Cinema Revival: A Festival of Film Restoration returns to the Wexner Center for the Arts February 26–March 2

The Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University will present the 12th annual Cinema Revival: A Festival of Film Restoration February 26–March 2. A signature program for the multidisciplinary arts space, the event celebrates the art and practice of film restoration with screenings of newly restored feature films and shorts, along with opportunities for film lovers to engage with other film fans, experts in the restoration field, and cinema scholars.

This year’s lineup includes the world premiere of the restored—in 3D—Money from Home, starring Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin; the landmark Steven Spielberg film Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 70mm; a much-buzzed about restoration of Erich von Stroheim’s Queen Kelly; rare treasures from The Ohio State University Libraries; animated classics from UCLA’s Film & Television Archive; the Japanese sci-fi neo noir The Red Spectacles; Flora Gomes’s Mortu Nega; and more. Many screenings will be accompanied by experts and scholars from the 3-D Film Archive, Sony Pictures, Milestone Films, Small Sensations, and more.

“We’re excited for the 12th year of Cinema Revival” says Wex Head of Film David Filipi. “The lineup of films and experts in attendance continues to bring our audiences—new and longtime—the most notable in new restorations from around the world and across genres, presented in the best possible formats. It’s a celebration of cinema and the work to preserve and expand its rich history done as only the Wex can."

Cinema Revival 2026 also includes a free Saturday reception in which guests can gather with visiting experts and film fans, and a festival passholder lounge throughout the weekend with complimentary snacks and beverages.

Festival all-access passes are $42 for the general public; $30 for Wex members and adults 55 and over; and $15 for students. Tickets for individual screenings are $12 for the general public; $9 for adults 55 and over; $8 for Wex members; and $6 for students. Select festival events are free for all audiences. Passes and individual tickets are available at wexarts.org or in person at the Wexner Center for the Arts. Discounted parking is available at the nearby Ohio Union and Arps garages with validation. Parking is free for Wex members with ticket or festival pass.

2026 Festival Lineup—free events noted:

Film Treasures from The Ohio State University Libraries
Introduced by Tim Lanza and Sarah Hartzell, University Libraries
Free for all audiences with ticket
Lanza and Hartzell are back for a second year with a selection of historical films from the vault of University Libraries.

The Red Spectacles (Mamoru Oshii, 1987) 
Introduced by Ei Toshinari, Small Sensations!
This Japanese sci-fi neo noir is the first live-action film by the acclaimed anime director of Ghost in the Shell (1995).

Mortu Nega (Those Whom Death Refused, Flora Gomes, 1988) 
Free for all audiences with ticket
Flora Gomes’s debut feature depicts the guerrilla war that brought independence to Guinea-Bissau from Portuguese colonial rule.

Money from Home (George Marshall, 1953) 
Introduced by Robert Furmanek, 3-D Film Archive
This 3D, Technicolor romp is one of the most anticipated restoration projects in years!

Animation Treasures from the UCLA Film & Television Archive
A program of newly restored, rarely screened treasures from animation’s Golden Age.

Queen Kelly (Erich von Stroheim, 1929) 
Introduced by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller, Milestone Films
A sordid tale of illicit love, starring Gloria Swanson, that pales in comparison to the drama surrounding its production.

Rain (Lewis Milestone, 1932) 
Introduced by David Stenn, television writer and producer
David Stenn shares the unique story behind the restoration of the Pre-Code film Rain, starring the incomparable Joan Crawford.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Director’s Cut) (Steven Spielberg, 1977) 
Introduced by Grover Crisp, Sony Pictures
See Steven Spielberg’s classic tale of alien contact on the big screen in a new 70mm print!

Lumière, Le Cinema! (Thierry Frémaux, 2025)
This collection of works by the Lumière brothers will take you back to the earliest days of the cinema in the late nineteenth century.

Saint Joan (Otto Preminger, 1957) 
One of the most notorious films in history, Otto Preminger’s Saint Joan is an audacious take on the legend of Joan of Arc, starring Jean Seberg in her first film role.

Five Easy Pieces (Bob Rafelson, 1970)
One of the key films of the New Hollywood era stars Jack Nicholson who just wants an order of plain toast.

El Grito (The Scream, Leobardo López Arretche, 1968)
Free for all audiences with ticket
This student-made film of one of the most tragic moments in Mexican history is a milestone in the Mexican documentary tradition.