The Big Dream: David Lynch’s Hollywood Trilogy and Three Key Films to Unlock Its Mysteries

The Fall 2026 semester’s Cinematheque at CSUN will run for five weeks, meeting every Wednesday from 6:00-9:30 PM in the Armer Screening Room, starting on September 16 and concluding on October 14.

The series, The Big Dream: David Lynch’s Hollywood Trilogy and Three Key Films to Unlock Its Mysteries, explores Lynch’s Lost Highway (1997), Mulholland Drive (2001), and Inland Empire (2006) alongside three landmark films that illuminate their themes and cinematic language: Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid’s Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), Ingmar Bergman’s Persona (1966), and Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2 (1963). Through screenings and discussion, the series examines Lynch’s relationship to Hollywood, identity, performance, dreams, memory, and the boundaries between fantasy and reality.

The CSUN Cinematheque is an innovative year-round film screening program housed in the Elaine and Alan Armer Screening Room, a state-of-the-art 130 seat motion picture theater on the CSUN campus. Founded by the late Dr. John E. Schultheiss, it is the only venue of its kind in the San Fernando Valley. The Cinematheque presents thematically designed retrospectives of classic films, as well as aesthetically significant contemporary releases--in conjunction with the appearance of featured guest artists for lectures and panel discussions. Conceptual presentations are devoted to: filmographies of important directors, writers, actors, cinematographers; essential genre works; seminal documentaries; major literary, philosophical, narrative themes and traditions; defining technical and artistic models and styles. The Cinematheque is also intended as a regular venue for film organizations, student film competitions, and conferences. Collaboration is encouraged with local studios, guilds, and academies for screenings and related events.

The majority of CSUN Cinematheque screenings support the academic mission of the Cinema and Television Arts Department. These are provided in conjunction with a lecture or Q&A.