SPACE, 538 Congress Street, Portland, ME (2026)

06/20/2026

Screening Monday, June 22, 𝙒𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙩 is a feature-length documentary exploring the evolution of gender identity and comedy from the ‘90s to now through the lens of the iconic SNL sketch, It’s Pat, and its central character created by Julia Sweeney.

From filmmaker Rowan Haber and executive produced by Alan Cu***ng and Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix), the documentary examines Pat’s origins as a joke rooted in cultural anxiety of the ‘90s around gender while drawing striking parallels to today’s culture wars around transness and queerness.

Trans and non-binary comedians and culture-makers reimagine and rewrite the original Pat sketches, using camp and humor to reclaim and re-envision an iconic character in American comedy. The film explores humor as both a tool of oppression and a radical force for change. Beyond comedy, We Are Pat raises complex questions: How does art age? What responsibility does a creator have as cultural values evolve? Can we reclaim narratives that once mocked us, transforming pain into laughter, visibility, and ultimately, our own creations?

“One of the most impactful parts of the documentary is when Sweeney, while speaking to the table of comedians consulting on the new Pat project, has an epiphany of her own. Pat for her was a rebellion against the patriarchal norms that were impressed upon Sweeney as she grew up.” - The Black C.A.P.E.

June 22 • Mon 7 pm, doors at 6:30
𝙒𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙩 🎞️
dir. Rowan West Haber • 88 min.
$10, $7 for SPACE members

06/14/2026

Gotta listen to 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙥 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙜 here. The legend of country soul and R&B, the original D-O-double-G, makes a triumphant return to SPACE next Saturday, June 20.

The man’s got a new album (“Swamp Dogg Contemplates the Afterlife”) and a new cookbook (“If You Can Kill It I Can Cook It”), and he’s celebrating his 84th birthday. Let’s go!

June 20 • Sat 8 pm, doors at 7
The Original DOGG 🐾
$40 advance, $50 day of show • $2 off for SPACE members

06/12/2026

🐕 A fascinating follow-up to 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯, make sure to leave the kids (and pets) at home for 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙨, a rarely-screened masterpiece of arthouse animation whose haunting memory will never leave you. We’re screening it at 7 pm as part two of a double feature on Saturday — along with a 4 pm matinee screening of 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯 — for PMA Films’ presentation of “Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair.” Tickets at SPACE538.ORG.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙨 follows lab test dogs Snitter and Rowf, who jailbreak from a secret facility only to find that the outside world’s even more bleak. Since the dogs accidentally broke a vial used by plague researchers on their way out, the human world launches a lethal hunt. Here is a world where animals are not a blank slate for our ideals and morality, but are the direct expression of the animals themselves; humanity’s the bad guy, and the audience is not left off the hook. Featuring a slew of top-tier British voice talents: John Hurt, Nigel Hawthorne, Judy Geeson and Patrick Stewart.

June 13 • Sat 7 pm, doors at 6:30
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙨 🎞️
dir. Martin Rosen • 102 min. • 1982
Rated PG-13 • 4K restoration
$10, $7 for SPACE members
Co-presented with pmafilms_maine

06/12/2026

Called “an overwhelmingly emotional experience” by anyone from contemporary English filmmakers, generations of critics, and your own parents (probably), 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝘿𝙤𝙬𝙣 is a landmark moment in film animation. We’re screening this 1978 classic on Saturday afternoon as a 4 pm matinee screening, followed by its spiritual follow-up The Plague Dogs, both beautifully restored in 4K.

With this passion project, screenwriter-producer-director Martin Rosen brilliantly achieved what had been thought nearly impossible: a faithful big-screen adaptation of Richard Adams’s classic British dystopian novel about a community of rabbits under terrible threat from modern forces. With its naturalistic hand-drawn animation, dreamily expressionistic touches, gorgeously bucolic background design, and elegant voice work from such superb English actors as John Hurt, Ralph Richardson, Richard Briers, and Denholm Elliott, Watership Down is an emotionally arresting, dark-toned allegory about freedom amid political turmoil.

June 13 • Sat 4 pm, doors at 3:30
𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝘿𝙤𝙬𝙣 🎞️
dir. Martin Rosen • 96 min.
$10, $7 for SPACE members
Co-presented with pmafilms_maine

05/19/2026

Next Wednesday, May 27, we delight in welcoming longtime USM professor 𝙍𝙖𝙮𝙣𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡, who 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙚𝙬𝙨 with musical accompaniment from 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙮/𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮/𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡, a bespoke improvisational trio of musicians 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙮, 𝙍𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮, and 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡. Join us for the next edition of this public forum from 6:30-7:30 pm.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙚𝙬𝙨 is a new SPACE series where distinguished community members share and read selected news items, articles, nonfiction passages, reviews, or other material before a live audience, with musical or movement accompaniment. At a time when the news is both difficult to engage with and impossible to ignore, this program shifts the practice of media consumption from the private to the public.

𝙍𝙖𝙮𝙣𝙚 (aka Lorrayne) 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡 teaches and publishes in the areas of early American literature with a specialty in captivity narratives and indigenous studies. Her book, Rhetorical Drag: Gender Impersonation, Captivity, and the Writing of History was published by Kent State University Press. She is retired Associate Professor from the University of Southern Maine.

𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙮 is a musician and programmer from Portland, Maine. His work focuses on abstract synthesis and contemporary computer music. He runs the Traced Objects record label and co-organizes the series.

𝙍𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 is a graphic designer, audio engineer, photographer and musician in Portland, Maine. He plays in experimental rock band An Anderson, maintains a synthesis- and field recording-based solo practice, and also co-organizes the listening series.

𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡 is an experimental musician and audio engineer based in Portland, Maine. He records and performs as Dinky Mirage, and hosts Diamonds In The Dust Bin as Frothy Cascade on

May 27 • Wed 6:30-7:30 pm
𝙍𝙖𝙮𝙣𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙚𝙬𝙨 with //𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡
$5 advance and at the door

05/14/2026

Stoked to report that Philadelphia-based psych/punk/alternative trio 𝙎𝙋𝙄𝙍𝙄𝙏 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝙀𝙀𝙃𝙄𝙑𝙀 returns to SPACE for the first time in nearly a decade. The band is still cruisin' on their 2024 record 𝘠𝘖𝘜'𝘓𝘓 𝘏𝘈𝘝𝘌 𝘛𝘖 𝘓𝘖𝘚𝘌 𝘚𝘖𝘔𝘌𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘕𝘎, and understandably so (it rips). Tickets are on sale now at SPACE538.ORG.

For the past decade, 𝙎𝙋𝙄𝙍𝙄𝙏 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝙀𝙀𝙃𝙄𝙑𝙀 have honed an aesthetic like no other. They’ve chopped up samples, chewed them up, spit them back out again, baby birded it. Across four albums and a smattering of EPs, Zack Schwartz, Corey Wichlin, and Rivka Ravede have fully solidified their stance as some of rock’s weirdest and best deconstructionists. 2018’s Hypnic Jerk was a study in noise punk sampledelia. It was a breakthrough for the band. Frank Ocean became a fan, spinning “fell asleep with a vision,” on Blonded Radio. 2021’s 𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘛𝘈𝘐𝘕𝘔𝘌𝘕𝘛, 𝘋𝘌𝘈𝘛𝘏 was nasty dream pop by way of K-Mart realism and hitting the channel search setting on an old TV set.

Their last release, 2023’s 𝘪'𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺, explored the breakup between Schwartz and Ravede, setting the stage and emotional territory for the band’s fifth record, 𝘠𝘖𝘜'𝘓𝘓 𝘏𝘈𝘝𝘌 𝘛𝘖 𝘓𝘖𝘚𝘌 𝘚𝘖𝘔𝘌𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘕𝘎. This latest offering is the most crystallized version of the band’s aesthetic, a continued meditation on the end of relationships and the unsteadiness that follows. It is a meticulous, beautiful, and quietly heartbreaking collection of songs. More often than not, it sounds like listening to a walkman from inside of a hurricane, like the YouTube videos you’d watch in bed for 18 hours straight after you break your wrist from a skateboarding accident.

July 22 • Wed 8 pm, doors at 7:30

$20 advance, $25 day of show • $2 off for SPACE members

05/07/2026

In 𝙀𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙘𝙟𝙖, screening Friday, May 22, a volcanic eruption strands Bethany (Charli XCX) and her soon-to-be fiancé, Rob (Will Madden) in Warsaw, Poland. In this romantic vacation gone awry, Bethany takes the explosive event as a sign to ditch her baggage, reunite with childhood friend Nel (Lena Góra) and traipse across lofts, clubs and back alleys, all the while becoming entangled in an emotional web that challenges her sense of self.

We're psyched to screen this charming and delightful anti-romantic comedy about the pains and pleasures of being in love from American maverick Pete Ohs, who wrote, directed, edited, photographed, and produced.

May 22 • Fri 7 pm, doors at 6:30
𝙀𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙘𝙟𝙖 🎞
dir. Pete Ohs • 71 min.
$10, $7 for SPACE members

05/04/2026

🎞 On Tuesday, May 19, we're screening 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙, the new film by acclaimed Argentinean filmmaker Lucrecia Martel. Called "the most disturbing true crime you'll see this year" (IndieWire) and "a powerful work of reclamation and advocacy for native peoples who have long been disenfranchised and dehumanized by systemic forces in colonial Argentina" (RogerEbert.com), 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙 (𝙉𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙏𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙖) is a strongly recommended film by one of our favorite directors. Tickets at SPACE538.ORG.

In October 2009, Javier Chocobar, a member of the indigenous Chuchagasta community in northwest Argentina’s Tucumán Province, tried to defend himself and his people from being forcibly evicted from their land by a local landowner and two former police officers.

As a result, the 68-year-old Chocobar was shot and killed, and two other community members were wounded. In her expansive and enlightening first feature documentary, Argentinean filmmaker Lucrecia Martel (𝘡𝘢𝘮𝘢, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯) takes a sweeping approach to this tragic true story, triangulating the murder trial of the three men, the lives of Chocobar and his fellow Chuchagasta people, and the centuries-old, colonialist legacy of land and property theft across Latin America.

With a ravishing, at times vertiginous visual approach to filming the natural beauty of the contested land, Martel pays cinematic tribute to people whom others systematically tried to erase from history.

May 19 • Tue 7 pm
𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙 (𝙉𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙏𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙖) 🎞
dir. Lucrecia Martel • 122 min. • In Spanish with English subtitles
$10, $7 for SPACE members

04/30/2026

Just announced...𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙥 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙜 returns to SPACE! Celebrating his 84th birthday in July, the legend of country soul and R&B returns with a brand new album, 𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.

SPACE members, check your inboxes shortly for news on an exclusive pre-sale. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, May 4 at 10 am.

From producing classic soul for Atlantic Records to iconic album covers, from making Richard Nixon’s “enemies list” to kickstarting Dr. Dre’s career, from Muscle Shoals to collaborations with John Prine and Bon Iver, “the original D-O double G” might be the most interesting man in the history of American music.

Released on Juneteenth, 𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 is Swamp Dogg’s 27th album. Featuring guest collaborations with Jenny Lewis, it's the latest in a seven-decade career that’s long outgrown any single definition. Born Jerry Williams Jr., he’s continued to work with a restlessness that resists nostalgia or winding down, instead pushing into new conceptual territory.

𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 will be pressed on gold vinyl, prompting 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙥 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙜 to say, “I’ll finally have a gold album.” In truth, while Swamp Dogg has never received a gold disc as an artist, he’s been awarded gold records for recordings by other artists in which he either produced, wrote or was the source of samples, including Gene Pitney, Johnny Paycheck, Tracy Byrd, Freddie North, Z.Z. Hill, DMX, and MC Breed.

June 20 • Sat 8 pm, doors at 7:30

$40 advance, $50 day of show • $2 off for SPACE members

04/29/2026

On May 23, American roots music meets jazz improvisation as 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙊𝙡𝙙 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 play a SPACE show that’ll be recorded for an upcoming live record! Tickets on sale now at SPACE538.ORG!

𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙊𝙡𝙙 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 is a Brooklyn collective reimagining American roots music — fiddle tunes, country songs, spirituals, and blues — through modern jazz improvisation. Think Ornette Coleman playing Robert Johnson and the Carter Family: two saxophones (doubling on banjo and pump organ), bass, and drums. Earthy and energetic.

The band features Petr Cancura on saxophone and mandolin, Jeremy Udden on saxophone and organ, Aryeh Kobrinsky on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums.

May 23 • Sat 8 pm, doors at 7:30

$20 advance, $25 day of show • $2 off for SPACE members
Co-presented by ’s Dimensions in Jazz

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