Director Richard Linklater’s groundbreaking film “Boyhood” and the metaphysical drama “I Origins” open Aug. 8 at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. “I Origins” plays for one week and “Boyhood” plays through Sept. 4. Both films are rated R.

Filmed over the course of more than 12 years with the same cast, “Boyhood” tells the story of growing up through the eyes of a child named Mason, who literally grows up on screen.

Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason’s parents, “Boyhood” charts the rocky terrain of childhood like no other film has before. Snapshots of adolescence from road trips and family dinners to birthdays and graduations become transcendent.

The film is set to a soundtrack spanning the years, from Coldplay’s “Yellow” to Arcade Fire’s “Deep Blue.” “Boyhood” is both a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting.

“I Origins” is the second feature film from writer and director Mike Cahill, which tells the story of Ian Gray, a molecular biologist studying the evolution of the eye. He finds his work permeating his life after a brief encounter with an exotic young woman who slips away from him.

Years later, Gray’s research continues with his lab partner Karen. The two make a stunning scientific discovery that has far reaching implications, which complicates both Gray’s scientific and spiritual beliefs. Traveling half way around the world, Gray risks everything he has ever known to validate his theory.

For more information at films at the Ross, go to http://www.theross.org or call 402-472-5353.