Science on Screen Returns for Another Season to Images Cinema

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Images Cinema is excited to announce another season of Science on Screen.

This year's theme is "Eco-Disaster: How We Imagine Humankind Will Navigate Global Catastrophe" all showing on Wednesdays in January, beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. Tickets are available on a sliding scale, $0-20. Each talk will start at 7pm, with the film immediately following.

Images Cinema is located at 50 Spring Street, Williamstown.

For the 2023-24 season of Science on Screen, Images developed a new format, presenting a series of talks paired with films tackling deep dives into contemporary scientific and societal challenges. For that pilot season, the theme was "Humans and A.I.: How Will We Coexist?", with each film in the series bringing together two or more academics in dialogue. 

While each talk will be unique to each film and the academic focuses of each speaker, all will delve into both the actual scientific probability of such disaster occurring — and if it will occur as depicted in the film — and the veracity of the human responses to directly avoid said catastrophe and/or the psychological/sociological effects of the catastrophe coming to pass.

"We're so thrilled to present our second consecutive season of Science on Screen, thanks to the generous support of The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Coolidge Corner Theatre," said Dan Hudson, executive director of Images Cinema. "This season we dove even deeper in pairing compelling speakers who can bring to light unique aspects of lessons to take from these films,  and we're excited to include academics from Bennington College and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts this year." 

Images Cinema will close out the season by participating in the National Evening of Science on Screen on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Film and speaker for that screening will be announced at a later date.

Information about films and speakers for this series:

MELANCHOLIA (2011)
Wednesday 1/8/25 at 7pm

Dir. Lars von Trier

Justine and Michael are celebrating their marriage at a sumptuous party in the home of her sister Claire, and brother-in-law John. Despite Claire's best efforts, the wedding is a fiasco, with family tensions mounting and relationships fraying. Meanwhile, a planet called Melancholia is heading directly towards Earth…

with Dr. Jeremy A. Cone, Associate Professor of Psychology, Williams College and Dr. Jason E. Young, Visiting Field Memorial Assistant Professor of Astronomy, Williams College

DEEP IMPACT (1998)

Wednesday 1/15/25 at 7pm

Dir. Mimi Loder

A seven-mile-wide space rock is hurtling toward Earth, threatening to obliterate the planet. Now, it's up to the president of the United States to save the world. He appoints a tough-as-nails veteran astronaut to lead a joint American-Russian crew into space to destroy the comet before impact. Meanwhile, an enterprising reporter uses her smarts to uncover the scoop of the century.

with Dr. Phoebe A. Cohen, Professor of Geosciences, Williams College and Dr. David Bond, Associate Director, Center for the Advancement of Public Action, Bennington College

CHILDREN OF MEN (2006)

Wednesday 1/22/25 at 7pm

Dir. Alfonso Cuarón

In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.

with Dr. Tim J. Lebestky, Associate Professor of Biology, Williams College and Dr. Mohamad Junaid, Associate Professor, Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

SNOWPIERCER (2013)
Wednesday 1/29/25 at 7pm

Dir. Bong Joon-ho

In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off most life on the planet, a class system evolves aboard the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe via a perpetual-motion engine.

with Dr. Alice C. Bradley, Assistant Professor of Geosciences, Williams College and Dr. Victoria Papa Associate Professor, English, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Williamstown Recognizes Local Farmer, Library Director at Town Meeting

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
09:35AM / Thursday, May 21, 2026

Win Chenail has had a farm stand at his Luce Road dairy farm since 1965. The Chenails have been farming in Williamstown since 1916. Right, Select Board Chair Stephanie Boyd thanks board members whose terms were up this year. 

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — For more than 60 years, Winthrop F. Chenail has been selling his bountiful crops to residents of Williamstown and beyond. 

 

"The family dairy farm at the top of Luce Road has been an anchor farm in our community since 1916," said Elisabeth Goodman. "His farm stand has been operating since 1965 and that's where we get our sweet corn, homegrown tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cabbage, peppers, summer squash flowers, and pumpkins that he and his grandson Nick Chenail grow as a side business to the family dairy farm."

 

Win Chenail's integrity, excellence, and dedication of service to the citizens of Williamstown was recognized at the annual town meeting on Tuesday with the 11th annual Scarborough Solomon Flint Community Service Award.

 

"At age 90, Win has not slowed down much," Goodman said. "I never did get to speak to him on the phone when notifying him about this award, as his wife told me he was busy in the greenhouse repotting 2,000 tomato plants."

 

Five generations have worked the Mount Williams Dairy Farm that Chenail's grandparents purchased, and Chenail's also been a caretaker of 130 acres of town land at the Spruces and Burbank properties. 

 

"The Chenail family has been managing the land since the 1950s keeping the fields green, lush, and productive with sustainable management practices," she said. "They fertilize it with manure from the dairy farm and lime as needed. With such careful, long-term stewardship of the soil, the land has continued to be fertile and productive for half a century under his fare."

 

Chenail thanked his family and fellow farmers for contributing to the welfare of the community and said it had been a privilege to keep the town-owned fields in farming.