Film Fanatic Movie Nights is a series of communal film experiences designed to stimulate the senses, feed the mind, and dazzle the eyes. Each film event is presented by a film fanatic curator who introduces the film, sets the stage with background and insight, and sometimes leads an informal discussion afterward. Whether you come as a viewer, a movie buff, or a full-on fanatic — you're among friends here.
Next free public screening
Homage to Cinema
The Astronomer’s Dream (France 1898 • 3 min • 1.37:1)
Le Voyage à travers l’impossible (France 1904 • 24 min • 1.37:1)
Le Compositeur toqué (France 1905 • 5 min • 1.37:1)
Directed by: Georges Méliès
Presented by: Rachel Storm and Arthouse 217
Friday, June 26, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Venue: Old Tiernan's Hall • Downtown Urbana
Location: 115 Main Building - 3rd Floor (enter through the door just east of Encanto’s, then take the elevator to the 3rd floor)
Reception: 5:30–7pm (art viewing and complimentary hors d’oeuvres)
Free admission
About the event
Join us for an evening of film, music, and conversation at the historic Old Tiernan’s Hall, a former 19th-century theater in downtown Urbana. Homage to Cinema features a screening of three Georges Méliès silent short films, accompanied by a live, improvised score by the Nu Orbit Ensemble.
The evening begins with a reception from 5:30–7pm, featuring visual art, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and an opportunity to connect with fellow film, art, and music enthusiasts. The screening and live performance begin at 7pm, following brief remarks. This program offers a chance to experience silent cinema in a contemporary context, where live music and moving image come together in a shared, one-of-a-kind performance.
Content note: Contains silent-era fantasy imagery and slapstick violence.
Long before Hollywood learned how to dream, French filmmaker and magician Georges Méliès was already sending audiences to the moon, conjuring impossible worlds, and transforming cinema into pure visual wonder. Famous for leading many technical and narrative developments in the earliest days of cinema, Méliès combined theatrical illusion, handmade special effects, painted sets, and boundless imagination helping invent the language of fantasy and science fiction on screen. His films often involve strange, surreal journeys somewhat in the style of Jules Verne, and are considered among the most important early science fiction films. More than a century later, his films remain playful, surreal, funny, and astonishingly inventive — reminders that movies were born not from realism, but from magic.
About Nu Orbit Ensemble
Founded in 2002 by percussionist and composer Jason Finkelman, the Nu Orbit Ensemble explores the fertile ground between cross-cultural jazz, experimental composition, and live improvisation. Drawing on traditions from around the world while remaining rooted in the spontaneity of jazz, the ensemble creates immersive performances that are as cinematic as they are musical. Rather than performing a fixed composition, the ensemble responds intuitively to the images on screen, shaping a dynamic score in real time. The result is a living dialogue between film and music — part concert, part cinematic experience — where no two performances are ever exactly alike. Relaunched in 2026, the ensemble brings together Michael Linder (drumset, synthesizers), Louie Pappas (saxophones, flutes), Dimitri Glaros (keyboard, oud, viola), and Finkelman (berimbau, congas, percussion). Together, the group crafts a richly textured sonic landscape that shifts fluidly between rhythm, melody, atmosphere, and abstraction. Photo: Natalie Fiol
About Old Tiernan’s Hall
Originally known as “Tiernan’s Block,” Old Tiernan’s Hall stands as one of downtown Urbana’s oldest and most storied buildings. Constructed in the late nineteenth century by grocer Frank Tiernan, the building followed the classic mixed-use “block” design of its era, with a bustling storefront at street level and offices and gathering spaces above. Its remarkably preserved third-floor hall once served as one of Urbana’s premier opera houses, hosting performances and community events during the city’s cultural boom years before later becoming home to Urbana Masonic Lodge No. 157 for nearly a century. In 1914, noted architect J. W. Royer — whose work helped define much of Urbana’s civic landscape — redesigned the building with its elegant Classical Revival façade, incorporating rare terra cotta detailing seldom seen in central Illinois. Today, Old Tiernan’s Hall remains a living piece of Urbana history: a beautifully preserved historic space where art, performance, and community continue to gather more than a century after its doors first opened.
Presented by Rachel Storm
Rachel Lauren Storm is an arts and culture advocate with over 20 years of experience in creative community engagement in Urbana-Champaign. She has worked extensively across various disciplines, including film, visual arts, and live performances, contributing to the development of arts programming, curating exhibitions, and fostering collaboration among local artists and organizations. Rachel founded and led the Annual Feminist Film Festival for over 8 years and has coordinated numerous film screenings and arts programs in the region. As the former Arts and Culture Coordinator for the City of Urbana, Rachel launched the Cinema and Sound Film Series, combining film screenings with live music performances. She has also served as a panelist and judge for the Illinifest Film Festival, a past discussant for the Arthouse Experience at the Virginia Theater, and contributed to the Interdependent Film Festival. Currently, Rachel is the Assistant Director of Community Engagement and Learning at Krannert Art Museum and Vice-President of the Champaign County Museum Network.
Arthouse 217 celebrates and revitalizes independent and arthouse cinema in Urbana-Champaign, fostering community connection through thoughtfully curated film experiences. Drawing on the legacy of Ebertfest, the historic Art Theater, and the Virginia Theatre, the series invites both longtime cinephiles and new audiences to engage with films that extend beyond entertainment — offering space for creativity, reflection, and shared dialogue. Arthouse 217 also reimagines how films are experienced, presenting interdisciplinary and immersive programs that pair cinema with live music, visual art, and social gathering — creating dynamic, participatory events unlike traditional screenings.
Presented by Arthouse 217 together with Urbana Arts and Culture Program, R Rentals, HarshPro, Champaign County History Museum, Crash Events, and Film Fanatics Club.
Arthouse 217 celebrates and revitalizes independent and arthouse cinema in Urbana-Champaign, fostering community connection through thoughtfully curated film experiences. Drawing on the legacy of Ebertfest, the historic Art Theater, and the Virginia Theatre, the series invites both longtime cinephiles and new audiences to engage with films that extend beyond entertainment — offering space for creativity, reflection, and shared dialogue. Arthouse 217 also reimagines how films are experienced, presenting interdisciplinary and immersive programs that pair cinema with live music, visual art, and social gathering — creating dynamic, participatory events unlike traditional screenings. 
