A summer of screwball comedy is a beloved tradition at Seattle Art Museum, and this year's edition is a tribute to one of the great artists of the genre: "Queen of Screwball: The Films of Jean Arthur." Six of her classic comedies will screen Thursday nights throughout the summer, beginning this week with "The Whole Town's Talking" (1935) and continuing with "If You Could Only Cook" (1935), "You Can't Take It With You" (1938), "The Talk of the Town" (1942), "The More the Merrier" (1943) and "A Foreign Affair" (1948). A six-film pass is $39 ($35 for SAM, SIFF, NWFF and TheFilmSchool members) and available through the SAM box office at 206-654-3121 or www.seattleartmuseum.org. All films screen at 7:30 p.m. at SAM's Plestcheeff Auditorium, 1300 First Ave., Seattle.

Speaking of summer, the outdoor-movie season kicks off Saturday with Fremont Outdoor Movies' screening of "Singles," the made-in-Seattle Cameron Crowe rom-com, at dusk at 3501 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle; $5 suggested donation (www.fremontoutdoormovies.com). Cross your fingers for dry weather. For a comprehensive list of dozens of outdoor screenings this summer, see www.seattletimes.com (search for "outdoor movies").

Northwest Film Forum presents a week's run of Jacques Rivette's fanciful 1974 fairy tale "Céline and Julie Go Boating," presented in 35mm as part of NWFF's "35mm: The Celluloid Dream" series this summer. (Also coming up in 35mm: "The Grand Illusion," "The Graduate," "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" and more.) Also at NWFF: Alan Govenar's documentary "The Beat Hotel," about the legacy of the American Beat writers in Paris in the late '50s and early '60s (screening Friday through Sunday) and Steve Elkins' music documentary "Reach of Resonance," which examines four "noise-making" musicians (Monday and Tuesday). NWFF, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle; 206-267-5380 or www.nwfilmforum.org.

At the SIFF Film Center on the Seattle Center campus, a weekend of recent Czech films is on tap, with four features and a documentary screening Friday through Sunday. Director Radim {Scaron}pacek will be on hand at 7:30 p.m. Friday to introduce his thriller "Walking Too Fast." Also at the Film Center, the "HD Command Performance" opera series continues with Benjamin Britten's "Peter Grimes," filmed at Teatro alla Scala in Milan and screening at 6:30 p.m. Monday only. For more information on any SIFF event: www.siff.net or 206-324-9996.

The Grand Illusion this week presents a run of French filmmaker René Laloux's 1973 animated sci-fi feature "Fantastic Planet," said to be an inspiration for the later work of Hayao Miyazaki. It will screen in 35mm, in the original French with English subtitles, Friday through Monday and again on Thursday (theater is closed July 4; the local film "100 Percent Off: A Recession-Era Romance" begins July 3). 1403 N.E. 50th St., Seattle; 206-523-3935 or www.grandillusioncinema.org.

Sundance Cinemas Seattle (formerly the Metro) continues its summer-classics series with a July 4 screening of "That's Entertainment!," the 1974 movie-musical compilation that's as American as apple pie. Wednesday only at 1:30 and 6:55 p.m.; 4500 Ninth Ave., Seattle; 206-633-0059 or www.sundancecinemas.com.

The Historic Everett Theatre celebrates the beginning of summer with a singalong screening of "Grease" at 8 p.m. on Friday and a Saturday-midnight screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Both events will include costume contests; tickets for each are $10. 2911 Colby Ave., Everett; for more information or to buy tickets, see www.everetttheatre.org or call 425-258-6766.

And finally, this week's midnight movie at the Egyptian is "Tremors," the 1990 adventure involving enormous worms that threaten the populace of an isolated town. Friday and Saturday only; 805 E. Pine St., Seattle; 206-781-5755 or www.landmarktheatres.com.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com