and BlueSky
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