Movies

A new season of Silent Movie Mondays kicks off this week at the Paramount, with a four-week series of films that were winners at the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929.

This Monday brings "Tempest," starring John Barrymore and set in the final days of Czarist Russia. William Cameron Menzies won an Oscar for art direction — the first ever awarded — for the film. Jim Riggs will, as always, provide live accompaniment on the theater's Mighty Wurlitzer organ. Tickets are $10 and available at the Paramount box office (911 Pine St.), by phone at 877-784-4849 or online at www.stgpresents.org.

SIFF Cinema at the Uptown has a slew of documentaries on tap this week — in a series titled "Best Documentaries of 2011." Eighteen nonfiction films will screen, including a few of my favorites of the year ("Bill Cunningham New York," "The Interrupters," "Page One: Inside The New York Times") and several making their Seattle theatrical debut ("Undefeated," "The Arbor," "Knuckle"). Each film gets one screening between Friday and Thursday; series passes are $50 ($30 for SIFF members); individual tickets are $10 ($5) for evening shows or $7 ($5) for matinees. Also at the Uptown this week: a special screening of Eric Byler's 2006 film "Americanese," based on the novel by Shawn Wong. Both Byler and Wong will attend the screening, at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle; 206-324-9996 or www.siff.net.

At SIFF Cinema at the Film Center, "Madama Butterfly" screens as part of SIFF's San Francisco Opera Cinema series. 6:30 p.m. Monday and 2:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Film Center, Seattle Center campus; 206-324-9996 or www.siff.net.

At Northwest Film Forum, "A Drummer's Dream" screens Friday through Sunday; the film, directed by John Walker, documents a gathering of acclaimed rock/jazz/Latin drummers at a summer "drum camp." Also at NWFF: Local filmmaker Matt Wilkins' drama "Marrow," which screened at SIFF last year, plays Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m., with Wilkins in attendance. 1515 12th Ave., Seattle; 206-267-5380 or www.nwfilmforum.org.

The Historic Everett Theatre this weekend presents four screenings of the 1976 Led Zeppelin concert film "The Song Remains the Same," with specially enhanced concert sound. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; tickets are $10. 2911 Colby Ave., Everett; 425-258-6766 or www.everetttheatre.org.

And finally, "The Divide" makes its Seattle premiere as this weekend's midnight movie at the Egyptian, screening Friday and Saturday; it's an unrated post-apocalyptic thriller, said to be filled with graphic violence, directed by Xavier Gens. 805 E. Pine St., Seattle; 206-781-5755 or www.landmarktheatres.com.

Moira Macdonald:

206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com