3 movies you can see for free this weekend

​Tucked away in Room 4070 of the brutalist labyrinth that is the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Vilas Hall is a weekly sanctuary for film buffs: the Cinematheque.

A coalition of UW–Madison academics and students, Cinematheque showcases a range of films which may otherwise rarely — or never — reach Madisonians. Over the past few months Cinematheque has screened everything from Jean Grémillion’s 1937 “Lady Killer” to Alexander Payne’s 2023 “The Holdovers,” with Payne in attendance for a post-screening discussion.

And it’s always free. Although donations are accepted at the door or through Cinematheque’s website , each showing is open to the public on a “ first-come, first-seated basis. ”

Here’s what’s on this weekend:

“Crossing” (2024)

Thursday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m., 821 University Ave., Room 4070

Swedish director Levan Akin’s “Crossing” follows a retired schoolteacher, Lia (Mzia Arabuli), as she sets off on a journey to bring her long-lost niece, Tekla (Tako Kurdovanidze), back home to rural Georgia. When a neighbor informs Lia that Tekla may have landed in Istanbul, the unlikely pair search the city for any sign of her.

“Smoking Tigers” (2023)

Friday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m., 821 University Ave., Room 4070

In Korean-American director So Young Shelly Yo’s feature debut, lonely 16-year-old Hayoung (Ji-young Yoo) faces the challenges of adolescence, generational conflict and the myth of the model minority, seeking to distract herself from family matters by trying to fit in with her more affluent peers. The coming-of-age tale is presented in partnership with the Asian American Studies department at UW–Madison.

“Chaperone” (2024)

Saturday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m., 821 University Ave., Room 4070

Misha (Mitzi Akaha) is approaching her 30th birthday with little to look forward to in American director Zoe Eisenberg’s solo directorial debut . Also presented in partnership with the Asian American Studies department, the Hawai’i-set film takes a turn when a local high school student invites the flawed Misha to a beach hangout — and Misha decides not to disclose her age.

For a complete list of the Cinematheque fall series screenings that run through Dec. 14, visit cinema.wisc.edu .

Alisyn Amant is an editorial intern at Madison Magazine.

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