Carsey-Wolf Center at UC Santa Barbara 
Connectivity: Star Wars: A New Hope
- Monday, May 4, 2026 / 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM (PDT)
- Pollock Theater
- Screening Format: 4K digital projection (121 minutes)
- With Ross Melnick (interim director of the Carsey-Wolf Center)
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Director: George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Luke Skywalker begins a journey that will change the galaxy in Star Wars: A New Hope. Nineteen years after the formation of the evil Galactic Empire, Luke is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet of Tatooine. Obi-Wan begins Luke’s Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue Rebel leader Princess Leia from the clutches of Darth Vader and the evil Empire.
Since its original theatrical release in 1977, Star Wars has served as a cultural touchstone around the world, connecting cinemagoers of all ages through its blockbuster films and numerous hit television series, to its expanded universe in novels, comic books, videogames, and other storytelling formats. Star Wars Day, celebrated each year on May the Fourth, has become a global fan holiday offering the chance for audiences to revisit the beloved saga and celebrate its enduring impact on popular culture. To this end, the Carsey-Wolf Center is proud to present a special May the Fourth screening of Star Wars: A New Hope, accompanied by a critical and historical introduction by Ross Melnick (interim director of the Carsey-Wolf Center), who will discuss the film’s relationship to our yearlong programming series Connectivity.
Costumes are encouraged! However, light sabers and other props must be put away for the duration of the screening.
© & TM Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.
This event is free but a reservation is recommended in order to guarantee a seat.
Tickets for this event will be available Monday, April 13 at 11:00 AM.
Biographies
Ross Melnick (interim director of the Carsey-Wolf Center)
Ross Melnick is Professor of Film and Media Studies at UC Santa Barbara and Interim Director of the Carsey-Wolf Center. He was named an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Scholar and a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow for his book Hollywood’s Embassies: How Movie Theaters Projected American Power Around the World (Columbia University Press, 2022). He is the author of American Showman: Samuel ‘Roxy’ Rothafel and the Birth of the Entertainment Industry (CUP, 2012), co-editor of Rediscovering U.S. Newsfilm: Cinema, Television, and the Archive (AFI/Routledge, 2018), and co-author of Cinema Treasures (MBI, 2004). His research has appeared in Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, Film History, The Moving Image, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, and in numerous other journals and edited collections.
This event is sponsored by the Carsey-Wolf Center and the James Hayman (’75) fund for CWC Classics.
CWC Presents: Connectivity
The Carsey-Wolf Center’s 2025-26 feature series Connectivity examines the evolving meaning of connection in our contemporary moment. While the term “connectivity” often invokes our ever-increasing entanglement with digital infrastructure and social media networks, this series reimagines the term not only as a technical feature of media, but as a humanistic value and a condition of social and public life. This series embraces connectivity as a framework for thinking critically about the ways in which people use media to connect with ideas and with one another, from the shared experience of moviegoing to the collective bonds forged through storytelling and public dialogue.
CWC Classics
The CWC Classics program celebrates cinema’s rich history, bringing classic films back to the big screen for critical viewing and discussion. These events feature filmmakers, academics, and professionals who can contextualize the production and historical impact of the films. The series occasionally presents classic films in their original 16 or 35 mm formats. CWC Classics events celebrate the history and significance of cinema’s enduring legacy.