The Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, New York has announced a seven-week Spielberg sci-fi screening series running from May 9 through June 21, 2026 — timed to build anticipation for Disclosure Day's June 12 theatrical release. Reported first by Variety, the series features six landmark Spielberg films across seven screenings, complete with post-film discussions led by film scholars and critics.
This isn't just a retrospective — it's a roadmap. The programming choices reveal which films the curators (and arguably Spielberg's own camp) consider essential context for understanding Disclosure Day. And one film gets screened twice, which tells you everything you need to know about the connection.
Full Schedule
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
The series opens with Spielberg's meditation on what it means to be human — and what happens when something non-human wants to be. A.I. is the most emotionally daring film in this lineup and sets the thematic foundation for everything that follows.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
The big one. Spielberg's original alien contact masterpiece screens early in the series, establishing the visual and emotional language that Disclosure Day appears to build upon. If you only see one film before June 12, make it this one.
War of the Worlds (2005)
Spielberg's darkest alien film — a relentless survival thriller that shows what happens when first contact goes catastrophically wrong. The tonal opposite of Close Encounters, and likely a key reference point for Disclosure Day's more intense sequences.
Minority Report (2002)
Post-screening discussion with NYU professor Dana Polan. The film's themes of government surveillance, pre-crime, and institutional secrecy mirror Disclosure Day's reported storyline about decades of alien cover-ups.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Post-screening discussion with Kenneth Bowser. The most beloved alien film ever made — and the emotional heart of Spielberg's career. E.T. proves that Spielberg's default instinct toward extraterrestrial life is wonder, not fear.
Ready Player One (2018)
Post-screening discussion with Gail Segal. Two days after Disclosure Day's release, this screening lets audiences reflect on Spielberg's most recent blockbuster — and the technological spectacle he brings to large-scale filmmaking.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Closing night repeat screening. After audiences have seen Disclosure Day, they return to where it all began. This is the series' final statement: Close Encounters is the key to unlocking Disclosure Day.
Why Close Encounters Gets Two Screenings
Out of six films across seven weeks, only Close Encounters of the Third Kind gets screened twice — once on May 16 to open the alien-focused portion of the series, and again on June 21 as the closing-night event. That's not an accident.
Spielberg himself has described Disclosure Day as a spiritual successor to Close Encounters. The Super Bowl trailer featured spaceship designs that bear a striking resemblance to the mothership from that 1977 classic. At his SXSW keynote, Spielberg spoke about returning to the questions he first asked nearly 50 years ago: What happens when contact is undeniable? How does humanity respond?
The Jacob Burns curators are making the same argument fans have been making for months: if you want to understand Disclosure Day, you need to understand Close Encounters first. And if you want the full experience, you should watch it again after seeing Disclosure Day. The repeat screening on June 21 — nine days after release — is designed exactly for that purpose.
How to Attend
The Jacob Burns Film Center is located at 364 Manville Road in Pleasantville, New York, about 35 miles north of Manhattan in Westchester County. The theater is a beloved independent cinema known for its curated programming and intimate screening rooms.
Tickets for the Spielberg Sci-Fi Screening Series are expected to go on sale through the Jacob Burns Film Center website. Given the Disclosure Day hype and the limited seating capacity, screenings — especially the two Close Encounters dates and the E.T. discussion with Kenneth Bowser — are likely to sell out. If you're in the New York metro area, this is the way to prepare for June 12.
DIY Spielberg Sci-Fi Marathon at Home
Can't make it to Pleasantville? Here's how to build your own Spielberg sci-fi marathon at home using the same film selection. The good news: every film in the series is available to stream or rent digitally.
Recommended watch order for your home marathon: Follow the Jacob Burns schedule — start with A.I., then Close Encounters, War of the Worlds, Minority Report, E.T., and Ready Player One. This order traces Spielberg's evolving relationship with non-human intelligence: from the philosophical (A.I.) to the awe-struck (Close Encounters), the terrifying (War of the Worlds), the paranoid (Minority Report), the heartfelt (E.T.), and the spectacular (Ready Player One). Then see Disclosure Day on June 12 and watch Close Encounters again afterward.
Why This Matters
The Jacob Burns screening series is the clearest signal yet that the Spielberg camp views Disclosure Day as the culmination of a career-long conversation about alien life. These aren't random picks — they're the six films that form the DNA of Disclosure Day. The double Close Encounters billing confirms what the trailers have been hinting: this new film is a direct descendant of Spielberg's 1977 masterpiece, updated for an era when UFO disclosure has moved from science fiction to congressional hearings. Whether you attend in Pleasantville or marathon at home, watching these films before June 12 will make Disclosure Day hit differently.