Global Film Festival Connects with New Audiences On Screen and at New Venues
Following a successful 16th season that reached new global audiences, the Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF)’s 2025/26 pre-season features theatrical releases of E.1027: Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea and Ada – My Mother the Architect at cinemas across the U.S. Additionally, ADFF is partnering with BigTown Gallery in Rochester, Vermont, on a three-part summer series that combines film screenings with live talks and community dinners.
ADFF’s spring and summer activations continue the festival’s mission to present thoughtfully curated films recognized for their cinematic quality and capacity to inspire dialogue across experiences and disciplines. The presentations explore sustainability, artistic innovation and legacy, community impact, and the power of the built environment.
“Outside of ADFF, it is rare for films centered on architecture and design to reach theaters,” said Kyle Bergman, Architecture & Design Film Festival Founder and Director. “That is why it is so rewarding to support the theatrical release of two very special films, E.1027: Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea and Ada – My Mother the Architect. For our pre-season, we have also partnered with BigTown Gallery to create a series that brings people together through film, conversation, and community.”
Detailed information about films and tickets is available at adfilmfest.com.
THEATRICAL RELEASES
E.1027: Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea will screen at theaters in New York, New Jersey, and Los Angeles. The film, directed by Beatrice Minger, offers a portrait of the pioneering modernist architect and designer. Select screenings will include Q&As with Minger and invited guests.
New York, NY (IFC Center): May 16–22
Q&As on May 16 and 17 at 7:30 PM with Minger and ADFF Founder and Director Kyle Bergman
Princeton, NJ (The Roxy Theater): May 19 at 7:30 PM
Special event and conversation with Minger and political theorist Jan-Werner Müller
Los Angeles, CA (Laemmle Theatres):
Laemmle Glendale: May 20, 7:30 PM | Q&A with Minger and Jale Yoldas
Royal Laemmle: May 22–29, 4:30 PM | Q&A with Minger and Frances Anderton on May 22 at 7:30 PM
Ada – My Mother the Architect, directed by Yael Melamede, is a personal documentary about her mother, Israeli architect Ada Karmi-Melamede. The film will screen in:
New York, NY (Angelika Film Center): Through May 15
Los Angeles, CA (Laemmle Theatres): May 15–18
San Francisco, CA (Roxie Theater): May 18
BIGTOWN GALLERY: SUMMER SERIES
In collaboration with BigTown Gallery, ADFF will host three Saturday events in Rochester, Vermont. Each program will include a screening, a related talk, and a shared community meal.
Community Building: June 28, 3:00–9:00 PM
Film: Strange & Familiar: Architecture on Fogo Island
Talk: April Surgent on her residency at the Pearl & Hermes Atoll
Dinner: On-site community meal
Rebuilding: August 2, 3:00–9:00 PM
Film: Frank Gehry: Building Justice
Talk: Theresa Betancourt on post-conflict resilience
Dinner: Pizza by Vermont-based Chef PJ Lauriello
Sustainability: August 30, 3:00–9:00 PM
Film: Beyond Zero
Talk: Environmentalist Bill McKibben on climate action
Dinner: Curated by food historian Paula Marcoux
About the Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF)
Founded in 2009, the Architecture & Design Film Festival celebrates the creative spirit that drives architecture and design. Through a curated selection of films, events, and panel discussions, ADFF creates an opportunity to educate, entertain, and engage all types of people who are excited about architecture and design. It has grown into the world’s largest film festival devoted to the subject with an annual festival in New York and satellite events around the world. For more information, visit adfilmfest.com or @adfilmfest on Instagram and Facebook.