The Coral Gables Art Cinema Is Having a Very Good October

The Coral Gables Art Cinema is a 141-seat nonprofit that has been running since 2010. It programs 300-plus films a year, hosts filmmaker Q&As, runs a monthly Family Day series, and pulls more than 50,000 viewers annually. It is, by any reasonable measure, one of the most important cultural institutions in South Florida — and October is when it earns that description most visibly.

The current slate is worth going through in detail, because several of these are genuinely not-to-miss.

The Scout (October 9–13)

Paula González-Nasser's debut feature follows a location scout driving around New York City over the course of a single day — photographing apartments, talking to strangers, navigating the specific indignities of being a young creative in a commercialized industry. The New York Times called it "evocative... a work of fine-grained realism." The Sunday October 11 screening at 4:30 PM is followed by a Q&A with González-Nasser and production designer Ale Añez, moderated by filmmaker Xander Robin. That's the one to catch.

You Had to Be There (October 9–12)

Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Paul Shaffer — all of them got their start in a 1972 Toronto production of Godspell. This documentary, executive produced by Judd Apatow, reconstructs that pivotal moment in comedy history through interviews with the surviving cast plus Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mike Myers, and others. Variety called it "exuberant and essential." It is.

The History of Concrete (Held Over)

John Wilson — the filmmaker behind HBO's How To with John Wilson — attends a workshop on how to write a Hallmark movie, then tries to apply the formula to a documentary about concrete. The Guardian called it "an absurd triumph." Miami New Times called it "a funny, insightful, engrossing experience that may just blow your mind." The October 8 screening is followed by a pre-recorded Q&A with Wilson and Josh Safdie. It's also screening October 10 and 15.

Pan's Labyrinth — 20th Anniversary (Friday, October 9 at 9:30 PM)

Guillermo del Toro's Academy Award-winning dark fantasy on the big screen, twenty years on. Young Ofelia, the labyrinth, the faun, 1944 Spain, and three tasks that still hold. This is the After Hours slot — late, dark, exactly right for October.

Howl's Moving Castle — Family Day (October 10 & 11 at 11:00 AM)

Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, pay-what-you-can admission with a suggested price of $5, free small popcorn included. Saturday's screening is in Japanese with English subtitles; Sunday's is dubbed in English. Supported by the Coral Gables Community Foundation and Grove Bank & Trust. If you have kids — or just love Miyazaki — this is the weekend.

Blade (Saturday, October 10 at 10:00 PM)

Part of the Fuku x Gables Cinema Y2K Spooky Season Series. Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, 1998, and a Fuku cinema takeover menu you can add at checkout and pick up before the show. Dinner and a movie, done correctly.

All the President's Men — 50th Anniversary (Tuesday, October 13 at 7:30 PM)

Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Woodward and Bernstein. The Watergate break-in, the investigation, the downfall of a president. Fifty years later, it plays differently than it did in 1976 — which is part of why you should see it. Presented in partnership with Books & Books and Unite305.

Coming Up

The calendar keeps going: Joybubbles (October 15), a documentary about a blind boy who discovers he can control the global telephone system by whistling — a 2026 Gotham Week honoree. Fjord opens October 16 as a Miami theatrical premiere. The Fuku Y2K series continues with Freddy vs. Jason on October 17 and Pulse on October 24. Wild at Heart gets a new 4K restoration on October 30. And in January, Paul Thomas Anderson's Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall — shot on 35mm, three nights only.