OIFF Classics Series 2026: Films on Film | A free winter film series exploring movies about the making of movies

Submitted by Donna Laslo, OIFF co-director and producer.

The Orcas Island Film Festival proudly announces the 2026 OIFF Classics Series, themed Films on Film, a five-week journey through cinema that turns the camera on itself. Now in its sixth year, the beloved winter series returns to the Orcas Center, hosted by longtime OIFF collaborator and film series curator Michael Yeaman.

This year’s theme explores how filmmakers have portrayed their own craft — capturing the artistry, chaos, ego, humor and sheer determination behind making movies. From silent comedy to Hollywood satire, European surrealism, documentary discovery and high-stakes filmmaking drama, Films on Film offers a rich and entertaining look at the industry examining itself.

“Turning the camera inward has fascinated filmmakers since the earliest days of cinema,” says Yeaman. “Seeing how imaginary worlds are conceived, scripted, shot, and sometimes barely survive the process can be as compelling as any fictional story.”

The series opens with Buster Keaton’s silent masterpiece “The Cameraman” (1929) — often cited as one of the greatest comedies ever made — and continues through a lineup that spans nearly a century of filmmaking history:

• Jan. 11: “The Cameraman” (1929).

• Jan. 18: Robert Altman’s “The Player” (1992), a sharp and satirical Hollywood takedown.

• Jan. 25: Federico Fellini’s “8½” (1963), the iconic and surreal meditation on creativity and doubt.

• Feb. 1: “Dawson City: Frozen Time” (2016), a remarkable documentary about the discovery of long-lost silent films and the fragility of early cinema

• Feb. 8: “The Stunt Man” (1980), featuring Peter O’Toole in unforgettable form as a dangerously obsessive director.

Each screening will include a brief introduction and a post-film discussion led by Yeaman. Audience favorites return as well — including classic-themed swag giveaways, with hats and coffee cups awarded to a lucky attendee at each screening. Films on Film promises a smart, entertaining tour through the ways the movie industry has portrayed — and poked fun at — itself.

Thanks to the generosity of David Dotlich and Doug Elwood, this program is free to the public. Bring your favorite food and drink, and join us for an afternoon of cinema, conversation and community.