Hello Everyone!

I'm back from The Toronto International Film Fest - where I saw 32 films over the course of 9 days.  The good news is that I screened a lot of great, new films.  The bad news is that we'll have some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks - as there is a lot of good material on the horizon.  If you still want to catch up on my adventures, here's a LINK to my blog.

Regarding good material, this Friday marks the start of a really lovely film with two incredible central performances from two of the best young stars working today - THE HISTORY OF SOUND - starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor.  (Next Thursday, we open the new film starring National Treasure June Squibb - ELEANOR THE GREAT.  Tickets for opening weekend are already on sale HERE.)

If you still need to see THE ROSES or TWINLESS , you'll need to hurry.  Tomorrow (Thursday) will be the last day for both films.

This October will mark the 20th anniversary for us bringing the best in LGBTQIA+ cinema to town with OUT HERE DAYTON FILM FEST.  Read more below...our scholarship portal opens tomorrow!  If you or anyone you know could use free tickets to the festival, please check out the site and pass along details. If you're interested in volunteering for the festival, details are below...we'd love to have your help.

"Open Caption Mondays" are a hit and much appreciated by many of our regulars.  On Monday, Sept. 22, our screenings of DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE and THE HISTORY OF SOUND will be presented with Open Captions (aka - captions presented on the screen). 

Synopsis for THE HISTORY OF SOUND: "Two young music students, Lionel and David, attending the Boston Conservatory in 1917, bond over their shared love of folk music. They reconnect a few years later, embarking on a song collecting trip in the backwaters of Maine." (Mubi)

Cult Movie Night - LITTLE MONSTERS

"Victor & Mal’s Cult Movie Night returns for a SAVAGE SEPTEMBER - Fred Savage that is..."

THU, SEPT 18 | 7:30 -  SOLD OUT!

THE LAST CLASS

3rd ENCORE THIS SATURDAY! American political economist, professor, author, and social media sensation Robert Reich teaches his final "Wealth and Poverty" class to 1,000 students at UC Berkeley, ending a 40-year career that reached 40,000 students. One thousand fill the biggest lecture hall on the UC Berkeley campus, the last class to receive Reich's wisdom and exhortations not to accept that the world has to stay the way it is. His belief in the next generation's ability to take on the fight is inspiring.
Our first screening was a huge success...so we added an encore.  That one sold out, too!  So we added a 2nd encore, and that sold out!  Here's one more chance for you to catch THE LAST CLASS!
Tickets are $12.50 each.

SAT, SEPT. 20 | Noon

WILLIS BING DAVIS: REACH HIGH AND REACH BACK

Tickets available now! "Few people have impacted the arts in Southwest Ohio quite like Willis 'Bing' Davis. An African American artist, educator and community activist from Dayton, Davis’ artwork is known for its incorporation of African and African American themes, as well as its focus on social justice issues...Today, in his mid-80s, Davis continues to create art, educate others and promote social justice causes in a variety of ways." (ThinkTV.org)

Join us for a special screening of REACH HIGH & REACH BACK along with Bing Davis and filmmakers Ann Rotolante and Rodney Veal. Tickets are first-come, first-serve, with tickets available for in-person pick-up at THE NEON's box office. (Limit 2 tickets per person. Tickets only available in-person during traditional operating hours.)

This screening is made possible through our friends at ThinkTV.  The event is sponsored by Twentig, Inc -"an organization of women who have committed to contributing to the greater Dayton community through volunteerism and fundraising. Its mission is to support nonprofits who serve women, youth, and elders; and to impact the needs of our community through educational and financial support."

WED, SEPT. 24 | 7:30

ANIMATION MIXTAPE

Two-time Academy Award nominee and Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner Don Hertzfeldt partners with Ink Films to release ANIMATION MIXTAPE, an 85-minute short film program personally selected by Hertzfeldt.
An exclusive collection of animated shorts by talented artists from around the world, MIXTAPE features many recent films from up-and-coming animators next to classics that originally inspired Hertzfeldt to start animating.
Flying cows, mysterious gods and lyrical pandemonium: Don Hertzfeldt has made this just for you. Including a new animated introduction from Don and never before seen work from famed underground animator Bruce Bickford.
Though officially "unrated," this program is not suitable for children.

SAT, SEPT. 27 | Noon
SUN, SEPT. 28 | Noon

FARMING WHILE BLACK

The Lavender Project’s 2-Night agriCULTURE Sunset Stories & Moonlight Markets Fest kicks off at THE NEON on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 with a film screening of FARMING WHILE BLACK (ticket prices $7). "Leah Penniman, co-founder of Soul Fire Farm, reflects on the plight of Black farmers in the United States. From the height of Black-owned farms at 14% in 1910 to less than 2% today, Leah and her Soul Fire Farm cohorts help propel a rising generation finding strength in the deep historical knowledge of African agrarianism and its potential to save the planet." 
Come early at 6:30pm to enjoy an art show and "seed social" with the opportunity to purchase original agricultural photography and take home free seeds. (The 2-day event continues on Friday, Oct. 3rd in St. Anne's Hill.)  This event is sponsored by Co-Op Dayton, Hall Hunger Initiative, Miami Valley Seed Commons, and Seven Seed Sowers Cooperative.

THU, OCT 2 | 7:30

THE ROOM & BIG SHARK

Greg Sestero is coming back to THE NEON...and you're the first to know about it!

See the cult classic THE ROOM with an auditorium full of devotees - with your host, star of the movie and author of THE DISASTER ARTIST - Greg Sestero.  Tickets $22 each.

Later that night, see the recent, final cut of BIG SHARK - Tommy Wiseau's latest action comedy about three firefighters who have to save New Orleans from a giant shark attack - introduced by Sestero. Tickets $20 each.

Tickets on sale now and going fast!

THE ROOM:
WED, OCT. 8 | 7:30 -  SOLD OUT!
BIG SHARK:
WED, OCT. 8 | 10:00 -  TIX AVAIL!

OUT HERE DAYTON FILM FEST - 20th Anniversary

This October will mark the 20th anniversary for us bringing the best in LGBTQIA+ cinema to town with  OUT HERE DAYTON FILM FEST.  This year's fest is set for Oct. 9-12, and the line-up can be viewed on the fest's official site. One very special screening and panel discussion with our friends from Dayton Metro Library will be  THE LIBRARIANS - Saturday, Oct. 11 at Noon - and a new trailer has just been created.  You can watch the trailer  HERE.

VOLUNTEER WITH US

We're looking for some volunteers for our festival...People to help with tickets, programs, ballots, seating, etc.
We're hoping to find 2 people for each of the following time slots:
Thu, Oct. 9: 6:30PM-8PM
Fri, Oct. 10: 6:30PM-10PM (these volunteers must be 21 or older)
Sat, Oct 11: 11:00AM-3:30PM
Sat, Oct. 11: 6PM-9:45PM
Sun, Oct. 12: 11:00AM-3:30PM
Sun, Oct. 12: 5PM-6:30PM
If you're able to help, please reach out to Ciarah at  jenkins.340@wright.edu and indicate which spot works for you.

THANK YOU!!

Crafty Cinema Presents PRACTICAL MAGIC

Get ready for an afternoon of creativity, entertainment, and social activism at Crafty Cinema for a Cause at THE NEON hosted by the Savage Stitcher (Angie). This unique charity event brings together the joy of crafting with the magic of film, all while supporting Planned Parenthood of SW Ohio. Bring your own craft project that you can work on in your seat, such as crochet, knitting, embroidery, cross stitch, etc. and we will all enjoy an afternoon showing of PRACTICAL MAGIC with the lights up so you can work on a project you’ve been putting off, or start something new. This is a free event with a suggested donation of $20 that will be collected at the door and all proceeds will go to our local Planned Parenthood. There are a limited number of seats available for reservation on Eventbrite, and the rest will be offered as first-come-first-serve at the door.

SUN, OCT 19  | 12:30

Free Flo Box presents CARRIE

This one-night-only screening of Brian De Palma’s  CARRIE (1976) is presented by  The Free Flo Box, a Dayton nonprofit dedicated to fighting period poverty and ending the stigma surrounding menstruation. Chosen for its deep resonance with themes of shame, bodily autonomy, and the policing of young women’s bodies, CARRIE remains one of cinema’s most haunting explorations of the consequences of fear and repression. Adapted from Stephen King’s debut novel, the film follows Carrie White, a shy and ostracized teenager whose telekinetic powers erupt after years of bullying and cruelty—culminating in one of horror’s most iconic climaxes.
Join us at  THE NEON for an unforgettable evening where the horror of stigma—on screen and off—takes center stage. Proceeds from this screening will go directly toward The Free Flo Box, ensuring access to essential products and fighting period poverty in our community.
Tickets $12.50 each.

THU, OCT 23  | 7:30

WELCOME TO RAP CAMPP

"What happens when you throw some of the region’s most hungry emcees and producers into a camp-style grind session for one weekend with one goal: make something dope and do it together? RAP CAMPP is a love letter to hip-hop, community, and the Dayton scene that raised us. This ain’t just about bars. It’s about building something out of nothing, holding the mic for the next voice, and doing it with people who care about the culture. Come see the highs, the laughs, the freestyles, and the real moments that made this weekend unforgettable. Shot by City of Gems. Made by and for the city."
Tickets are $10 each.

TUE, OCT 28 | 8:00

UD SLASHER NIGHT 2025

Slasher Night 4 at THE NEON—hosted by Bryan Bardine and Chris Burnside from the UD English Department returns on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 7:30. This year we open with TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL, directed by Eli Craig, starring Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine. The evening will conclude after a short break with John Carpenter’s classic HALLOWEEN, starring Jamie Lee Curtis in her first major role.  The festivities begin at 7:30 and the cost is $20 for both films, so you get two for the price of one.  This is the first time we have had a horror comedy for Slasher Night, and while it is certainly comedic, Tucker and Dale doesn’t skimp on the gore. It should be a scary good night!

THU, OCT 30 | 7:30

Thank you for all of your support,
Jonathan

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 17 – THURSDAY, SEPT 25:

THE ROSES (R) 1 Hr 45 Min
Wednesday (Sept. 17): 2:50, 7:20
Thursday (Sept. 18): 2:50
FINAL DAY - SEPT 18!

TWINLESS (R) 1 Hr 40 Min
Wednesday & Thursday (Sept. 17 & 18): 5:10
FINAL DAY - SEPT 18!

DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE (PG) 2 Hrs 3 Min
Wednesday (Sept. 17): 2:10, 4:50, 7:30
Thursday (Sept. 18): 2:10, 4:50, 7:45
Friday & Saturday (Sept 19 & 20): 11:30, 2:10, 4:50, 7:30
Sunday (Sept 21): 12:00, 2:10, 4:50, 7:30
Monday & Tuesday (Sept 22 & 23): 2:10, 4:50, 7:30
Wednesday (Sept 24): 2:10, 4:50, 7:45
Thursday (Sept 25): 2:10, 4:50

Cult Movie Night: LITTLE MONSTERS (PG) 1 Hr 40 Min
Thursday (Sept. 18): 7:30 - SOLD OUT!

THE HISTORY OF SOUND (R) 2 Hrs 7 Min
Friday (Sept 19): 11:20, 2:00, 4:40, 7:20
Saturday (Sept 20): 2:00, 4:40, 7:20
Sunday (Sept 21): 2:30, 5:10, 7:50
Monday & Tuesday (Sept 22 & 23): 2:00, 4:40, 7:20
Wednesday (Sept 24): 2:00, 4:40
Thursday (Sept 25): 2:00, 4:40, 7:20

THE LAST CLASS (NR) 1 Hr 11 Min
Saturday (Sept 20): Noon

WILLIS BING DAVIS: REACH HIGH & REACH BACK (NR)
1 Hr + Discussion
Wednesday (Sept 24): 7:30

ELEANOR THE GREAT (PG-13) 1 Hr 38 Min
Thursday (Sept 25): 7:30