The Liberty Arts Commission, in partnership with B&B Theatres and Visit Liberty, is bringing a brand-new film festival event to the KC area! Mark your calendar for Shadows & Secrets: A Film Noir Festival on Friday, Jan. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025!
The festival will showcase two classic noir films from the 1940s and 1950s, “Sunset Boulevard” and “The Big Sleep” and two neo-noir films from 2005, “Brick” and “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” Guests can expect film introductions, live music performances and retro-themed cocktails at Johnnie’s Jazz Bar & Grille after the films on Saturday night (located inside B&B Theatre). Immerse yourself in the gritty world of film noir, where the lines between good and evil blur and the shadows hide secrets waiting to be uncovered.
Festival Schedule
Friday, Jan. 24
6:30 p.m. – “Sunset Boulevard” ”Sunset Boulevard” is a 1950 film featuring Gloria Swanson as a faded silent film star, Norma Desmond, and William Holden as a struggling screenwriter, Joe Gillis. The film is an exploration of Hollywood’s obsession with fame, blending film noir and satire to critique the movie industry’s treatment of aging stars. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards.
9 p.m. – “Brick” ”Brick” is a 2005 neo-noir mystery thriller set in a high school where a teenage loner, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, investigates the murder of his ex-girlfriend. To do this, he must infiltrate the high school cliques he previously avoided. The film blends classic noir elements in a modern setting.
Saturday, Jan. 25
4 p.m. – “The Big Sleep” ”The Big Sleep” is a 1946 film noir starring Humphrey Bogart as private detective Philip Marlowe, and Lauren Bacall as Vivian Rutledge. Marlow finds himself in a web of love triangles, blackmail, murder, gambling and organized crime. The film is known for its complex plot, sharp dialogue, and on-screen chemistry between Bogart and Bacall.
7 p.m. – “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” is a 2005 dark comedy starring Robert Downey Jr. as a two-bit thief who literally stumbles into an audition for a detective role while on the run from the police. Val Kilmer stars as the private detective tasked with training him for the role. The film is a parody that combines sharp wit, fast- paced dialogue, humor and mystery with a modern twist.
Tickets
Tickets are $20 and include access to all four movie screenings! The first 100 tickets sold will come with a free VIP goodie bag filled with a custom Yeti Rambler 10oz cup and a variety of other Shadows & Secrets swag.
Purchase your tickets online today »
After Party
After the second movie on Saturday night, join the Arts Commission for some live jazz music and themed cocktails at Johnnie’s Jazz Bar & Grill (located inside B&B Theatres)! Reserve a table for $10 when you buy your festival tickets and you’ll get that $10 back as a gift card to use at the event. Reservations must be made by Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. and can be made when purchasing your tickets »
We’ll see you in the shadows!
