UWS Cinema Center Announces Exciting Additions to
2025 Spring/Summer Pop-Up Series
UWS Cinema Center is announcing some date changes and exciting guest additions to its ten-film spring/summer pop-up screening series, For the Love of Cinema, which began in early May and is extending through early September.
New dates and guest speakers include Last Film Show, moved to June 17 at JCC Manhattan; and a new date for the second showing of The Muppet Movie, on June 21 at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia with guest Frank Oz (the voice of Miss Piggy). Oz will also be on hand for the screening of Bowfinger, on July 15 at the JCC Manhattan. The Fablemans, which has moved to July 22 at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia, will feature a guest appearance by Nancy Spielberg; and Hugo, which will be screened on August 12 at the JCC Manhattan, will welcome author Brian Selznick.
The free outdoor screening of Singin’ in the Rain, on August 23, is being shown in its original English language version with Spanish subtitles to make it accessible to our Spanish-speaking neighbors.
The summer pop-up series, which spotlights the magic of movies and the impactful experience of seeing film as a collective experience, is being sponsored in partnership with local organizations and arts venues including the Maysles Documentary Center, JCC Harlem, Symphony Space, JCC Manhattan, and Lycée Français de New York. The free outdoor screening on Amsterdam at 110th Street is being co-hosted by the Columbus/Amsterdam Business Improvement District (BID) and the West 111th Street Block Association.
“We are extremely busy pulling our team together, including the architects, owner’s reps, expeditors for city permits, and other essential personnel,” says UWS Cinema Center president Ira Deutchman. “And in preparation for final architectural drawings and a schedule for the phased build-out, we’re doing intensive research on the various aspects of the theaters and lobby/café that will inform the interior design of the building—including seating, ADA amenities, kitchen requirements, and projection facilities.
Ira Deutchman, UWSCC pres, checks out the projection room at the Ambler Theater, PA, with Ambler exec director Chris Collier and founding director John Toner.
One of the more enjoyable ways to do the research is by touring other arthouses! We recently visited the Ambler Theater in Ambler, PA, and have plans to see the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA, the County Theater in Doylestown, PA, and the Sag Harbor Cinema in—you guessed it—Sag Harbor. The last three have all undergone recent renovations, which should help with our planning. We also traveled to Las Vegas in late March for the theater industry’s annual convention, Cinemacon. It was a jam-packed three days, talking to vendors and other arthouse cinema folks.
We expect to have our final renderings this fall, along with a good idea of the construction schedule and costs. Right now we’re budgeting approximately $20M, including contingency and five years of operating expenses.
See FAQs for more information about the building and UWSCC plans.
People ask how long construction will take. We are tempted to say, “as long as a piece of string…” The truth is, the time frame will depend on the strength of our fundraising–which is and will continue to be a major focus. We hope to begin the staged work with the money in hand—right now approximately $2M.
We have had several leadership donations come in since the announcement of our successful purchase on April 6, as well as many smaller donations Gifts at any level are critical to our success; so far, they have enabled us to invest in professional software for managing our donations, accounts and mailing list; paying for insurance on the property; and, we hope, installing some lighting under the marquee for safety purposes. We’ll be paying the architects for their work, expeditors to help cut through city red tape, and a super to watch the property, So, your cash donations are critical. Our admin team is still 100% volunteer, so your donations go directly toward setting up systems, maintaining and building out the property. Because we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, your gift is 100% tax deductible.
Granted, fundraising is a bit challenging in this political climate, but we are energized by the number of people who say that giving to a local initiative like this makes them feel empowered—to be supporting both the neighborhood, and the arts.
Make a donation and encourage friends/neighbors to join the effort too!
A nonprofit bought the landmark Metro Theater after receiving financial support from Gov. Kathy Hochul, the State Senate and Steven Spielberg’s foundation.
The landmarked Metro Theater on Broadway between 99th and 100th has been empty for almost 20 years.
The UWS Cinema Center (UWSCC), a 501(c)(3) organization, is forging ahead to buy the Metro Theater on Broadway at 99th Street, to preserve the property’s landmarked façade and transform the space into a nonprofit, five-screen cinema arts and education center,
UWS Cinema Center managed to get a signed contract from the Bialek family in mid-October after reaching its first fundraising goal of $100,000 for the deposit. The money was raised in just two weeks from more than 100 local neighbors and friends–a clear sign of neighborhood support for this project.
Now, in its second month, the non-profit group has managed to raise just under $4M, including a $1M pledge by the Martell-Klingenstein Foundation, a $2M pledge by an anonymous donor, and a $500K pledge from Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal for emergency funding.
UWSCC still needs to raise the balance of the final purchase price, $6.936 million, by January 10, 2025. The group is reaching out to everyone and anyone who loves film, understands the value this cinema center would bring to the neighborhood, or has a strong appreciation for preserving this historic landmark. Plus, this would be the only non-profit cinema center in NYC that offers a full, dedicated educational and community program. (See uwscinema.org/education). As City Councilman Shaun Abreu notes, “The Metro Theater is more than just a building; it’s a cultural touchstone for the Upper West Side and a reminder of the power of cinema to bring people together. The vision for the Metro’s revival as a non-profit cinema and educational center is inspiring—it’s about reclaiming a piece of our history while creating a space for future generations to gather, learn, and connect.”
UWSCC is seeking major donors who can make significant leadership gifts and might be interested in various naming opportunities. In addition to major gifts, donations of any size are welcome and encouraged, as they signify to larger donors that this initiative has enthusiastic community support. Until the end of the year, there is a special incentive: donate $2,500 and get a NAMED DREAM SEAT! You even get to pick the location. All donations are 100% tax deductible. If the overall purchase of the building does not go through, you have still earned a tax deduction; if it goes through, you have earned a tax deduction PLUS a plaque on a future seat of your choice in one of the five theaters.
“This is a real West Side Story,” says UWS Cinema Center cofounder Ira Deutchman. “Six of the seven Board members are long-time Upper West Siders who are passionate about the neighborhood.” He points out that “almost one-quarter of the monies raised have come in small donations from neighbors; the fundraising has been a true community effort.” Helping that effort is the community advocacy group, New Friends of Metro Theater, which gave UWSCC its first full-fledged endorsement last July.
Deutchman is well-known in the independent film world as a producer, marketer, distributor, exhibitor and consultant. He is also the director of the documentary, “Searching for Mr. Rugoff,” and Emeritus Professor in the School of the Arts at Columbia University, where he was the Chair of the Film Program from 2011-2015. UWS Cinema Center cofounder and Harlem resident, Adeline Monzier, is currently a guest programmer at Metrograph downtown and the founder of the Harlem film series Uptown Flicks. She also organizes the year-round student screenings at Film at Lincoln Center, formerly she served as the U.S. representative of Unifrance and oversaw the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema festival in partnership with Film at Lincoln Center
