"Rental Family" plays Sunday, Feb 22 at ISU
Sunday, February 22
4:00 & 7:00 p.m.
A tender dramedy about a lonely American actor (Brendan Fraser) in Tokyo who finds purpose working for a "rental family" agency, playing stand-in relatives for lonely clients, blurring lines between acting and reality as he forms unexpected, genuine bonds while confronting his own isolation and the universal need for connection. The Hollywood Reporter calls it, "A charming surprise, balancing poignancy and humor with rare delicacy," while Tribune News adds, it's "wonderfully life-affirming and quietly resonant." (Rated PG-13) Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff/faculty and free for ISU students with Bengal ID.
4:00 & 7:00 p.m.
A tender dramedy about a lonely American actor (Brendan Fraser) in Tokyo who finds purpose working for a "rental family" agency, playing stand-in relatives for lonely clients, blurring lines between acting and reality as he forms unexpected, genuine bonds while confronting his own isolation and the universal need for connection. The Hollywood Reporter calls it, "A charming surprise, balancing poignancy and humor with rare delicacy," while Tribune News adds, it's "wonderfully life-affirming and quietly resonant." (Rated PG-13) Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff/faculty and free for ISU students with Bengal ID.
$1 Day with "Peanut Butter Falcon" on Sunday, February 15
$1 Day !!!
Heartland Film Festival Winner
Sunday, February 15
4:00 & 7:00 p.m.
"Peanut Butter Falcon" was called "The Sweetest Darn Film of the Decade" by Film Inquiry. Starring Dakota Johnson and Shia Labeouf, with newcomer Zack Gottsagen, this Heartland Film Festival winner follows a young man with Down Syndrome who escapes the home where he is kept, meeting a man looking for redemption, and together they take a road trip to find their dreams. "The Feel Good Movie of the Year," writes the San Diego Reader. (Rated PG-13) Admission is $1 or free for ISU students with Bengal ID.
Heartland Film Festival Winner
Sunday, February 15
4:00 & 7:00 p.m.
"Peanut Butter Falcon" was called "The Sweetest Darn Film of the Decade" by Film Inquiry. Starring Dakota Johnson and Shia Labeouf, with newcomer Zack Gottsagen, this Heartland Film Festival winner follows a young man with Down Syndrome who escapes the home where he is kept, meeting a man looking for redemption, and together they take a road trip to find their dreams. "The Feel Good Movie of the Year," writes the San Diego Reader. (Rated PG-13) Admission is $1 or free for ISU students with Bengal ID.
"Eleanor the Great" at ISU Sunday, February 8
Sunday, February 8
(Earlier show due to Superbowl)
2:00 & 4:00 p.m.
After her lifelong best friend Bessie dies, Eleanor moves to New York and joins a Holocaust survivors' support group, impulsively taking on Bessie's real story as her own to combat loneliness and grief, and to share her friend's harrowing story publicly for the first time, leading to a viral story by a journalism student that spirals out of control as Eleanor faces the escalating consequences of her elaborate lie. "Enthralling and heartwarming," writes the Austin Chronicle, while The New York Times calls it a "Genuinely moving intergenerational connection between two women who need each other to move past their particular grief." Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff/faculty and free for ISU students with a valid Bengal ID.
(Earlier show due to Superbowl)
2:00 & 4:00 p.m.
After her lifelong best friend Bessie dies, Eleanor moves to New York and joins a Holocaust survivors' support group, impulsively taking on Bessie's real story as her own to combat loneliness and grief, and to share her friend's harrowing story publicly for the first time, leading to a viral story by a journalism student that spirals out of control as Eleanor faces the escalating consequences of her elaborate lie. "Enthralling and heartwarming," writes the Austin Chronicle, while The New York Times calls it a "Genuinely moving intergenerational connection between two women who need each other to move past their particular grief." Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff/faculty and free for ISU students with a valid Bengal ID.
"Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere at ISU on Sunday, Feb. 1
Golden Globe Nominee
Sunday, February 1
4:00 & 7:00 p.m.
2025 biopic about Bruce Springsteen, focusing on the making of his stark 1982 album, Nebraska, and his personal struggles with fame, depression, and his difficult family past, featuring Jeremy Allen White as the Boss, set against the backdrop of his upcoming massive success with Born in the U.S.A.. The film, based on Warren Zanes' book, explores his creative crossroads, recording the raw album on a 4-track in a bedroom, and his inner demons, contrasting the dark folk album with the pop superstardom that followed. Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff and free for ISU students with a valid Bengal ID.
Sunday, February 1
4:00 & 7:00 p.m.
2025 biopic about Bruce Springsteen, focusing on the making of his stark 1982 album, Nebraska, and his personal struggles with fame, depression, and his difficult family past, featuring Jeremy Allen White as the Boss, set against the backdrop of his upcoming massive success with Born in the U.S.A.. The film, based on Warren Zanes' book, explores his creative crossroads, recording the raw album on a 4-track in a bedroom, and his inner demons, contrasting the dark folk album with the pop superstardom that followed. Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff and free for ISU students with a valid Bengal ID.
"One Battle After Another" plays Sunday, Jan. 25 at ISU
Sunday, January 25
3:30 & 7:00 p.m.
Nominated for nearly all the top critics awards, this presumptive Oscar front runner follows ex-revolutionary Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) living in hiding with his daughter, Willa, until their past catches up via the deranged Colonel Lockjaw (Sean Penn), forcing Bob to reunite with former radical comrades to protect Willa from Lockjaw's dangerous pursuit, blending political intrigue, dark comedy, and intense chase sequences as the 'French 75' group confronts a shadowy white supremacist society. Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff and free for ISU students with a valid Bengal ID.
3:30 & 7:00 p.m.
Nominated for nearly all the top critics awards, this presumptive Oscar front runner follows ex-revolutionary Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) living in hiding with his daughter, Willa, until their past catches up via the deranged Colonel Lockjaw (Sean Penn), forcing Bob to reunite with former radical comrades to protect Willa from Lockjaw's dangerous pursuit, blending political intrigue, dark comedy, and intense chase sequences as the 'French 75' group confronts a shadowy white supremacist society. Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff and free for ISU students with a valid Bengal ID.
$1 Day with "Invictus" on January 18 at ISU
$1 Day!!!
Oscar Nominee
Sunday, January 18
4:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Following the fall of apartheid, newly elected President Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) faces a South Africa that is racially and economically divided. Believing he can unite his countrymen through the universal language of sport, Mandela joins forces with the captain of the national rugby team (Matt Damon) to rally South Africans behind the team's bid in the 1995 World Cup. Newsweek writes, "Such a soul-stirring (true) story -- one that would be hard to believe if it were fiction," while the Wall Street Journal calls it "Stirring entertainment and a history lesson about a remarkable convergence of sports and statesmanship." Admission is $1 or free for ISU students with a Bengal ID.
Oscar Nominee
Sunday, January 18
4:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Following the fall of apartheid, newly elected President Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) faces a South Africa that is racially and economically divided. Believing he can unite his countrymen through the universal language of sport, Mandela joins forces with the captain of the national rugby team (Matt Damon) to rally South Africans behind the team's bid in the 1995 World Cup. Newsweek writes, "Such a soul-stirring (true) story -- one that would be hard to believe if it were fiction," while the Wall Street Journal calls it "Stirring entertainment and a history lesson about a remarkable convergence of sports and statesmanship." Admission is $1 or free for ISU students with a Bengal ID.
Film Society's Next Show:
Gotham Awards Nominee
Sunday, January 11
4:00 & 7:00 p.m.
An Uyghur woman moves to New York City where she finds herself laboring in Chinatown's underground kitchens. She fatefully encounters Skinner, a young American soldier who's just returned from three tours in the Middle East. As they start to fall in love, they discover the possibility of a better life together than the ones they believed they were destined to live alone. Variety magazine writes "Thanks to its terrific stars and Liu’s patient direction, which luxuriates in the smallest of gestures, “Preparation” transcends," while Newscity calls it "Quietly masterful... the sensation of being in the present moment is stirring and affecting." Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff and free for ISU students with a Bengal ID.
Sunday, January 11
4:00 & 7:00 p.m.
An Uyghur woman moves to New York City where she finds herself laboring in Chinatown's underground kitchens. She fatefully encounters Skinner, a young American soldier who's just returned from three tours in the Middle East. As they start to fall in love, they discover the possibility of a better life together than the ones they believed they were destined to live alone. Variety magazine writes "Thanks to its terrific stars and Liu’s patient direction, which luxuriates in the smallest of gestures, “Preparation” transcends," while Newscity calls it "Quietly masterful... the sensation of being in the present moment is stirring and affecting." Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff and free for ISU students with a Bengal ID.
"20 For 20" Series: Film Society Begins 20th Year
On October 12, the Pocatello Film Society will begin their 20th year of showing films at Idaho State University. In this spirit, we plan to show 20 of our favorite films that were shown over the past 20 years.
Already, we have lit up the screen with such revisits of "Selma", "Lincoln", "Green Book", and "Darkest Hour" over the past year or so.
Fall 2025 finds us showing:
2017's "The Greatest Showman" on August 31
2007's "Expiration Date" on October 12.
2019's "Jojo Rabbit" on November 16
2020's "Little Women" on December 14.
"A Faith Under Siege" at ISU Wednesday, July 2 (FREE)
FREE Film Night!!!
Wednesday, July 2
5:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 2
5:00 & 7:00 p.m.