You (probably) Haven't Seen This Before (YPHSTB) is a screening series that presents rare and unique archival films focused on underrepresented narratives and motion-picture practices that push on and expand what is considered "cinema." Expect work that falls outside Hollywood tropes, outside mainstream commercial expectations, and outside conventional filmmaking: home movies, discarded outtakes, science films, television commercials, experimental animation, and documentary, much of it unseen for decades.
Many of these films center communities and histories traditionally left at the margins, elevating voices from rural Appalachia to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to the South Side of Chicago. Others reveal the artistic range of the medium itself.
To keep audiences open-minded and free of preconceptions, we don't share film descriptions in advance. Come based on the announced theme and the promise that what you see will be genuinely unfamiliar. Trust us: you (probably) haven't seen these films before.
Screenings are free and open to the public in the IULMIA Screening Room (Rm 048), on the lower level of Herman B Wells Library. Advanced registration is encouraged and appreciated!
