Museum of the Moving Image

10/11/2026

This Monday holiday, join us for the very special program MUPPETS TONIGHT: A 30th Anniversary Panel and Tribute to Arthur Novell!

As we celebrate 50 years of The Muppet Show, we also mark the 30th anniversary of the 1996 premiere of MUPPETS TONIGHT, the show that brought the Muppets back to TV for a whole new audience!

Our host and organizer Craig Shemin, President of The Jim Henson Legacy, will lead a panel featuring Muppet performers Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, plus clips, followed by a celebration of the beloved Arthur Novell, the show’s talent executive, longtime Henson publicist, and former Jim Henson Legacy Executive Director, who passed away earlier this year.

📆 Monday, October 12, 1:00 p.m.
📍 Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Ave, Astoria, Queens
🎟️ movingimage.org/muppets-tonight

Please note: MoMI is open Monday, Oct. 12, 12:00–6:00 for Indigenous Peoples Day.

10/07/2026

Are you a local maker whose work—including art, hats, shirts, buttons, jewelry, toys, zines, comics, housewares, and more—showcases creative expressions of love for the moving image?

We’re seeking vendors for our first-ever artisan market, MoMI Merch Meet, on Saturday, November 22 — just in time for the holidays!

Learn more and apply at movingimage.org/momi-merch-meet

10/02/2026

MoMI welcomes the Halloween season with the screening series Handcrafted Horrors, featuring 12 scary movies that use models, puppets, makeup artistry, or hand-drawn animation to create their surreal, physical other worlds!

Join us throughout October to catch these films and other spooky delights!

For more information and tickets, visit https://movingimage.org/series/handcrafted-horrors/

09/24/2026

Happy 90th birthday to Jim Henson, the man behind the Muppets. 🎈

Henson was just out of high school when he began creating puppets for local Washington, D.C., television shows in the 1950s. He experimented with different techniques to create an expressive performance. His puppets were constructed of soft materials rather than wood or paper mâche, allowing more flexibility in their facial expressions.
⁣⁣
Henson treated the television screen as his stage, employing close-up shots to connect the audience to his characters. He coined the term for his creations in 1955 by combining the words "marionettes" and "puppets." ⁣⁣

The Muppets first reached a national TV audience in the 1960s, with appearances on a variety of shows. Their popularity soared with the educational children’s program "Sesame Street" (1969), followed by the success of "The Muppet Show" (1976–1981). Although the Muppet cast introduced unforgettable characters like Miss Piggy, Big Bird, and the Cookie Monster, Henson was most closely associated with the lovable and endearing Kermit the Frog, a character he both voiced and brought to life through puppetry.

📸: “Jim Henson” by Yousuf Karsh, 1990. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. Gift of the Family of Jim Henson. © Estate of Yousuf Karsh. ⁣⁣
📷: Jim Henson with puppets from Fraggle Rock by Bruce Macaulay. © The Jim Henson Company.

09/19/2026

Happy 60th anniversary to Star Trek! In the Museum's core exhibition "Behind the Screen," you can see a selection of objects from our extensive collection of Star Trek licensed merchandise and fanzines. Shown here: Knickerbocker dolls of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock (1979). To learn more about our collection of Star Trek materials, visit the Collection tab of our website, select "Artifacts" and search for "Star Trek."

This Sunday, MoMI will present STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN in a 35mm print to honor the franchise's 60th anniversary. Many fans consider this film to be among the best featuring the original cast and the closest in spirit to the original series. As a special bonus, we'll also show the episode "Space Seed," which featured the villainous warlord Khan, just before the film. Learn more at https://movingimage.org/event/star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan/

09/17/2026

“Throughout Overexposed, the history of medical imaging unfolds as one of bodily control, gendered norms and categorisation. At the same time, it is presented as a history that artists have consistently transformed with emancipatory verve.” — Read Kyveli Mavrokordopoulou's thoughtful review of our exhibition "Overexposed: Art, Technology, and the Body" in The Burlington Magazine Contemporary at the link below.

https://contemporary.burlington.org.uk/reviews/reviews/subcutaneous-cinema

09/15/2026

MoMI is pleased to once again partner with Film at Lincoln Center to screen highlights from the New York Film Festival in Queens!

This year offers an expanded selection, Oct. 4–9, giving audiences the chance to see six of the most anticipated films of the fall in advance:

► Pedro Almodóvar’s BITTER CHRISTMAS
► William and David Greaves’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM
► Markus Schleinzer’s ROSE
► Mike Leigh’s final film, TENDER LOVING CARE
► Tony Gilroy’s BEHEMOTH!
► Noah Segan’s THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK

Tickets are on sale now at movingimage.org/new-york-film-festival-2026/

09/13/2026

Join MoMI and partners on Sep. 19 for a day-long free program exploring the ecology of NYC's wild residents—from whales, owls, coyotes, and more—featuring a panel discussion with advocates and scientists, a screening of Penny Lane's Flaco the Owl documentary WILD INSIDE, and opportunities to meet representatives from Gotham Whale, NYC Plover Project, Gotham Coyote Project, Bronx River Foodway, Alley Pond Environmental Center, NYC Bird Alliance, Wild Bird Fund, and more!

📆 Saturday, September 19, 11:30–4:30
📍 Museum of the Moving Image
🎟️ Free Admission
Learn more and RSVP here: https://movingimage.org/event/wild-city/

This Open Worlds: Science program is supported by the .

Plus, we'll host a book signing for “Finding Flaco: Our Year with New York City’s Beloved Owl” with photographers Jacqueline Emery and David Lei!

🦉🐳🦫🐾🦦🦅

09/08/2026

On Sunday, October 11, in conjunction with his new book "Across the Movi-verse: Writing on Film 2011–2021," J. Hoberman will present SOUTHLAND TALES (35mm) and PEEPING TOM—followed by a book signing.

🎟️:

In conjunction with his new book, J. Hoberman will present two films: Richard Kelly's Southland Tales and Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom, two titles that were loathed upon their respective premieres but which have benefited considerably from appreciation in the rear-view mirror. Hoberman will introd...

08/25/2026

RIP Dolly Parton (1946–2026).

Already a successful musician upon 9 TO 5’s release in 1980, Parton not only made her big screen debut but also received an Oscar nomination for the film’s theme song which she wrote and performed.

9 TO 5 screened in 2021, part of our What a Way to Make a Living: Women in ‘80s Hollywood series.