Where Cinema Roams Free

The Badlands Film Appreciation Society invites Dickinson State University students, faculty, staff, alums, and community members to explore world cinema on the western edge.

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A meticulously arranged film study desk in photographic realism: a stack of well-worn Blu-ray cases with foreign and classic cinema titles, a leather-bound notebook open to handwritten scene analysis, and a sleek laptop paused on a black-and-white frame from an art-house film. The desk is dark-stained oak with a faint sheen, positioned near a tall window overlooking a dusky campus skyline. Soft, overcast evening light blends with the warm pool of an adjustable brass desk lamp, creating controlled highlights on pages and discs. Captured from a slightly elevated angle using the rule of thirds, the composition feels calm, intellectual, and sophisticated, evoking focused film appreciation and thoughtful study.

About the Club

We host free screenings, discussions, and guest talks that illuminate cinema’s craft and cultural impact.

All screenings align with theme nights, as presented below. Feel free to contact us with questions about what films will be screened.

Coming soon: BFAS will host two film festivals.

The Roughrider Film Festival will feature a traditional festival format of new and old movies, with the “Teddy” awarded to films showcasing an environmental and/or conservationist message to honor Roughrider Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.

The Badlands “Bad Films” Fest focuses on movies from around the world that may be labeled as “bad” by critics but still have quite a bit of cultural value, entertaining appeal, and social commentary.

Join us

Theme Nights

Giant one-eyed alien monster destroying city with flames and UFOs abducting people

Psychotronic Saturdays

Once a month, Saturday nights belong to psychotronic films, curated by Dr. Christopher J. Olson.

Image is AI generated but reflective of psychotronic films.

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Futuristic armed characters in neon-lit city with space background and text 'BADLANDS' and 'ACTION NEVER DIES'

Everlasting Eighties

Once a month, Friday nights will highlight the films of the 1980s of every genre.

Image is AI generated but reflective of 1980s films.

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Three serious characters with gun, helicopter, police cars in city at night

Neverending Nineties

Once a month, Friday nights will bring the films of the 1990s into the theatre, from the indies to the blockbusters.

Image is AI generated but reflective of 1990s films.

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Vintage film projector casting light with two shadowy figures in hats behind

Attention Animation!

Once a month, Saturdays will bring animated films from around the world to Dickinson.

Image is AI generated but reflective of animated films.

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Vintage film projector casting light with two shadowy figures in hats behind
A vintage film projector illuminates a smoky room with two mysterious figures in the background
An expansive wall of curated film posters printed on slightly textured matte paper, featuring a diversity of world cinema, classic Westerns, and minimalist festival designs, all in photographic realism. The posters line an exposed brick wall in a university common room on the Western Edge, framed in slim black metal. Track lighting from the ceiling casts warm, directional beams that create subtle gradients and gentle shadows at the poster edges. A lone vintage film reel and a small stack of hardcover film theory books rest on a low steel-and-oak side table below. Shot from a wide, eye-level perspective with sharp focus throughout, the image feels cultured, inviting, and quietly vibrant, celebrating cinema’s global range.
A close-up, photographic realism shot of an elegant film slate resting on a rugged, sun-bleached wooden table, its black surface crisply striped in white with neatly written chalk notes for scene and take. Around it lie neatly coiled audio cables, a polished prime lens with glass catching tiny flares, and a folded program for a campus film society screening printed on cream stock. Warm late-afternoon sunlight from a nearby window grazes the table, emphasizing grain and imperfections, while casting long, soft shadows that evoke the Badlands landscape. Captured from a low, oblique angle with a shallow depth of field, the mood is contemplative and sophisticated, suggesting the careful craft behind every film discussed.

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