The festival marks the reopening of the Nuart Theatre.

With the historic Los Angeles-based Nuart Theatre slated to reopen after renovation, the first-ever Nuart Festival has been set to celebrate the venue's long-held position as a landmark of cinema. The 10-day event will feature a slew of screenings, previews, and special appearances to usher the oldest theater in Landmark's chain back into operation. It all kicks off on October 21 with a fitting advance screening of Sam Mendes's ode to the cinema Empire of Light and runs through October 30.

Mendes' latest leads things off with a romantic tale set against the backdrop of a beautiful old theater in an early 80s English seaside town. Exploring the human connection and the magic of cinema to bring people together, it's the perfect message to send for what the festival is all about. The Nuart Theatre first opened in 1930 as a simple, single-screen that would eventually go on to host a wide array of films including a number of world premieres. It was the first theater acquired by Landmark in 1974, known for exclusive screenings of independent films and cult classics from around the world as well as more unique engagements like film retrospectives, restorations, shadow cast performances, and filmmaker appearances. The fest is all about honoring that legacy and the connection it had to viewers and creatives over the years.

Many of the other screenings for Nuart Fest as such will be films that "made midnight movie history at Nuart." Following Empire of Light will be the John Waters film Pink Flamingos on October 22 complete with drag bingo and an appearance from star Mink Stole while The Civil Dead screens on Sunday, October 23. The theater will also play host to the 2022 Slam Dance Screenplay Awards on Sunday before the screening. Other films that'll appear throughout the festival include other Nuart favorites like Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon, David Lynch's Eraserhead, Real Life, The Decline of Western Civilization Part III, and, of course, The Rocky Horror Picture Show which Nuart would do shadow casts of. The closing night program is still to be announced.

RELATED: New 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' Poster Draws Inspiration From Queen

The other big advanced screening will be Eric Appel's Weird: The Al Yankovic Story on October 27. Comedic in nature, the mockumentary follows the totally real meteoric rise of the parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic thanks to his massive hits like "Eat It" and "Like a Surgeon." Filled with stories of his high-profile love affairs, including a fling with Madonna, and his famously depraved lifestyle, it sheds a whole new light on an iconic artist. Nuart's showing is co-presented by Film Independent and, to talk about the film, Appel himself will be attending the festivities.

As for the other guests that'll be there in person, the festival will see directors Penelope Spheeris (The Decline Of Western Civilization Part III) and Clay Tatum and Whitmer Thomas (The Civil Dead), screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, and the shadow cast, Sins O’ The Flesh arrive to celebrate the reopening. Landmark Theatres’ President Kevin Hay released an official statement regarding how important the celebration is to honoring Nuart's history, saying:

Landmark’s inaugural Nuart Fest is a celebration of the theatre’s historical significance as a rite of passage for Los Angeles moviegoers and creatives. The theatre’s renovation is a testament to its ongoing importance as a pillar within the community. With the support of our partners in distribution and allies in independent cinema, we’re positioned to not only welcome back its audience, but also introduce new guests to the Nuart’s enduring impact on cinema culture.

The Inaugural Nuart Fest will run from October 21 through 31. Tickets are available for purchase at Landmark's website.

Ryan O'Rourke is a senior news writer for Collider and lifelong gamer. A diehard Cubs fan, he contributes to a FanSided blog on the side and can be found glued to a baseball game or his Switch during his spare time.

Sign up for Collider's newsletter for exclusive news, features, streaming recommendations and more