‘Christmas Story’ at Orpheum; Cinematheque salutes the ‘Garys’

The Los Angeles Conservancy is ringing in the holidays Sunday afternoon at the Orpheum Theater downtown with a screening of the beloved 1983 Yuletide comedy “A Christmas Story,” starring Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon. (Billingsley is executive producing “A Christmas Story: A Musical,” currently on Broadway) https://laconservancy.org

In observance of World AIDS Day the American Cinematheque will celebrate the legacy of “The Garys” -- Gary Essert and Gary Abrahams -- Tuesday evening at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood with a screening of Randal Kleiser’s 1996 drama “It’s My Party.”

Essert and Abrahams, who were longtime companions, founded Filmex, the Los Angeles International Film Exposition, and the American Cinematheque. They died within a month of each other in 1992 of complications of AIDS.

Eric Roberts stars in “It’s My Party” as a man who, after learning he has a short time to live, throws one final party. Gregory Harrison plays his estranged lover.

Schedules permitting, Kleiser, Harrison and Roberts are to discuss the film after the screening.

The Cinematheque’s “American Virtuoso: An In-Person Tribute to Richard Gere” has the actor appearing Friday evening at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica with a screening of his latest film, “Arbitrage.” Later in the evening, there will be a special free screening of a pristine archival print of his 1982 hit “An Officer and a Gentlemen.”

Robert Zemeckis is also scheduled to discuss his latest movie, “Flight,” Sunday at the Aero as part of the “Who Framed Smart Entertainment: A Tribute to Robert Zemeckis.” The second bill is a free screening of his acclaimed 2000 drama “Cast Away,” featuring Tom Hanks in his Oscar-nominated role. https://www.americancinematheque.com

The Arpa International Film Festival, which takes places Thursday through Sunday at the Egyptian Theatre, opens with the comedy “Lost & Found in Armenia,” starring Jamie Kennedy. For more information go to https://www.affma.org

The UCLA Film & Television Archive opens its tribute to Oscar-winning Czech director Milos Forman -- “Four by Forman” -- Saturday evening at the Billy Wilder Theater with his first feature, 1964’s “Audition,” and his second film from that year, “Black Peter.”

The archive’s “That Signature Style: The Films of Mitchell Leisen” continues Friday at the Wilder with his acclaimed 1941 drama “Hold Back the Dawn,” with Charles Boyer and Olivia de Havilland, and the 1937 comedy “Swing High, Swing Low,” with Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray. https://www.cinema.ucla.edu

The New Beverly Cinema on Thursday evening presents two early Akira Kurosawa films -- the 1950 masterwork “Rashomon” and 1948’s “Drunken Angel.”

The UCLA student chapter of the American Assn. of Moving Image Archivists’ presents the 1934 Howard Hawks’ screwball comedy “Twentieth Century,” with Carole Lombard and John Barrymore, and John Hughes’ 1987 hit, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” with Steve Martin and John Candy, on Friday evening. https://www.newbevcinema.com

Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre has been screening Leos Carax’s latest film, “Holy Motors,” the past week. On Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, Cinefamily will also be showing some of the filmmaker’s rarely seen other films. Screening Thursday is his 1999 “Pola X,” with Guillaume Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve. Set for Saturday is his debut feature, 1984’s “Boy Meets Girl,” followed Sunday by 1986’s “Mauvais Sang,” with Juliette Binoche, Julie Delpy and Michel Piccoli. https://www.cinefamily.org

The Los Angeles Filmforum presents “Empty Quarter,” a 2011 film about southeast Oregon, by Alain LeTourneau and Pam Minty, Sunday at the Spielberg Theatre at the Egyptian. https://www.lafilmforum.org

The New Beverly is hosting the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, Monday-Wednesday. It features new narrative films, documentaries, shorts and videos made by filmmakers who work outside the studio system. https://hollywoodreelindependentfilmdfestival.com

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Tuesday matinee presentation at the Leo S. Bing Theater is the snappy 1954 film noir “Pushover,” with Fred MacMurray and Kim Novak in her starring debut. https://www.lacma.org

And Frank Capra’s renowned political drama, 1939’s “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” starring Jimmy Stewart, screens for free Tuesday at the Skirball. https://www.skirball.org

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