The 2016 film Hidden Figures is being shown tonight  (July 30) at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater as it closes out Space Cinema events.

As the United States raced against Russia to put a man in space, NASA found untapped talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians that served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in U.S. history. Based on the unbelievably true life stories of three of these women, known as “human computers”,  Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Gobels Johnson crossed all gender, race, and professional lines while their brilliance and desire to dream big, beyond anything ever accomplished before by the human race, firmly cemented them in U.S. history as true American heroes.

The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, and Aldis Hodge.  Directed by Theodore Melfi, it was based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s book.  It was nominated for three Oscars: Best Picture, Supporting Actress (Spencer), and Adapted Screenplay.

The screening starts at 7:00pm.