Returning to the Newhall Family Theatre is the Newhallywood Silent Film Festival presented by the City of Santa Clarita. The 2026 Newhallywood Silent Film Festival celebrates the film heritage of the Santa Clarita Valley and the film industry before the introduction of sound. This year’s festival honors Rudolph Valentino, the Latin Lover; and Director/Writer/Producer F.W. Murnau.

Starting off the day at 1:00 pm is a 100th anniversary screening of the film The Adventures of Prince Achmed. This animated film is considered to be the oldest surviving animation feature film. Director Lotte Reiniger invented a silhouette animation technique using cardboard cutouts and thin sheets of lead, similar to Wayang shadow puppets. Reiniger also used the first form of a multiplane camera, which is considered one of the most important devices in early animation. (Running time is 80 minutes).

At 4:00 pm is a screening of director F.W. Murnau’s film Sunrise. Not only did this mark the debut of the director in American cinemas, but also one of the first feature films to utilize the Fox Movietone sound-on-film system that introduced audiences to a synchronized musical score with sound effects. (Running time is 95 minutes).

Closing out the Newhallywood Silent Film Festival is a 50th anniversary of the Mel Brooks film Silent Movie. Having achieved great success in 1974 with his genre-parodying films Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, Brooks followed with this satirical film in 1976. Setting his sites on the film industry, Brooks tells the story of a film producer trying to obtain studio support to make a silent film in the 1970s. Featuring an ensemble cast of talent such as Brooks, Marty Feldman, Dom DeLuise, Sid Caesar and others this is a fantastic comedy that takes a nostalgic look at the early days of cinema. (Running time is 87 minutes).

**Important note regarding parking: street parking is very limited. The Old Town Newhall Library parking lot, as well as the structure across the street, are located within short walking distance of the Newhall Family Theatre for the Performing Arts.**