A final frame: Matthew Bernstein’s farewell Emory Cinematheque

|

January 12th, 2026

A still from Ashes and Diamonds
A pivotal moment from “Ashes and Diamonds,” Andrzej Wajda’s postwar Polish film examining moral uncertainty in the aftermath of World War II. (Courtesy of Emory Film and Media Studies)

For more than three decades, the Emory Cinematheque has offered Atlanta audiences free, communal film screenings rooted in rigorous scholarship and shared experience. This spring, the series returns with “Matthew H. Bernstein’s Farewell Favorites,” marking the final semester at Emory University for longtime curator and professor Matthew H. Bernstein. The Spring 2026 lineup opens Jan. 14 and runs through April 22. 

Why the Emory Cinematheque exists 

Since the mid-1990s, the Emory Cinematheque has functioned as the public-facing extension of Emory’s film and media curriculum. Screenings mirror classroom practice: films are shown in full, on professional-grade formats, then unpacked through live discussion. 

Black-and-white still from Notorious showing Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman seated closely, exchanging a guarded look.
In Alfred Hitchcock’s “Notorious,” Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman navigate suspicion, romance and espionage in one of Hollywood’s defining noirs. (Courtesy of Emory Film and Media Studies)

“I’ve often thought if I wasn’t a film professor, I would want to run a movie theater,” Bernstein said. “I just love sharing films with people.” 

Related

Top Stories