Connoisseurs of classic Hollywood films will be spoiled by an upcoming film festival bringing their favorites to the big screen.

The annual Whidbey Island Film Festival, hosted by Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, runs Jan. 8-18 on the mainstage. This marks the seventh year for the film festival, the only one of its kind in Washington state. The 2026 theme is “Americana: The American Story Told Through a Century of Classic Film.”

The lineup curated by James Hinkley includes a barrage of nostalgic and iconic classics spanning the decades, from “Grapes of Wrath” to “The Music Man” to “Fried Green Tomatoes.” The oldest film in the batch, 1936’s “Modern Times,” features legend Charlie Chaplin and opens the festival this Thursday at 7 p.m. Things will kick off with a red carpet opening party, a signature cocktail and bottomless popcorn.

“We invite you to come out of the cold and enjoy wonderful community in Whidbey’s art hub,” WICA Executive Artistic Director Deana Duncan said in a press release. She is also the film festival’s co-curator. “Each year we literally roll out the red carpet for our patrons, bringing Hollywood to Langley and providing a space to celebrate generations of film classics.”

A total of 11 films will be shown over a two-week period, with plenty of other events mixed in. The Art of the Score, a concert on Jan. 17 featuring music from the films, showcases the talents of Whidbey musicians Hinkley, Sheila Weidendorf and Gloria Ferry-Brennan. On Jan. 11, Randon Pool, WICA’s costume designer, will be joined by WICA actors Gail Liston and Charlie Walsh for a visual demonstration using clothing as a tool to alter reality.

There’s also a free movie trivia night on Jan. 16 hosted by WICA’s Production Director Honza Kourimsky, as well as the enticing “The Secret’s in the Sauce: A Fried Green Tomatoes Meal” on Jan. 18.

The full schedule is available online at whidbeyislandfilmfestival.org, where tickets or festival passes can also be purchased.