Ariel Phenomenon

Academy of Music Theatre (274 Main Street, Northampton MA 01060)

Music

The Academy will hold all shows at full capacity. Click here to read our health and safety policy.

This event is participating in the Card to Culture Program! They will be offering 10 seats at a discounted price of $10 to any patrons with a valid EBT, WIC, or ConnectorCare card. To purchase these tickets, please visit or call the box office Tuesday through Friday between 3:00pm and 6:00pm. Limit 4 tickets per cardholder per show. Tickets are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis. Find out more at: https://massculturalcouncil.org/organizations/card-to-culture/

This show is recommended for ages 15+. Parent/Guardian discretion advised

In 1994, over sixty schoolchildren witnessed an unidentified craft land outside their schoolyard. Over twenty-five years later, this incident is still fresh in students’ memories.

In this first feature documentary about the Ariel School UFO incident, a young woman returns to her school in rural Zimbabwe – the place that, at the age of nine, shattered her reality. We meet a respected BBC war reporter who reluctantly covered the event, ultimately leading him to risk his career on the one story that haunted him the most. Jeopardizing his reputation is Pulitzer Prize-winning Harvard psychiatrist Dr. John Mack, whose validation of the witnesses made this mass-sighting impossible to ignore.

Alongside the investigators, the now-adult students ask the question many have struggled with for over two decades: “What happens when you experience something so extraordinary that nobody believes you?”

Join us for the premiere theater weekend of the highly-acclaimed film, currently with a 7.8 on IMDB and a 100% Critics / 97% Audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The local crew of award-winning filmmakers from around the Pioneer Valley will be joining this hometown premiere.

On Saturday, October 8th there will be a post-screening panel with special guests from across the U.S. to discuss the film, the event, and the phenomena overall.

Watch the Ariel Phenomenon trailer here.
More information can be found at: www.arielphenomenon.com
Run time: 1 hr. 39 min.

Reviews:

“I enjoyed the film greatly. It puts the issue in a touching, emotional place…”
– Emmy Award-winning actor and filmmaker Dan Aykroyd

“Ariel Phenomenon documentary…truly blew my f*cking mind”
-Henry Zebrowski, Last Podcast on the Left

“It’s fantastic – one of the best UFO docs. The Ariel School incident is one of, if not the most, compelling case of an alien encounter in modern history”
– Marcus Parks, Last Podcast on the Left

“…the success of Nickerson’s work is that it leaves us with more compelling questions than easy answers.”
-Tom Rogan, Washington Examiner

“Ariel Phenomenon is a unique and moving film made with humanity, honesty, and a sense of awe. I highly recommend it.”
-Leslie Kean, New York Times contributor

“No matter how you slice it, director Randall Nickerson’s riveting documentary delivers a soul-wrenching experience.”
-Victor Stiff, That Shelf, Rotten Tomatoes-verified reviewer

“Ariel Phenomenon is powerful, life-affirming, and brought me to tears. Out of the mouths of babes…”|
-Josh Boone, Director: The Fault in Our Stars, The New Mutant, The Stand

“This is one of the most incredible documentaries you’ll ever see and one of the most astounding true stories you’ll ever hear.”
-Linda Cook, Quad City Times

“The most effective story told on the subject that I have ever seen.”
– Douglas Trumbull, Director and Special Effects Supervisor: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Bladerunner, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Brainstorm, Silent Running

A String Theory Films Production, 2022. Directed & Produced by Randall Nickerson. Writer and Supervising Editor: Christopher Seward. Editor: Rikk Desgres, Randall Nickerson. Cinematography by: Randall Nickerson. Associate Producers: Rebecca Rideout, Anne Krzanowski. Original Score By: Nathaniel Walcott, Henrik Astrom.


Show Date/Time:
Friday, October 7, 2022 at 7:00 pm through Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 7:00 pm
Doors at 6:30 pm

Ticket Prices:
$12-$15 (+Applicable Fees)

Where/ How Tickets Can be Purchased:
Purchase online using the button on the top right, or you may visit or call our box office at 413-584-9032 ext.105.
Box Office Hours are 3pm - 6pm, Tuesday - Friday. Service fees always apply with purchase.