Three Days of Rare Screenings and Tributes to Rudolph Valentino and F.W. Murnau
Step back in time and experience the magic of early Hollywood at the Newhallywood Silent Film Festival, taking place Friday, May 22 through Sunday, May 24, at the Newhall Family Theatre (24607 Walnut Street) and The MAIN (24266 Main Street) in Old Town Newhall. This three-day festival pays tribute to the pioneers of silent cinema, celebrates film preservation and highlights Santa Clarita’s rich ties to Hollywood’s earliest days. This year’s festival shines a spotlight on two giants of silent film history, Rudolph Valentino and F.W. Murnau, with special centennial celebration screenings and official induction ceremonies into the Newhallywood Silent Film Hall of Fame.
On Friday, May 22, the Newhallywood Silent Film Festival will kick off at 8:00 p.m. at the Newhall Family Theatre with a special Centennial screening of F.W. Murnau’s Faust (1926) and the induction of Murnau into the Newhallywood Silent Film Hall of Fame, followed by the presentation of two prestigious awards: the Marc Wanamaker Film Pioneer Award, honoring early cinema trailblazers the Lumière Brothers, and the John Bengtson Hollywood Preservation Award, honoring the legacy of film historian John Bengtson, who sadly passed away earlier this year. The evening will conclude at The MAIN with a Silent Screams screening of Murnau’s most famous film, Nosferatu (1922), at 11:00 p.m.
On Saturday, May 23, at 10:00 a.m., guests are invited to join film historian, author and official tour guide Karie Bible for a guided tour of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the final resting place of Rudolph Valentino, who died in 1926. Then, at 4:00 p.m., back at the Newhall Family Theatre, there will be a screening of Valentino’s Blood and Sand (1922). The screening will be followed by his induction into the Hall of Fame and a Centennial screening of The Son of the Sheik (1926), starting at 8:00 p.m. Karie Bible will join the screening to share about the life of Valentino and her role as the Lady in Black. Once again, as soon as it gets dark, Silent Screams takes over the MAIN beginning at 11:00 p.m. with a Centennial screening of Teinosuke Kinugasa’s A Page in Madness (1926).
On Sunday, May 24, the festival continues at the Newhall Family Theatre at 1:00 p.m. with the Centennial screening of the oldest surviving animation feature film, Lotte Reiniger’s The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926). At 4:00 p.m., F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans will be screened. It was one of the two films awarded best picture at the first Academy Awards in 1929. Wrapping up the festival at 8:00 p.m. will be the 50th Anniversary screening of Mel Brooks’ Silent Movie (1976).
Throughout the weekend, audiences will have the chance to explore Santa Clarita’s silent film heritage and celebrate some of the greatest cinematic achievements of the 20th century for free. Whether you’re a lifelong cinephile or new to the wonders of silent film, the Newhallywood Silent Film Festival promises an unforgettable weekend of classic films, live music, historical insights and special guest appearances. For a complete schedule of screenings and events, please visit NewhallywoodFilmFest.org.
