Anything is Possible

I am sitting in seat F201 and F202 in State Theater 2. Movie starts at 7:15 pm. Buy your tickets somewhere near me.

ANORA

Acadamy Award nominations for:
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor - Yura Borisov
Best Actress - Mikey Madison
Best Director
Best Editing
Best Original Screenplay

Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

From director Sean Baker ('The Flordia Project', 'Tangerine') and WINNER of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Film | Drama/Comedy/Romance | R | 2h 19m | 2024

Nerd Nite

Talks start at 7:00pm. These events are sponsored by the Ann Arbor District Library. Parking is $1.50/hr in the city parking structures. The surface lot across from the venue is $2.50/hr.

Gather ‘round for an evening of informed and informal talks from a friendly neighborhood expert! We’ll have three speakers, each presenting on a different topic and sharing interesting facts that you never knew you never knew! Past Nerd Nite speakers have led deep dives into topics from the legacy of Louis Pasteur, to the origin of elements, to how a trumpet works, to a dissection of romance novel tropes. So bring a friend, grab a drink, and enjoy an evening among fellow nerds. Be there and be square!

SPEAKERS
To begin, You’ll Shudder to Learn the Origin of Your Phone’s Shutter Sound (Well, maybe it won’t frighten you, but it’ll be illuminating.) Photo-Geek John Heider will lead his fellow Nerd Nite Nerdlingtons through a concise history of the genesis of the iPhone’s camera shutter sound effect, its analog basis, the sound engineer that grabbed it from the 35 millimeter film world, its initial intended use and how it’s probably the most-heard cell phone sound in the world.
John is a 37 year veteran of the photography business having started in the days of 35 mm film and darkrooms and now uses exclusively digital technology as he got tired of breathing the corrosive fumes of film developers. Due to that excessive chemical exposure he now believes that birds are A.I. generated and that his cat Pickle is the duly elected next president of the United States.

Then, we’ll go From Lead to Gold: How Alchemy and Computer Wizardry Create Better Drugs with Thanh Lai. There’s a reason why medicinal chemists are often referred to as “drug hunters” — it’s because the process of developing drugs feels like a literal hunt! Countless years and $$$ are spent testing hundreds of thousands of molecules to find the perfect drug in the haystack. But what if we can speed things up a bit with some computers and a little magic? Tune into how we revive the ancient art of alchemy to develop your favorite medicines!
Thanh is a fourth year Biophysics graduate student who loves frogs, cooking for people, and learning Spanish (hola). There was a distant time in his life when he wanted to be a lab chemist…until the day when his lab professor le gritó for flushing E. Coli down the sink. And when he contaminó his professor’s chemical reagents with his bare hands. And when he rompió his lab partner’s glassware. Anyways, Thanh does all of his work on a computer now and has yet to be a danger to his environment since (or so he thinks).

Closing it out, it’s time to watch out for Billboard Bandits. They estimated that 167 billboards were cut, chopped down, or chainsawed to the ground along highways surrounding Ann Arbor. The Canadian Black Velvet whiskey billboard atop the Main Street Party Store was the target of a separate attack. Hear tales of local billboard banditry from The Book of Ann Arbor author Richard Retyi.
Richard wrote The Book of Ann Arbor: A Very Serious History Book and is co-creator of the companion podcast Ann Arbor Stories. He works in marketing, so he thinks billboards are swell, but he also enjoys chaos, so dismantle the machine!

ROAD TO BOSTON

1:00pm State Theater
Free | Open to the public | General Admission | No ticket needed

A story of national marathoners who want to run again after Korea's liberation, and their quest to compete in their first international marathon. From director Kang Je-kyu.

In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, marathon gold medalist Son Ki-jeong set a world record. On the podium, as the Japanese national anthem "Kimigayo" played, he covered the Japanese flag on his chest with a potted plant, making him an instant national hero. However, due to Japanese oppression, he could no longer run. After Korea's liberation, in Seoul in 1947, Son Ki-jeong approaches Seo Yoon-bok, a promising marathon runner considered the next Son Ki-jeong, with an unexpected proposal to compete in the Boston Marathon. He suggests running to reclaim the glory of the Berlin Olympics that had been attributed to Japan, this time with the Korean flag proudly displayed on their chests! Despite not having enough money to buy even a pair of running shoes, the Korean marathon runners embark on an unforgettable journey to Boston, USA.

2023 ‧ Drama ‧ 1h 48m
Directed by Kang Jekyu
Presented in Korean and English with English Subtitles

The Korean Cinema NOW 2025 series features critical picks of recent diaspora film hits. Screened at the State Theater, all films are free and open to the public.