Bloomington’s second annual Godzilla Weekend begins June 12 on what the city has officially proclaimed Mothra Day.
Mayor Kerry Thomson called the event "uniquely Bloomington.”
“Mothra Day in Bloomington is a way to celebrate our culture of international film, and really our culture in Bloomington of being just weird enough,” Thomson said. “Last year we did Godzilla Day, and this year, of course, we're happy to celebrate Mothra Day.”
The two-day event, hosted at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, will feature screenings of classic Godzilla films, guest speakers and Godzilla-based performances.
Thomson said this year’s focus on Mothra highlights a character who is often overshadowed by Godzilla.
“Moving to Mothra Day this year is great to elevate a story that may be lesser known, and celebrates the power of a female archetype,” Thomson said.
The original Japanese version of 1961 Mothra plays Friday night. Saturday’s lineup includes Mothra vs. Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack. All films will be shown in their original Japanese language versions with subtitles.
Beth Bredlau, an Indiana University Ph.D. candidate and Godzilla scholar, said screenings of the original films offer audiences a chance to experience the movies as they were originally intended.
“Most Godzilla movies that we see here in the West, they go through edits, and they go through either dubbing or slight alterations, sometimes really major, to tailor to Western audiences,” Bredlau said.
Despite being released in the 1960s, Bredlau said Mothra’s story carries themes that remain relevant today.
“Within this moment of 2026, it's about being pragmatic and taking action,” Bredlau said. “Nothing's ever going to be perfect or ideal, but you can still be a force that makes change, even on a local level.”
Bredlau started Godzilla Weekend as part of her Indiana University master’s program. She said she never expected the event to grow as it has.
“I guess in my wildest dreams I hoped, and it just really blossomed into this thing,” Bredlau said. “I guess my fandom has taken over the whole town.”
Bredlau hopes it will continue growing into a Bloomington tradition.
“This is only the second year, so I'm still building this thing,” Bredlau said. “I have no idea where I'll land in five years, but I'm just gonna keep doing it, so we'll just see what happens.”
