FÚTBOL & MOVIES AT THE ACADEMY MUSEUM

  By José Alberto Hermosillo

In the summer of 2026, the soccer fever reaches the Academy Museum. In a way, this is how Hollywood welcomes soccer fans from around the world and lets them carry a piece of Oscar history in their hearts, through guided visits and a series of free screenings and events at the venue.

In honor of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the host city, Los Angeles, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures celebrates Fútbol Free Day on Sunday, June 14, 2026, with a wide range of activities, including a free museum visit to all its galleries, featuring Jaws: The Exhibition, Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo, Barbie to Anna Karenina: The Cinematic Worlds of Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer, and the iconic red slippers of “The Wizard of Oz” in the Identity Gallery. 

A human-sized inflatable foosball will be available in Walt Disney Company Piazza at the back of the Museum, along with food vendors. 

The events include free screenings of classic soccer movies in the Museum’s theaters, featuring pristine 35 mm projections. 

11:00 am 

Bend It Like Beckham/Jugando al destino, in 35mm. 

The 2003 global soccer hit is 

directed by Gurinder Chadha. 

United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.

2:30 pm 

Shaolin Soccer in 35mm.  

Directed and performed by Steven Chow (Kung Fu Hustle), this film, produced in Hong Kong and China, will delight soccer fans worldwide.

5:00 pm 

Offside in 35mm. 

This powerful Iranian drama, directed by Jafar Panahi, focuses on the regime’s inequality that prevents women from entering stadiums. 

Day’s Schedule
10am | Museum opens

11am | Movie | Bend It Like Beckham in 35mm
David Geffen Theater

11am–4pm | Inflatable human foosball
Walt Disney Company Piazza

11am–4pm | Fruit vendor
Walt Disney Company Piazza
Free for the first 100 servings. Fruit available for purchase thereafter.

12:30pm | Jaws: The Tour (En Español) | Tiburón: el recorrido
Level 4

2:30pm | Movie | Shaolin Soccer in 35mm
David Geffen Theater

5pm | Movie | Offside in 35mm
Ted Mann Theater

“Fútbol Free Day” is made possible in part by grants from the Eva Longoria Foundation, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation.
 
You don’t need to make a reservation or print a ticket in advance. The Academy team will welcome you all.

MORE INFORMATION: Fútbol Free Day at the Academy Museum,
 
We encourage you to savor your football experience at the Academy Museum, a temple of world cinema. Please remember to print your Panini card,  just for fun.

AI- José Alberto Hermosillo, FestivalinLA

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War Sailor: A Reflection on Norway’s Entanglement in WWII

By José Alberto Hermosillo  

“War Sailor” is a gripping and insightful depiction of the forgotten Norwegian sailors and their women who endured the atrocities of World War II.
 
Until now, “War Sailor,” known as “Krigsseileren,” has been the most expensive production ever made in Norway. The film attempts to set the record straight by portraying the sailors’ WWII struggle as heroic.
 
Still, those in charge see the sailors and veterans as a public burden, as criminals and deserters who deserve to be forgotten and dismissed without the benefits of the law that thank them for their service.

“War Sailor” lobby at a Beverly Hills screening. Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA

During WWII, over 30,000 Norwegian and 10,000 American sailors took part in the war on the Scandinavian Peninsula and in the North Sea. 

 

The film “War Sailor” courageously and truthfully depicts those sailors’ direct participation in those epic battles, the devastating effects on their lives, and the consequences of their absence for their families back home.

 

The film links the sailors’ past pain to their present, showing how those traumatic experiences were passed down through generations.

The story centers on Alfred, played by Kristoffer Joner (“The Wave,” “The Revenant”), a working-class sailor from Bergen and the head of his family. He is close to his childhood friend Sigbjørn (Pål Sverre Hagen, “Kon Tiki”), and they have worked together on a merchant ship for years.

When WWII broke out, they found themselves fighting on the front lines, wearing civilian clothes, unarmed, and leading a starving crew after their merchant ship was attacked by German submarines. Their journey continues from their rescue through their attempts to rebuild their lives separately, and it shows how their families suffer from their absence and the trauma of PTSD.

Marie Wilmann, “War Sailor.” Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA

Actor Marie Wilmann, who portrays Cecilia, Alfred’s wife, took her role personally because her parents and grandparents lived through those war years, and she felt their endurance. The devastating war’s effects were felt by women like her mother and grandmother.
 
Researching this epic film was a massive undertaking. Norwegian writer/director Gunnar Vikene (“Here is Harold”) based his original screenplay on true events, interviews, and numerous visits to museums and Norway’s National Archives. He then shifted his focus to explore the sailors’ emotional, physical, and financial struggles.
 
For this film, the director’s biggest influence was the contemporary Oscar-winning short documentary “The White Helmets,” a gripping real-life chronicle of UN responders saving lives in Syria. Norwegians initially knew little about the significance of that war, but newly arrived Syrian immigrants helped educate locals about their harrowing experiences in their troubled homeland.

 

“War Sailor” vividly shows how war affects everyone in the community. Director of Photography Sturla Brandth Grøvlen (“Victoria,” “Another Round,” “Rams”) moves the camera intuitively. His exceptional close-ups of the actors’ eyes are as striking as his landscapes and ocean vistas.

At the Oslo premiere, some attendees disputed the film’s portrayal of the truth and clashed with its narrative. The filmmakers spoke extensively with war veterans about how the war affected them and their families. Ironically, when they received a medal, they also received a bill for it. Norwegians also had to pay extra taxes on food and supplies.

After the war, sailors returned home with bills to pay and struggled with alcoholism and addiction to medications and other drugs. Norwegian veterans never received proper recognition or compensation for their service. Many sailors came from different countries, including the United States.

Pål Sverre Hegen & Marie Wilmann, “War Sailor.” Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA

According to the actors, producing the film during the pandemic was even more challenging and costly because some cast and crew members contracted COVID-19. As a result, they had to halt production for days until everyone was safe. 

“War Sailor” is the most prominent Norwegian production filmed across Malta, Germany, and Norway.

 

“War Sailor” is Norway’s Best International Feature Film entry for the 95th Academy Awards. It is now streaming on Netflix as a three-episode miniseries. It’s worth watching for those who want to learn more about the war and the repercussions at home for those unsung heroes.

 

Pål Sverre Hegen & Marie Wilmann, “War Sailor.” Critic José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA

WAR SAILOR trailer

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"Dear Basketball" Kobe Bryant Inspiring Love Letter to Posterity

By José Alberto Hermosillo

Kobe Bryant, Academy Award Winner. Photo courtesy of the Academy, 2018.

 

“Dear Basketball” is an inspiring love letter to posterity, a timeless legacy from one of the greatest basketball players in history, Kobe Bryant.  

 

“Dear Basketball” is an extraordinary animated Oscar-winning short film - written, produced, and narrated by Kobe Bryant. Veteran animator Glen Keane directed the award-winning emotional short in 2018.

When the star of the L.A. Lakers considered retirement in 2015, he wrote a heartfelt letter to his teammates, players on other teams, the world’s athletes, and his fans about his reasons for leaving the sport he loved so much.

 

Kobe’s statement became a gorgeous animated short film in which he expressed his love for basketball, his values in life, and the importance of following his dream.

The best way to say goodbye to the game he had loved all his life was to produce a high-quality animated short film and hire the best people in the industry to do the job. 

The instrumentation of the short “Dear Basketball” is the responsibility of a five-time Oscar winner and 52-time Oscar-nominated music composer, John Williams (“E.T.,” “Star Wars,” “Jaws”). Mr. Williams’s music is sublime.

Two historical facts: “Dear Basketball” is the first time a professional athlete wins an Oscar. Kobe Bryant became the first Afro-American to win the Best Animated Short Film award.

Now, the beautifully animated film takes on more relevance after the tragic helicopter crash on a Sunday morning, January 26th, 2020, in Calabasas, Los Angeles County. 

 

Nowadays, the relevance of this highly motivational animation takes center stage not only because of Kobe’s passing but also because the short film makes us feel good. Listening to the voice and hearing the challenges of one of history’s most prominent athletes is a treat.

The athlete’s legacy, humanitarianism, and the impact of his actions on the community and on the world at large.

My deepest condolences to the family, friends, and millions of fans worldwide. Kobe Bryant was an inspiring human being with a positive attitude, a spirit of constant improvement, and a determination to succeed.

 

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