‘Hamnet,’ a period drama, stars Paul Mescal as the Bard and Jessie Buckley as his wife, who each give marvelous performances.
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Event to feature 20 acclaimed films
‘Is This Thing On?’ is directed by Bradley Cooper and stars Will Arnett, Laura Dern, and Andra Day.
Submitted Photo
TUNKHANNOCK — It may be cold outside, but the films are heating up. The Dietrich Theater in downtown Tunkhannock is gearing up for its beloved Winter Fest, arriving just in time for movie lovers to prepare for the Oscars. Many of the 20 acclaimed foreign, independent, and art films featured in this 21‑day festival are Oscar nominees. Running from February 20 through March 12, the festival offers plenty of time to catch the nominated films and make predictions about what this year’s Oscars may hold.
Dietrich Theater General Manager and Movie Booker Ronnie Harvey shares, “The films for Winterfest always seem like an extra special celebration due to the sheer number of accolades heaped on our choices. This year’s lineup is full of Golden Globe winners and Oscar-nominated films, Sentimental Value, Hamnet, The Secret Agent are just a few of the films vying for the night’s top prize and we have them. Some of the best performances of the year from Rose Byrne to Stellan Skarsgard to Ethan Hawke are also all present here in our festival. If you love to see thought-provoking, superbly-acted and well-made films, The Dietrich Theater and Winter Fest is the place for you.”
Winter Fest 2026 will kick off with a special Preview Day. On Thursday, February 12 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., the Dietrich Theater will screen all 20 trailers for the films featured in this year’s festival. Attendees can get a closer look at each film and decide which ones they don’t want to miss. Admission is free, and discounted concessions will be available.
Once the festival comes to an end, the fun isn’t over just yet. On Friday, March 13 at 1 p.m., attendees will have the chance to gather with fellow movie lovers to discuss and share their thoughts on the films they’ve seen. Admission is free, and all are welcome to attend.
Tickets to Winter Fest films are $8.50 each. The following are the Winter Fest movie showtimes and synopses. They are also available at DietrichTheater.com.
“Blue Moon”
Show times:
Feb. 23 at 2:30 p.m.
Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.
March 3 at 2:30 p.m.
March 7 at 9:30 p.m.
March 12 at noon p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 100 min
Language: English
Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Andrew Scott
Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon tells the story of legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) bravely facing the future as his professional and private life unravels at the opening night party for his former partner’s hit show Oklahoma! By the time this night is over, Hart will have confronted both a world that no longer values his talent and the seeming impossibility of love.
“The Choral”
Show times:
Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Feb. 22 at 5 p.m.
Feb. 24 at 2:45 p.m.
Feb. 27 at 2:15 p.m.
March 3 at noon p.m.
March 7 at 4:30 p.m.
March 12 at 5 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 113 min
Language: English
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Mark Addy, Emily Fairn
Set during World War I, The Choral follows a choral society’s male members who enlist into the war effort. This forces the choral director – played by Ralph Fiennes – to recruit the town’s boys to take their place for a performance of Elgar’s “The Dream of Gerontius”. Despite challenges and conflicts, they come together to learn the joys of singing and the power of community.
“Cover-Up”
Show times:
Feb. 23 at 4:30 p.m.
Feb. 26 at noon p.m.
March 2 at 2:30 p.m.
March 6 at 5 p.m.
March 10 at 2:30 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 117 min
Language: English
Director: Mark Obenhaus, Laura Poitras
Cover-Up is a political thriller that traces the explosive career of Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Seymour Hersh. Urgent and deeply reported, Cover-Up is both a portrait of a relentless journalist and an indictment of institutional violence and the cycles of impunity in the U.S. military and intelligence agencies. Drawing on exclusive access to Hersh’s notes, and interweaving primary documents and archival footage, Cover-Up captures the power and process of investigative journalism.
“Fackham Hall”
Show times:
Feb. 23 at 2:30 p.m.
Feb. 26 at 5 p.m.
March 1 at noon p.m.
March 5 at 7:15 p.m.
March 10 at 2:30 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 97 min
Language: English
Director: Jim O’Hanlon
Starring: Thomasin McKenzie, Ben Radcliffe, Damian Lewis
Fackham Hall is a relentlessly funny spoof of Downton Abbey and the British Aristocracy genre. When a new porter forms an odd bond with the youngest daughter of a well-known UK family, chaos ensues and the Davenport family, headed by Lord and Lady Davenport, deal with the epic disaster of the wedding of their eldest daughter to her caddish cousin. With a gleefully affectionate tone, Fackham Hall barrels through a dizzying amount of story and nonstop gags that harken back to the great comedy spoofs of all time like Airplane and The Naked Gun.
“Father Mother Sister Brother”
Show times:
Feb. 23 at noon p.m.
Feb. 26 at 7:15 p.m.
Feb. 28 at noon p.m.
March 2 at 2:15 p.m.
March 5 at 5 p.m.
March 10 at noon p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 110 min
Language: English, French, Italian
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett
Father Mother Sister Brother is a feature film, carefully constructed in the form of a triptych. The three stories all concern the relationships between adult children, their somewhat distant parents, and each other. Each of the three chapters takes place in the present, and each in a different country. Starring an ensemble cast including Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling and Cate Blanchett.
“H Is for Hawk”
Show times:
Feb. 21 at 4:30 p.m.
Feb. 23 at noon p.m.
Feb. 25 at 2:45 p.m.
March 2 at 7:15 p.m.
March 6 at 2:45 p.m.
March 9 at 5 p.m
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 114 min
Language: English
Director: Philippa Lowthorpe
Starring: Claire Foy, Brendan Gleeson, Lindsay Duncan
H Is for Hawk follows Helen, who, after the sudden death of her father, loses herself in the memories of their time birding and exploring the natural world together. She turns to the ancient art of falconry, rooted in European tradition, and starts training a wild goshawk named Mabel to navigate her profound loss. As she teaches Mabel to hunt and fly free, Helen discovers how deeply she has neglected her own emotions and life. What begins as an act of endurance transforms into an intimate journey of resilience and healing.
“Hamnet”
Show times:
Feb. 22 at noon p.m.
Feb. 24 at 7:15 p.m.
Feb. 28 at 4:30 p.m.
March 3 at 2:30 p.m.
March 5 at noon p.m.
March 7 at 7 p.m.
March 9 at noon p.m.
March 12 at 2:15 p.m.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 125 min
Language: English
Director: Chloé Zhao
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Zac Wishart
Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Actress and Best Picture Drama, Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) writes and directs this account about Shakespeare and his family. Hamnet is based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell and is set during the creation of Hamlet. But William Shakespeare is not at the forefront of the story — instead it is told from the point of view of his wife Agnes. This period drama stars Paul Mescal as the Bard and Jessie Buckley as his wife, who each give marvelous performances.
“Holding Liat”
Show times:
Feb. 21 at 2:15 p.m.
Feb. 25 at 7:15 p.m.
Feb. 28 at 2:15 p.m.
March 3 at 4:30 p.m.
March 9 at noon p.m.
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 97 min
Language: English, Hebrew
Director: Brandon Kramer
Winner of the Berlinale Documentary Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, Holding Liat follows Liat Beinin Atzili who was kidnapped on October 7th. Her Israeli-American family faces their own conflicting perspectives to fight for her release and the future of the places they call home.
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Show times:
Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m..
March 2 at noon p.m.
March 4 at 2:15 p.m.
March 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 113 min
Language: English
Director: Mary Bronstein
Starring: Rose Byrne, Conan O’Brien, Danielle Macdonald
Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Actress for a Musical or Comedy, and featuring a knockout performance from Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, follows a woman on the verge of a breakdown. With her life crashing down around her, Linda attempts to navigate her child’s mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist all while struggling with burnout and feeling powerless, embodying the intense, chaotic reality of motherhood.
“Is This Thing On?”
Show times:
Feb. 26 at 2:45 p.m.
March 2 at noon p.m.
March 6 at 7:15 p.m.
March 8 at 11:30 a.m.
March 11 at 5 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 124 min
Language: English
Director: Bradley Cooper
Starring: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day
Starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern and directed by Bradley Cooper, Is This Thing On?, follows Alex and Tess as they deal with an impending divorce. Alex takes the unraveling of his life as an opportunity to dive into standup comedy, where he uses his life experience as his comedy material. Meanwhile, his wife Tess confronts sacrifices made for their family, forcing them to navigate co-parenting and identities.
“It Was Just an Accident”
Show times:
Feb. 24 at 5 p.m.
March 1 at 7:15 p.m.
March 6 at noon p.m.
March 10 at 5 p.m.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 103 min
Language: Persian, Azerbaijani
Director: Jafar Panahi
Starring: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Aziz
Winner of the Palme ’dOr at the Cannes Film Festival and directed by legendary Iranian director Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident follows a group of former Iranian political prisoners who face the question of whether to exact revenge on a man they believe may be their tormentor. Panahi, who is critical of the Iranian government and has been imprisoned several times, made the film without official filming permission from the Iranian authorities.
“The Mastermind”
Show times:
Feb. 27 at 2:45 p.m.
March 4 at noon p.m.
March 9 at 7:15 p.m.
March 12 at 2:45 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 110 min
Language: English, French
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alana Haim, Bill Camp
Celebrated filmmaker Kelly Reichardt directs an unforgettable Josh O’Connor in The Mastermind. In a sedate Massachusetts suburb, unemployed family man and amateur art thief J.B Mooney sets out on his first heist. With the museum cased and accomplices recruited, he has an airtight plan. Or so he thinks. A brilliant look at the folly of man, The Mastermind is full of vivid details. It cleverly shows the time period in a way that challenges old beliefs and forces people to face disappointment.
“Merrily We Roll Along”
Show times:
Feb. 24 at noon p.m.
Feb. 27 at noon p.m.
March 1 at 4:30 p.m.
March 6 at 2:15 p.m.
March 8 at 7:45 p.m.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 145 min
Language: English
Director: Maria Friedman
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez
Spanning three decades, Merrily We Roll Along charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends — writer Mary and lyricist and playwright Charley. The musical features some of Stephen Sondheim’s most celebrated and personal songs. The 2023-2024 Broadway production, directed by Maria Friedman and starring Daniel Radcliffe, Johnathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez redefined the show for a new era, bringing Stephen Sondheim’s intricate score and George Furth’s book to vivid life with extraordinary depth and clarity.
“No Other Choice”
Show times:
Feb. 24 at noon p.m.
Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
March 6 at 9:30 p.m.
March 9 at 2 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 139 min
Language: Korean, English
Director: Park Chan-wook
Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Woo Seung Kim
Directed by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy), No Other Choice follows a man who is abruptly laid off by the paper company where he has worked tirelessly for many years. He grows increasingly desperate in his job hunt and decides that his only form of recourse is to kill off his competition to be assured of the job he seeks to maintain his way of life.
“Nuremberg”
Show times:
Feb. 22 at 7:15 p.m.
Feb. 26 at noon p.m.
March 2 at 4:30 p.m.
March 5 at noon p.m.
March 8 at 5 p.m.
March 12 at noon p.m.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 148 min
Language: English, German
Director: James Vanderbilt
Starring: Rami Malek, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon
Nuremberg is a finely tuned post-WWII historical drama that follows a U.S. Army psychiatrist played by Academy Award winner Rami Malek, as he investigates the mental status of a high-ranking Nazi officer played by Russell Crowe, in preparation for the Nuremberg trials. This
thought-provoking psychological thriller is well paced with complex and commanding performances from both Crowe and Malek.
“A Private Life”
Show times:
Feb. 21 at noon p.m.
Feb. 25 at 5 p.m.
Feb. 27 at noon p.m.
March 3 at 7 p.m.
March 10 at noon p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 103 min
Language: French, English
Director: Rebecca Zlotowski
Starring: Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira
A Private Life follows Lilian Steiner, a renowned psychiatrist portrayed by Academy Award winner Jodie Foster, who becomes deeply troubled by the sudden death of one of her patients. Convinced that her patient was murdered, she embarks on a personal investigation that leads her into a complex web of intrigue and self-discovery. The narrative blends elements of suspense and
dark comedy, exploring themes of psychoanalysis and personal relationships.
“Rental Family”
Show times:
Feb. 20 at 9:30 p.m.
Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.
Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m.
Feb. 28 at 9:15 p.m.
March 3 at noon p.m.
March 5 at 2:30 p.m.
March 7 at 2:30 p.m.
March 12 at 7:15 p.m.
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 110 min
Language: English, Japanese
Director: Hikari
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto
A gig playing “Sad American” at an actual funeral leads a washed-up actor (Brendan Fraser) in Tokyo to a job with a “rental family” agency, staging scenarios that allow clients to work through their personal challenges. But when a job requires him to pose as an absentee father reconnecting with his young daughter, genuine bonds begin to form, blurring the lines between performance and reality. Rental Family is a sweet natured dramedy that reaffirms the significance of human connection.
“The Secret Agent”
Show times:
Feb. 21 at 9:30 p.m.
March 4 at 4:30 p.m.
March 6 at 11:45 a.m.
March 8 at 2 p.m.
March 10 at 7:15 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 161 min
Language: Portuguese, German, English
Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Starring: Wagner Moura, Udo Kier, Maria Fernanda Cândido
Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Actor and Best Foreign Language Film, and winner of Best Director and Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival, The Secret Agent is a neo-noir political thriller set in 1977 Brazil starring Wagner Moura and Udo Kier in his final film performance. The film follows a former professor returning to Brazil during the final years of the military dictatorship, only to be drawn into a tense web of political danger, personal ghosts, and hired killers.
“Sentimental Value”
Show times:
Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.
Feb. 25 at noon p.m.
Feb. 27 at 4:30 p.m.
March 1 at 2 p.m.
March 5 at 2:45 p.m.
March 9 at 2:30 p.m.
March 11 at noon p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 133 min
Language: Norwegian, English, French
Director: Joachim Trier
Starring: Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning
Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama and winner of the Grand Prix at this past year’s Cannes Film Festival, Sentimental Value tells the story of Nora, a gifted
stage actress who along with her sister were both raised by their single mother after their once acclaimed filmmaker father leaves. Now reentering their life as adults, their father attempts
to cast Nora in his comeback film which opens old wounds. From the writer-director of The Worst Person in the World, Joachim Trier’s latest is a daring exploration of family dynamics,
the past, and the power of art.
“The Testament of Ann Lee”
Show times:
Feb. 24 at 2:45 p.m.
Feb. 27 at 9:30 p.m.
March 4 at 7:30 p.m.
March 7 at noon p.m.
March 11 at 2:30 p.m.
Rated: R
Runtime: 137 min
Language: English
Director: Mona Fastvold
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie
From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold, The Testament of Ann Lee is the extraordinary true story of the founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shaker’s irrepressible leader, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers. The Testament of Ann Lee captures the ecstasy and agony of her quest to build a utopia, featuring more than a dozen traditional Shaker hymns with original songs & score by Academy Award winner Daniel Blumberg.
