“The story combines romance, high adventure, and, above all, humor, and tells us that good will triumph over evil. We are ready to hear that again. We are ready to see that happen again at the movies.” Susan Stark, Detroit Free Press
“Seeing the film the first time, I was swept away, and have remained swept ever since.” - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Friday, September 5, 8:15 p.m. & Monday, September 15, 8:30 p.m. | Tyranny got you down? Cue up John Williams’ famous STAR WARS score, grab a lightsaber, and get energized: there’s an Empire to take down! A NEW HOPE didn’t just launch a cinematic universe, it created a world of heroes, heroines, and Jedis (and righteous Wookiees, droids, and Ewoks) for generations to admire. While the Rebel Alliance attempts to destroy the Empire’s Death Star, farm boy Luke Skywalker teams up with Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, pilot Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D3, and C-3PO to embrace the Force and his own Jedi power. If you’ve never gotten into the Star Wars universe, there is no time like the present. The 1997 special presentation edition will be presented.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, Academy Awards
Nominee - Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Alec Guinness), Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Academy Awards
Cinema of Resistance | September 1–28, 2025
In Cinema of Resistance, we present eight films that expose the lowest moments of humanity, both real and imagined: war, corruption, cowardice, authoritarianism, and then raise high displays of bravery from movements that changed the course of history and individuals that put themselves on the line for the greater good. Join the fight from your cinema seat.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu