Anthology Film Archives

Film Screenings / Programs / Series

TOWARDS A FORTEAN CINEMA

May 14 – May 21

May 14-21, 2026

A committed skeptic who balked at so-called facts and assumed knowledge, Charles Fort (1874-1932) was the preeminent chronicler of inexplicable natural phenomena in the early twentieth century. His books – including THE BOOK OF THE DAMNED (1919) and WILD TALENTS (1932) – collected incidents of historically strange happenings, potential paranormal activity, and possible extraterrestrial interference. The incredible range of influence Fort’s writings have exerted in the many decades since his death – from sci-fi writers and religious scholars to crackpot conspiracists and valid skeptics – is proof of our culture’s predilection for the fantastic and desire to embrace the unknown. At this point, Fort’s vivid descriptions and predictions are so deeply woven into our collective imagination that they are both common knowledge and a guide for further research.

Guest curators Peggy Ahwesh and Andrew Lampert present a sampler of favorite films and videos that both speak to Fort’s contrarian ideas and take baby steps towards addressing the unanswerable mysteries of our universe. Included are eclectic works dealing with aliens, ghosts, the cosmos, technology, magic, and other Fortean topics, as well as two popular 1980s features concerning young girls with psychic powers, or as Fort called them “wild talents,” that trigger chaos and destruction around them.

These screenings celebrate the publication of CHARLES FORT: RESEARCH, from The Further Reading Library. Edited by Lampert with Christine Burgin, and featuring an appreciation written by Peggy Ahwesh, the book presents a previously unseen array of Fort’s handwritten notes, news clippings, letters written to newspapers, and the fascinating replies that he received from readers.

Special thanks to Christine Burgin; Canyon Cinema; National Film Board of Canada; Park Circus; Sony Pictures; Universal Pictures; and Video Data Bank.

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