American indie filmmaker Whit Stillman will visit Oxford’s Ultimate Picture Palace on 31 July for a rare 35mm screening of his acclaimed debut, Metropolitan (1990), followed by a special audience Q&A.
The event is presented in association with Lost Reels, a cinema project dedicated to reviving unavailable or forgotten films, often on celluloid.
Starring Carolyn Farina, Edward Clements, Chris Eigeman, and Taylor Nichols, Metropolitan is a witty and sharply observed tale of upper-class Manhattan debutantes and the outsider who unexpectedly infiltrates their circle.
The film follows Clements’ character, a working-class Princeton student, as he navigates the high-society soirées of New York’s “urban haute bourgeoisie” with disarming honesty and social awkwardness.
The screening will showcase a rare 35mm print struck for the film’s 20th anniversary at Sundance in 2010, which has only been shown a handful of times in the UK.
The filming will be followed by an audience Q&A with Stillman, offering the audience a unique opportunity to hear directly from the writer-director whose intelligent, literate dialogue and understated humour helped define a generation of American independent cinema.
Metropolitan was a surprise hit upon release and went on to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Beneath its polished surface and ironic wit lies a sensitive exploration of class, identity, and the anxieties of young adulthood — qualities that have helped the film endure more than three decades on.
Tickets are available now via the Ultimate Picture Palace website.
Tucked away on Oxford’s Cowley Road, the Ultimate Picture Palace (UPP) is the city’s only independent cinema and a cherished local landmark.
Housed in a Grade II listed building dating back to 1911, the UPP exudes character with its distinctive art deco façade and single-screen auditorium. Inside, cinemagoers will find velvet seats, locally sourced refreshments, and a lovingly curated programme that champions independent, international, classic, and cult films.
Run as a community-owned cinema since 2022, the UPP has a loyal following and a proud tradition of celebrating the rich diversity of film culture. Alongside new releases, the cinema regularly hosts themed seasons, director retrospectives, and special events, often featuring live Q&As or introductions.
For film lovers in Oxford, it remains a vital cultural hub where great cinema lives and breathes — on screen and off.
