Massart Film Society

01/10/2025

Lugosi challenges Karloff in the 1934 pre-Code horror film THE BLACK CAT. (In the background can be seen actress Lucille Lund, suspended as one of Karloff's collection of "dead wives.")

01/09/2025

After a major 2024 with the wider release of his blistering satire Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (which nabbed a spot in our top 10) and the premiere of a pair of smaller-scale, experimental films, Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude is gearing up for another big year. His forthcoming Dr...

01/09/2025

J.Hoberman to introduce tonight's very special BARBARA RUBIN event - come celebrate the two-projector film CHRISTMAS ON EARTH at 7:30PM!

01/08/2025

Maria Schneider was a French actress whose beauty, talent, and unconventional spirit left a lasting impression on the world of cinema. Born on March 27, 1952, in Paris, France, she was the daughter of French actor Daniel Gélin and Marie-Christine Schneider, although she grew up without a close relationship with her father. Maria’s early life in Paris and rural France cultivated her free-spirited nature, which became a hallmark of her career and personality.

At just 20 years old, Maria achieved international fame for her role in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris (1972), starring opposite Marlon Brando. The film was both groundbreaking and controversial, exploring themes of intimacy and alienation. While her performance earned her critical acclaim, the experience of making the film, particularly certain unscripted scenes, left Maria deeply scarred, sparking debates about artistic ethics in filmmaking. Despite the film’s impact on her career, Schneider later expressed regret about her involvement, feeling exploited by its creation.

Throughout the 1970s, Maria appeared in a variety of European films, showcasing her talent in roles that often defied traditional expectations of women in cinema. Her refusal to conform to Hollywood standards, combined with her candidness about her sexuality and personal struggles, made her a symbol of individuality and rebellion. Films such as The Passenger (1975), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, solidified her reputation as an actress willing to take risks.

In the latter part of her career, Schneider worked more sporadically, focusing on roles that aligned with her values. She also became an advocate for artists' rights and mental health awareness. Maria Schneider passed away on February 3, 2011, at the age of 58. Her legacy endures as a reminder of the complex interplay between art, identity, and personal agency.

01/08/2025

Upcoming program…⁠
YOUR LIFE IS LIKE A CANDLE BURNING⁠
Feb 13th, 7:30pm at The Lab
Two Films by Barbara Sternberg⁠
https://bit.ly/4iMuIcw
⁠
A central figure in Toronto film communities, Barbara Sternberg is known for a large body of 16mm films which explore film’s physicality, manifesting as ecstatically and sensually experiential, while also provoking overlapping and contradictory perceptual modes. From an expansive body of nearly forty films, this evening’s program presents two long-form works by Sternberg—Like a Dream that Vanishes (1999) and In the Nature of Things (2011)—two far-reaching and ambitious films which dive deep into realms of philosophical speculation, contemporary myth and miracle.⁠
⁠

01/07/2025

01/07/2025

POLI MARICHAL: MAESTRA DESTACADA DEL GRABADO
Las Jornadas del Grabado Puertorriqueño rendirán un merecido reconocimiento a la obra y trayectoria de nuestra querida amiga Maestra del grabado: Poli Marichal. El homenaje se llevará a cabo en el marco del evento, Plaza pá la calle, en Plaza las Américas, este próximo sábado 11 de enero, a las 3:00pm. Acompáñanos a celebrar junto a Poli y compartir con ella, este merecido reconocimiento.