Voith & Mactavish, which won in the architecture category, was noted for “architecture that expresses innovation in the context of tradition.” The ICAA noted that V&M has stayed true to their vision “by designing environments that support contemporary uses and carefully respond to the cultural and physical contexts of each site.”
This is the 45th year that the ICAA has bestowed these awards, dubbed the Academy Awards of the design world. Awardees are selected from an international slate and receive the honor for a body of work and consistent advancement of design in traditional idioms.
After a comprehensive search and bidding process, the Uptown Film Center has contracted with Shawmut Design and Construction as Construction Manager for the pre-construction planning period.
Pre-construction consists of a review of constructability and project documentation, development of detailed budgets, schedules, phasing and cashflows, and creation of a site logistics plan, among other activities.
Shawmut is a 100% employee-owned company with a long history of construction management in New York City. Recent relevant projects include The People’s Theater, four Brooklyn Public Library branches and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, which is in progress.
The Uptown project is still on track for a late 2028 opening.
A screening of Footloose on July 21 will feature a Q&A with actor Kevin Bacon.
The Uptown has announced its 2026 pop-up film series Tales of Summer, with eight films screening in various venues across Upper Manhattan from June 3 through September 18.
The series includes three free outdoor screenings–in Morningside Park, Amsterdam Ave at 110th (as part of Open Streets), and Riverside Park, one premiere, and several films featuring Q&As with special guests.
“Summer changes the way we go to the movies,” says Ira Deutchman, Uptown President. “The days are longer, routines are looser, and moviegoing feels more relaxed and communal. In programming Tales of Summer, we were intentional about bringing together films that reflect that same sense of freedom, discovery, nostalgia, and escape.”
The Tales of Summer series is supported, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) in partnership with the City Council and the office of New York City Councilperson Shaun Abreu.
Films are being presented in partnership with the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, Maysles Documentary Center, the Bronx Independent Cinema Center, Columbus/Amsterdam BID, Friends of Morningside Park, Riverside Park Conservancy, West 111th Block Assn., and New Friends of Metro Theater.
The Uptown is pleased to announce that Gina Duncan has joined the board. Gina’s extensive background in film and more than two decades of experience leading arts organizations makes her an invaluable asset to the Uptown board.
Currently, Gina is CEO of The Moth, the nonprofit storytelling organization dedicated to the art and craft of personal narrative. She joined The Moth following her tenure as president of the prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), where she guided the organization through a major period of transformation. Previously she was Producing Director at the Sundance Institute, where she was responsible for producing the festival and strengthening the institute’s engagement with independent artist and film industry communities. Before Sundance, she served as VP of Film and Strategic Programming at BAM, leading the film program and BAMcinemaFest. Earlier in her career she was Director of Industry Engagement and Special Programs at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY. Here, Gina curated and executed specialized film series and served as a bridge between the local community and the larger film industry.
In addition to the Uptown, Gina also sits on the board of the Arthouse Convergence, a non-profit organization that connects and advocates for independent, community-focused movie theaters and film festivals.
We finally got to switch out our original marquee banners to show off our NEW NAME, NEW VISION. Thanks to volunteer photographer Randy Enochs for documenting yet another step in the transformation from the former Metro to the UPTOWN FILM CENTER.
Architect John Cluver (right) reviews schematics with Ira Deutchman, Uptown president.
The Uptown is thrilled to announce that our lead architect, John Cluver, a Senior Partner with Voith & Mactavish Architects, has been named to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows, its highest membership honor. This distinction is awarded to architects who exemplify excellence in practice and who have made a lasting impact on architecture and on society at large.
“John has been with us since the first time we started contemplating purchasing the former Metro, to determine whether it was a viable space for a five-screen film center,” says Uptown president Ira Deutchman. “Still, when it was time to hire a firm, we solicited bids and concept drawings from several other architects before determining that John’s expertise in preserving and transforming historic arthouse cinemas was invaluable to our mission. This recognition from the AIA confirms what we have seen in John all along.”
Voith & Mactavish Architects LLP, where John is Senior Partner & Director of Historic Preservation, is a Philadelphia and New York-based team of forty architects, planners, and designers. The firm is led by founding partner Daniela Voith and four additional partners — making V&M Philadelphia’s longest-continuously operating woman-owned architecture practice.
In addition to his role at V&M, John serves on the City of Philadelphia’s Historical Commission Architectural Advisory Committee, the Board of Advisors for the Master of Science in Historic Preservation program at Notre Dame, and the Board of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. He is also a member of the Association for Preservation Technology and holds a Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design in addition to his professional degree in architecture from the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture. John has published articles on sustainability and window restoration in the Association for Preservation Technology Bulletin and has presented for the Preservation League of New York, SCUP, and APPA. In 2006 John volunteered with the National Trust for Historic Preservation in New Orleans to complete urgent conditions assessments in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and in 2008 was honored by the American Institute of Architects Philadelphia Chapter as Young Architect of the Year.
Tour spots for our first Hard Hat Tours on Saturday, March 21, filled up so quickly when sign-up was announced in our last newsletter–20 minutes, in fact–that even adding a fifth tour for the day didn’t satisfy the dreams of all those waitlisted! But we’re pretty sure those who managed to join us for a look at the cavernous, gutted former Metro, with a preview of the future, were NOT disappointed.
More than 100 local residents were treated to the presentation–a historic look at the former theater plus some never-before seen schematics of the build-out that were recently completed. Also on hand for the sneak peek and presentation were Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and new State Senator Erik Bottcher–both of whom are exploring more ways they can help the Uptown meet its fundraising goal.
More Hard Hat tours may be in our future. Keep an eye out for an announcement–only in this newsletter! Thanks to all who came, and much appreciation to our volunteers, who always show up to help make these events such a joy.
As the newest arthouse cinema coming to the block, the Uptown is proud to be participating in the first Art House New York Cinema Week, running from March 20-26, 2026, as part of a citywide partnership with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME).
The aim of the Mayor’s office support, says new MOME commissioner Rafael Espinal, is to help our neighbors “rediscover New York together, one cinema at a time” by providing 5,000 free tickets–funded by MOME–to ensure the arthouse moviegoing experience is available to all New Yorkers.
Beth Krieger (Uptown), NYC MOME Commissioner Rafael Espinal, and Ira Deutchman Deutchman (Uptown) at the Art House New York meet-up announcing Cinema Week.
In honor of Cinema Week, the Uptown Film Center is offering FREE TICKETS to our screening of Jim Sheridan’s IN AMERICA on March 20, 6:30pm, at The New York Historical, 170 Central Park West. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with award-winning author Colum McCann. Filmgoers are also invited to tour the galleries of The New York Historical before the film (5pm-6:15pm) as part of the museum’s Free Friday’s program.
The following eligible New Yorkers, as identified by MOME, may attend the screening for free by presenting a valid form of identification at the door:
New York City teachers with valid ID
United States active-duty military personnel and veterans with valid ID or service record
New York City families registered with “Cool Culture”
People with disabilities with the presentation of their half-fare MetroCard, Access-A-Ride ID
SNAP/EBT cardholders with the presentation of their SNAP/EBT card
CUNY student ID
Cinema Week is an initiative of Art House New York (AHNY), a pilot regional alliance for independent film exhibition whose mission is to strengthen the independent film sector through audience development, research, and strategic initiatives. Learn more about Art House NY and the first annual Cinema Week at arthouseny.org
It may seem pretty quiet, but we get it– you all want to know where we are and what we’re doing! Well, plenty is going on behind the scenes and out in front! Besides the installation of our new banner on the marquee, here’s what’s going on:
Building and Preservation–Schematics are completed!
Union Square Hospitality Group delivered cafe recommendations that helped our architects design for traffic flow, prep area, and equipment needs for our all-day cafe and bar.
Boston Sound & Light, the premiere technical design firm for arthouse cinemas, provided valuable input–including plans for both 35MM and 70MM projection.
V&M Architects completed the Schematics Phase this month. We’re now narrowing down our contractor selection. Once the contractor is chosen, we begin Design Development–fine-tuning drawings, hiring subcontractors, and selecting materials. This phase takes approximately 14 months. [Read about the vision and plan]
Programming
More than 350 filmgoers attended our first three pop-up screenings of the year, with three more to come. We’re already planning our Summer Pop-Up Series, which will include three free outdoor films. Stay tuned!
Our Film in the Classroom pilot continues at PS 84 this spring, with plans to expand to additional schools in the future.
Fundraising
Our 28-month buildout timeline depends almost entirely on continued fundraising progress:
Several city and state grant applications are pending; decisions expected July 2026. We anticipate significant funding given strong support from our elected officials.
Assemblyman Micah Lasher secured a $250K CREST grant toward our capital campaign.
Individuals and foundation donations continue to come in. We now count more than 739 donors and are pushing toward 1,000. Become a Founding Donor by making a gift online, by check, stock, DAF, pledge, or Naming Opportunity!
The Uptown has raised 30.5% of its total goal of $36M.
Our neighborhood, film and adjacent communities really stepped up to meet the challenge for our end-of-year 2025 fundraising! More than 525 new unrestricted gifts came in during the last quarter, each gift doubled by the million-dollar match generously offered by donor and board member, Sally Martell-Klingenstein.
Since beginning this initiative in September 2024, the Upper West Side Cinema Center (nonprofit corporate entity for the Uptown Film Center) has raised close to $11 million, representing 30.5% of a total fundraising goal of $36M. Of that amount, $7 million went toward the purchase of the building; the remaining $29 million is earmarked for preservation and construction.
Where Your Dollars Go
Each new gift helps keep us on target for our build-out timeline, paying for the architects, engineers, and expeditors who are working tirelessly on the schematic plans and helping us navigate New York City’s extensive permitting and building requirements.
Additionally, your donations have helped us build our nonprofit organization’s infrastructure. While board members and administrators are all volunteers, every nonprofit needs a professional team dealing with finances. So your donations are helping us pay for three (very) part-time staffers who make sure we are tracking, accounting, and complying with all city, state and federal regulations.
Finally, our fundraising success and the growing number of donors helps us unlock major grants from city, state, and private foundations.
What’s New? This month we had the facility cleaned of debris that had accumulated after 20 years of abandonment. Within the next month or so, you’ll also see new marquee banners announcing our new name. Why is it taking so long? Well, everything we do requires a vendor search and proper permit!
Preservation: In the next month or two, look for a graffiti-free facade! We also have plans to install some safety scaffolding on the interior. Many thanks to the NYC Landmarks Conservancy and the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, which are generously helping underwrite this work while providing invaluable expertise on approved methods and vendors.
Cafe/Bar: Your donations are helping shape a new go-to community spot at the Uptown, allowing us to hire Hospitality Lab, the concept development and consulting arm of Union Square Events, as the consulting partner for Uptown Café. Carrying forward the legacy and expertise of its founder, Danny Meyer, Hospitality Lab has been hired to help strategize and work alongside our architects on the design and potential for the cafe/bar that will grace our film center’s lobby and mezzanine. We love the fact that the Hospitality Lab by Union Square Events has been instrumental in developing the concept, design, operation, and menus of so many successful New York City cafes and restaurants, including Cedric’s at The Shed, Westmoreland Café at The Frick Collection. Their restaurants are not only wildly popular but also extremely eclectic and clearly focused on location and demographics. We’re excited to see how their expertise will help bring the Uptown Café vision to life.
The Uptown is pleased to announce that Gina Duncan has joined the board. Gina’s extensive background in film and more than two decades of experience leading arts organizations makes her an invaluable asset to the Uptown board.
