The UCLA Film & Television Archive’s annual Celebration of Iranian Cinema returns to the Hammer Museum, screening Iranian films over three weekends in June 2026, starting with the Canadian drama *Mortician*. The Hammer also hosts a lunchtime art talk on Edgar Calel’s installation, a Bloomsday celebration of James Joyce’s *Ulysses*, and a screening of *Like Water for Chocolate* as part of a Food and Film series. Additionally, the Geffen Playhouse presents the Los Angeles premiere of *Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous*, a new comedy by Pearl Cleage and LaTanya Richardson Jackson about an aging actress.
This article matters because it highlights the Hammer Museum’s role as a vibrant cultural hub offering free, community-oriented programming that spans cinema, visual art, literature, and theater. The inclusion of Indigenous artist Edgar Calel and the Celebration of Iranian Cinema underscores the museum’s commitment to diverse, underrepresented voices in the arts, while the Bloomsday and Food and Film events demonstrate how institutions can engage broad audiences through interdisciplinary, accessible experiences.