Trip to the Moon

A Trip to the Moon, by Georges Melies, is the very first science fiction film:



1001Flicks has a review. 1000 Misspent Hours says it "provides an excellent illustration of why [Melies] was so highly regarded at the turn of the last century." FilmReference.com has an article that says Melies

surpassed all previous lunar spectacles, creating new standards in film entertainment, and in so doing accelerated the trend towards more sophisticated studio-based productions.

Films de France opens by saying,

Georges Méliès’ most famous film, Le Voyage dans la lune, is perhaps the best example of his remarkable imagination, artistic genius and talent as a film-maker.

3/28/2010: It's the SFSignal Sunday Cinema presentation for today.