The Sprocket Society seeks to cultivate a love for mechanical cinema and its arts, sciences, and history.
Since 2008, we have been producing movie screenings in the Seattle area — always on film, never video. We also provide analog projection support for other local cinema groups and artists.
Our programming spans the entire history of cinema, from its origins in 1894 to the present day, and reflects the breadth of its artistry. Dramas, comedies, B-movies and genre flicks, cartoons, documentaries, experimental and avant garde works, musicals, and more have appeared on our screens.
Learn more about our past film screenings, download free program booklets, and browse our poster gallery. You can also learn about film preservation and help support it around the world.
To receive announcements of upcoming events subscribe to our email list by inquiring at sprocketsociety [at] gmail [dot] com. We are also on Instagram and Facebook.
Programs by The Sprocket Society have included:
- 16mm Centennial Film Jam — A marathon celebration of 100 years of 16mm film, with shorts of every description from 1900 through the 1970s.
- Secret Matinee Series — An annual series with weekly episodes of a movie serial (shown complete and in order) plus secret classic features.
- Talking Pictures: The Birth of Sound Cinema, 1895-1929 — Rare short films tracing the evolution of sound cinema.
- Danger!! Scare Films on 16mm — Rare prints of some of the most warped, heavy-handed, and infamous “educational” films ever made.
- The Heart of Life — Robert Enrico's stunning trilogy of award-winning short films based on stories by Ambrose Bierce.
- Film Dada: Cinema of the Bearded Heart — Groundbreaking experimental shorts with live accompaniment.
- Frankenstein's 200th Birthday Party — A Franken-rific double feature plus a live appearance by The Monster himself.
- Silent Magic: Trick Films and Special Effects, 1895-1912 — Pioneering special effects epics from around the world.
- First Light: The Birth of Cinema 1895-1901 — Pioneering films from France, Britain, and the USA. Plus short documentaries about magic lanterns and the Library of Congress paper print collection.
- Breakaway: Films by Bruce Conner, 1958-2004 — Brilliant and influential experimental works made primarily with found footage.
And much more! Learn more about our past screenings.