Museum Of The Moving Image Announces November Appearances

Personal appearances by legendary actor Sir Ben Kingsley, writer-director Alexander Payne, director Tomas Alfredson, director Julia Leigh, and award-winning author Brian Selznick (Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck) with their highly anticipated new films are among the highlights of special programs at Museum of the Moving Image in November 2011.

"Discussions with directors and actors, and special screenings of significant new films are a vital component of the Museum's programming," said David Schwartz, Chief Curator of the Museum. "We are thrilled to have so many special programs this month, in our beautiful new theater."

With the exception of The Descendents, a members-only screening on November 18 with director Alexander Payne in person, all other events are open to the public. Please see below for schedule and prices.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS NOVEMBER 15-29, 2011
All screenings take place at Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street) in Astoria, Queens. Advance tickets are available for most programs online at http://movingimage.us or by calling 718 777 6800.

Sleeping Beauty
Preview screening with director Julia Leigh in person
Tuesday, November 15, 7:00 p.m.
2011, 104 mins. Dir. Julia Leigh. With Emily Browning. Sleeping Beauty, presented by Jane Campion, is the bold and provocative directorial debut of author Julia Leigh. Featuring a phenomenal breakthrough performance by Emily Browning, this coolly shocking retelling of the classic myth poses its heroine as a rarified sex-worker, confronting ideas of feminine sexuality with bravado and precision.
Tickets: $15 public/$10 Museum members/Free for Silver Screen members and above.

An Evening with Ben Kingsley
Wednesday, November 16, 7:00 p.m.
Sir Ben Kingsley is one of the most acclaimed actors of his time, perhaps best known for his Academy Award winning role as Gandhi in the film of the same name. His other memorable screen performances include Schindler's List, Sexy Beast, The House of Sand and Fog, and Exile. In his latest film, he gives a captivating performance as pioneer filmmaker Georges Méliès in Martin Scorsese's eagerly awaited film Hugo. This special program will include a conversation with Kingsley moderated by Chief Curator David Schwartz, and clips from some of his finest performances, including Schindler's List, Gandhi, and Hugo. (Part of After Hours)
Tickets: $25 public/$20 Museum members/ Free for Silver Screen members and above.

Preview Screening: The Muppets
Thursday, November 17, 7:00 p.m.
In the first Muppet movie in more than a decade, the Muppets must reunite, with the help of three fans, to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon. This special preview screening is presented courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures. This screening is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Jim Henson's Fantastic World, on view through January 16, 2011.
Tickets: $20 public / $15 Museum members / Free for Silver Screen and Red Carpet Kids members and above. PLEASE NOTE: THIS PROGAM IS SOLD OUT.

The Descendants
Followed by a Pinewood Dialogue with Alexander Payne
Friday, November 18, 6:30 p.m.
Dir. Alexander Payne. 2011, 115 mins. With George Clooney, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard. Payne's eagerly awaited new film is a smart and moving dramatic comedy with a remarkable ensemble cast led by George Clooney in his most affecting performance to date. Clooney is Matt King, heir of a prominent Hawaiian land-owning family, whose life is overturned when his wife is critically injured in a boating accident. King suddenly finds himself raising his two daughters, while at the same time processing news of his wife's adultery. In conjunction with this preview screening, the Museum will also screen three earlier films by Alexander Payne: Election (1999) on Friday, November 18, at 4:00 p.m.; About Schmidt (2002) on Saturday, November 19, at 5:00 p.m.; and Sideways (2004) on Friday, November 25, at 4:00 p.m.
Tickets are free, and available for Museum members only. Call 718 777 6800 or e-mail the Museum for your ticket. For more information about becoming a member, please click here.

Preview Screening: Arthur Christmas in 3-D
Saturday, November 19, 11:00 a.m.
Preceded by a reception with cookies and holiday drinks from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Museum café
Dir. Sarah Smith. 2011. 97 mins. Presented in Dolby Digital 3-D, courtesy Sony Pictures Animation. With James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Will Sasso, and Jim Broadbent. A holiday treat from the renowned Aardman animation studio, teaming up with Sony Pictures Animation, Arthur Christmas at last reveals the incredible, never-before-seen answer to every child's question: "So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?" The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic-a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero: Santa's youngest son, Arthur.
Tickets: $15 public / $10 Museum members / Free for Silver Screen and Red Carpet Kids members and above.

An Aardman Animation Sampler
Saturday, November 19, 3:00 p.m.
The Aardman animation studio is best known for its stop-motion animation and the beloved characters Wallace and Gromit. This program is a sampler of their finest films. Running time: 59 minutes. Stuff vs. Stuff: "Walkman vs. Hoover" (2010, 2 mins.) Two appliances duke it out. Creature Comforts (1989, 5 mins.) In Aardman's first Oscar winner, zoo animals are interviewed about their accommodations. Cracking Contraptions: "Shopper 13" (2002, 3 mins.) Wallace tries to deploy a store-to-home cheese delivery system. "The Autochef" (2002, 3 mins.) Gromit finds something awry with a breakfast-cooking robot. A Grand Day Out (1989, 23 mins.) In their debut, Wallace and Gromit build a moon rocket so they can sample cheese. The Wrong Trousers (1993, 23 mins.) In desperate financial straits, Wallace rents Gromit's bedroom to a malevolent penguin.
Free with Museum admission.

An Evening with Hugo Cabret
Book signing and presentation by Brian Selznick and exclusive preview screening of Hugo in Dolby Digital 3-D
Tuesday, November 22, 7:00 p.m.
2011, 124 mins. Dolby Digital 3-D courtesy Paramount Pictures. Dir. Martin Scorsese. With Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen. Martin Scorsese's new film Hugo is a vivid, cinematically breathtaking adaptation of Brian Selznick's beloved graphic novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the story of a young boy who lives in a clocktower at a Paris train station and develops an unlikely friendship with film pioneer Georges Méliès. The film and the book are loving and enchanting tributes to early cinema. This very special evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with a book signing by Brian Selznick. In addition to The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Selznick's acclaimed new graphic novel Wonderstruck will be available, along with his new book The Hugo Movie Companion, an intimate tour of the making of Scorsese's film.
In the theater at 7:00 p.m., Selznick will make a presentation about The Invention of Hugo Cabret and the making of the movie, and then will participate in a discussion with screenwriter John Logan about the adaptation. Then there will be an exclusive advance screening of Hugo, presented in Dolby Digital 3-D.
Tickets: $30 public / $25 Museum members / Free for Silver Screen and Red Carpet Kids members and above.

Preview Screening: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Followed by a Pinewood Dialogue with Tomas Alfredson
Tuesday, November 29, 7:00 p.m.
Dir. Tomas Alfredson. 2011, 127 mins. With Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy. Based on the bestselling Cold War novel by John le Carré, this sophisticated reinvention of the classic spy thriller stars Gary Oldman as a disgraced British agent who is secretly rehired by his government to investigate whether they have been compromised by a double agent working for the Soviets. Since its successful premiere at Venice, the film has become one of the season's most eagerly awaited films. In conjunction with this preview screening, the Museum will also screen two earlier films by Tomas Alfredson: Four Shades oF Brown (2004) on Saturday, November 26, 4:00 p.m. and Let the Right One In (2008) on Sunday, November 27 at 4:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15 public / $10 Museum members / Free Silver Screen members and above. Order online or call 718 777 6800 to reserve tickets.

MUSEUM INFORMATION
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10:30 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Holiday hours: The Museum will be open on Mondays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. December 26 and January 2. On Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) and New Year's Eve (Dec. 31), the galleries will close at 5:00 p.m. The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving (Nov. 24) and Christmas Day (Dec. 25).
Film Screenings: Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, and as scheduled.
Museum Admission: $12.00 for adults; $9.00 for persons over 65 and for students with ID; $6.00 for children ages 3-18. Children under 3 and Museum members are admitted free. Admission to the galleries is free on Fridays, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tickets for special screenings and events may be purchased in advance by phone at 718 777 6800 or online.
Location: 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street) in Astoria.
Subway: M (weekdays only) or R to Steinway Street. Q (weekdays only) or N to 36 Avenue.
Program Information: Telephone: 718 777 6888; Website: movingimage.us

The Museum is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and its operations are made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation). The Museum also receives generous support from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. For more information, please visit movingimage.us.