Circus Cinema - Hybrid Film Talk

This class examines movies that translate the world of the circus from the Big Top to the Silver Screen. By looking at three eras of “circus cinema” (pre-1950s, the 1950s, and post-2000s), circus studies scholar and film lover Dr. Stevi Costa will trace the aesthetic focus on circus stories in these eras of cinematic history and discuss the social and cultural significance of the American circus. Through films like Freaks (1932), Nightmare Alley (1947), The Greatest Show on Earth (1952, screening at the SIFF Film Center on March 1), The Big Circus (1959), Water for Elephants (2011), and The Greatest Showman (2017), you’ll learn why the circus looms large in the American cultural and cinematic imagination.

This SIFF Film Talk will be presented in person at the SIFF Film Center and livestreamed via Zoom. Purchase a ticket below for either in-person attendance at the Film Center or for livestream access.