This fall, the Hoboken Museum will be open after hours as a screening room for a number of films series catering to a wide variety of tastes. Whether your interest is in WWI-themed films or fun films for kids, vintage footage of Hoboken a hundred years ago or contemporary documentaries from independent filmmakers, we are offering an alternative to the same old TV routine.

WWI Friday Feature Film Series: This Friday, Sept. 15, the 1971 cult classic “Johnny Got His Gun” kicks off a new WWI-themed Friday Feature Film Series, starting at 7 pm. The film, by black-listed screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, deals with the aftermath of World War I, and features Timothy Bottoms as a wounded doughboy, with a supporting cast of Jason Robards, Donald Sutherland, Kathy Fields, Marsha Hunt and Diane Varsi. Tickets to the series are $10 for each film, $5 for members, and include light refreshments.

Other films scheduled later in the fall are the 1925 silent film “The Big Parade,” on October 13, and “Wings,” a silent film from 1927, starring Clara Bow and featuring Gary Cooper in one of his first screen roles, on November 3. 

WWI Centennial Lecture Series: Sunday, Sept. 17, at 4 pm,  the Museum’s World War I Centennial Lecture Series continues with a presentation by Collections Manager Rand Hoppe of documentary film footage shot in and around Hoboken during World War I, 1917 – 1919. The footage brings to life the experience of being in a port of embarkation during America’s first modern war. (Pictured at right, a group of Red Cross volunteers, who helped prepare the soldiers for embarkation, marches through Hudson Park (now Stevens Park).

Advance reservations are strongly encouraged for this popular series. Sign up by clicking the button below. Admission will be collected at the door, lectures are $10 ($5 for members). The lecture series is funded by a special project grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission.

The Black Maria Film Festival returns on Wednesday, Sept. 20, for a four-part monthly series of documentary film programs from the 2017 Festival Collection. Black Maria Executive Director Jane Steuerwald will host the custom-curated programs, and lead a discussion with the audience.

Doors open at 6:30 pm, and the films will screen at 7 pm, each lasting about an hour. Admission is a suggested $5 donation, which includes light refreshments. Each month, an award-winning one-hour documentary film from the Black Maria’s Global Insights collection will be presented, thanks to the support of the Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs and Tourism. The second program is Wednesday, Oct. 18, the third is Wed., Nov. 29, and the final session is Wed., Dec. 13.

Program 1 features “Truth Has Fallen,” by Sheila Sofian, a film about three innocent people who were convicted for murders they did not commit. Using innovative painting-on-glass animation, the film examines their cases and sheds light on weaknesses in the United States justice system.

Now in its 36th consecutive year, the Black Maria Film Festival focuses on diverse short films – narrative, experimental, animation, and documentary – including those, which address issues and struggles within contemporary society such as the environment, public health, race and class, family, sustainability, and more. 

Kids Night at the Museum! In the early planning stages is a film series aimed at kids, too! Starting Friday, Oct. 27, Education Curator Maria Lara will host a “Kids Night at the Museum” on three Fridays this fall, from 6 – 9 p.m., each with a different film, along with activities and exhibition-related games.