Tag: arthouse cinema

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Uptown Campaign Updates

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.

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Uptown Film Announces Two 2026 Winter Film Series

Grant from NYC Councilperson Shaun Abreu
Underwrites Science on Screen®

Uptown Partners for First Time with New York Historical
for Tales from an Immigrant City series

The Uptown is excited to announce it will be hosting two new film series this winter: Science on Screen® will be held at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia, beginning on February 24, and Tales of the Immigrant City will be screened at the New York Historical, beginning on March 20.

The Science on Screen® series is a pioneering, nationwide film program launched in 2005 by the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, to promote science literacy through partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country.  As described by the Coolidge, the program “creatively pairs screenings of classic, cult, science fiction, and documentary films with lively presentations by notable experts from the world of science and technology.”

Hidden Figures will open the Uptown’s Science on Screen series on Feb 24.

The Uptown’s three-film Science on Screen series will include Hidden Figures, Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, and HER, with introductions by Dr. Moiya McTier, astrophysicist and folklorist; Sarah Rose Siskind, science and comedy writer; and Janna Levin, theoretical cosmologist and professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College.  Tickets for the three films are on sale now.

Beginning in March, the Uptown partners with the New York Historical to present three films focused on the immigrant experience in New York City: In America, with introduction by award-winning novelist Colum McCann; Hester Street (guest TBA); and En El Septimo Dia (On the Seventh Day), with filmmaker Jim McKay. Tickets go on sale in late February.

Uptown president Ira Deutchman and vice president Adeline Monzier, who leads our education initiatives, note that these series demonstrate the kind of programming we expect to offer on a regular basis when we finally open our doors (hopefully in late 2028). It also points out how partnerships–with local nonprofit organizations and arthouses across the country–are integral to our mission. “We especially want to thank the New York Historical for partnering with us on our Tales of an Immigrant City film series, and to Councilman Shaun Abreu and Thomas Campbell Jackson for underwriting our Science on Screen series,” says Ira. “These partnerships and grants are allowing us to offer exceptionally curated, thoughtful film series to our community, at affordable prices, despite the fact that we don’t have a theater yet.”

A pop-up spring/summer series will be hosted again this year, as well, beginning in late May or June. Last year’s very successful ten-film series, For the Love of Cinema, played at several venues in upper Manhattan.

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UPTOWN’s Holiday Season Updates

So many exciting things are happening right now as we prepare for year’s end. We’re working on both a Winter and Summer Screening Series (TBA); our first Film-in-The-Classroom pilot project is about to conclude; we’re awaiting the final go-ahead to clean the graffiti off the theater’s facade and complete some other safety maintenance work; and we are working with our architects to finalize design details. We expect to launch the search for a general contractor in March.

The Uptown continues to form new partnerships with local organizations, including Bloomingdale Aging in Place, which recently hosted a zoom with more than 100 members who eagerly listened to Ira Deutchman and Adeline Monzier talk about the project. They asked several key questions regarding the design and operation of the film center:

  • Yes! The film center will be ADA compliant, with an elevator, accessible bathrooms, and accommodations for both hearing and visual impairment.
  • Yes! The fifth theater–equipped with screen and approx. 40 flexible seats–will be made available to local nonprofit groups and education classes as well as for party rentals.
  • Yes! We will be a membership-based film center.

Your Support Is Building a New Future for Arthouse Cinema on the UWS!

Fundraising for the build-out of the Uptown Film Center continues to be a major focus. This month is particularly critical to our efforts because we are applying for crucial City and State grants. We’ve been told in no uncertain terms that the money is there–but the City and State need to see continued support from our community, both in contributions, number of donors, and endorsements, to unlock those dollars. Receiving these grants would be a major leap forward in reaching our ultimate goal of $29M.

In answer to this time-sensitive call for support, we have received a number of major gifts–including a very generous repeat gift from the Klingenstein-Martell Foundation, as well as new leadership donations from the Great Hill Foundation, Ruth Nelson Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ben Stiller & Christine Taylor, and several others. Significantly, our capital campaign has also brought in more than 100 new and repeat donors in just the last month, at every giving level of giving.

We are so thankful for all of you who have made donations to make this project turn from dream to reality!  All gifts before the end of the year will be matched by a generous donor and are 100% tax deductible. See Ways to Donate.

We are thankful, too, for the enthusiastic endorsements we’ve received from our local electeds, who have been extraordinarily helpful at every step, as well as for letters of support from a wide variety of community partners, including SAG/AFTRA, Columbus/Amsterdam BID, the West 90th Neighborhood Assn., and PS 84.

All endorsement letters will be included in our grant application(s); names will appear on our website. If your group (or building) would like to write a letter of endorsement for the Uptown Film Center, we would be honored. Please email it as an attachment to beth@uptownfilm.org.

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See you at the UPTOWN!

Architectural rendering of the Uptown Film Center, by Voith & Mactavish

Introducing the UPTOWN FILM CENTER!

The announcement was made by Ira Deutchman, President of UWS Cinema Center, Inc, at a special BIG REVEAL event held at Villa Albertine on Oct. 27, before an audience of indie film industry execs, local government leaders, major donors and early founding supporters.

Deutchman was joined by guest speakers Tim Blake Nelson, Kyra Sedgwick, and Tony Kushner, as well as architects Voith & Mactavish and logo/branding designer Daymon Bruck, to celebrate the new name, reveal architectural renderings of the marquee and landmarked façade, and talk about what the theater will mean for the neighborhood, for the independent film community, and for the arts in New York City.

Tim Blake Nelson

Deutchman emphasized that the new name is a reflection of an entirely new mission for the former Metro/Midtown theater, making a clear statement about its location within the city. “We wanted to give the theater a unique identity that instantly would conjure up its iconic Upper West Side locale,” said Deutchman. The Uptown Film Center, he noted, will be the only full-time, nonprofit arthouse theater north of Lincoln Center. “Unlike commercial theaters or streaming platforms,” he said, “the Uptown will deliver an immersive, community-first film experience that blends the best of independent, international, documentary, repertory, and family cinema with educational programs and cultural partnerships. Visitors will come away not just entertained, but connected — to their neighbors, to global stories, and to the transformative power of film.”

Mark Harris, Tony Kushner, Ira Deutchman and Kyra Sedgwick

Uptown Film Center Board Member Tim Blake Nelson added, “Filmmakers—those who consider movies an art form as well as entertainment or a way to make a profit—still make films for movie theaters. The work might end up on smaller screens, but the actual creation happens with theaters in mind: places where strangers gather for state-of-the-art projection and sound to sharpen their sensitivity and intelligence about the world. The Uptown is going to be such a venue for a neighborhood that’s been starving for it.”

Capital Campaign Launched

Deutchman also announced the launch of a $29 million capital campaign to build out the film center. The timeline for completion will depend largely on how quickly those funds can be raised, but the nonprofit group is hoping to break ground by early 2027 and open the film center’s doors sometime in 2028.

In the months since the purchase of the building in April 2025, the Uptown Campaign has raised close to $3M, with leadership donations from the Great Hill Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor, Roland and Lois Betts, David Huntington and Susanna Phillips, the Lucille & Paul Maslin Foundation, the New York State Assembly through Assemblyman Micah Lasher, and continuing support from the Klingenstein-Martell Foundation.

State Assemblyman Micah Lasher, State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, and Ira Deutchman

Several Naming Opportunities are available, as well as a new NAME A SEAT campaign, noted Deutchman, who emphasized that contributions both large and small are critical to the success of the campaign. “The number of donors and the clear demonstration of support from our community, opens the doors to grants from the city and state as well as private foundations.”

Progress Since the Purchase

Since last April when the property was purchased, UWSCC has made significant progress. The organization interviewed several firms before hiring the architects Voith & Mactavish, and went through a similar process to hire various consultants, including owners’ rep (name), lobbyists, expeditors, and restaurant consultant. Deutchman says the final designs for the center should be completed by February.

Simultaneous to build-out plans, the original volunteer founding team—Deutchman, Adeline Monzier, Stephen Cohen and Beth Krieger—has been working on expanding the Board and advisory councils and building the internal day-to-day infrastructure of the nonprofit organization. To demonstrate its mission to the community and donors, the group hosted a 10-part summer pop-up film series in cooperation with several local organizations, and this month, it launched a pilot educational project with an UWS public elementary school.

The $6.9 purchase of the former Metro theater property—which was raised in four months starting just a year ago–was made possible by a $3.5 million grant from Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York; $500K in grant money from the NY State Senate (Brad Hoylman-Sigal); major grants from the Hearthland Foundation (Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw), the Martell-Klingenstein Foundation and the Brandt Jackson foundation; and more than 500 individual contributors from the greater NYC community.

Special Thanks
Many thanks to the MANY volunteers who helped with our BIG Reveal, and the evening’s underwriters, Becker & Frondorf, 107 Wine and Spirits, Villa Albertine.

Follow our progress!
Sign up for our Newsletter
Read about the Uptown Campaign and Architectural plans
Find out about Naming Opportunities 
Press Coverage

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UWS Cinema Center Plans Halloween Pop-UP

Join Us for our HALLOWEEN Pop-Up, Friday, Oct 31!
Enter Our Halloween Movie Costume Contest

We’ll be outside the theater at 99th and Broadway, from 3:30-7pm on Friday, October 31, with candy for the kids and some surprises!

Plus, you and/or your children can enter our first Halloween Movie Costume Contest. Take a photo in front of our special selfie backdrop, post it on Instagram or Facebook, and tag us with our NEW NAME! Two winners (one adult and one child) with the best movie-based Halloween costumes will win 2 tickets each to one of our pop-up screenings in 2026. (Details will be at the table.)

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Architects HIRED! We’re on our Way!

We’re thrilled to announce that after interviewing several candidates, we have hired Voith & Mactavish Architects to commence with the plans for our five-screen film and education center, and an owner’s rep firm, B&F, to help oversee the project from planning through construction phases.

Voith & Mactavish has extensive experience in designing and restoring historic movie theaters, including the Bryn Mawr, the County and the Ambler Theaters in Pennsylvania. They’ve also worked on several performing arts theaters.

Of course, to do it right will take time. We’re now in Phase 1, with the architects preparing the plans. Once approved, contractors and subcontractors will need to be hired, and permits will need to be secured. Fortunately, our city electeds have been extremely helpful at every turn, expediting our conversations with the Dept of Buildings and directing us to possible grants. We’ve also received early support from the Landmarks folks, who are as eager to see us preserve the gorgeous theater facade as we are.

In preparation for the design of the theaters as well as operation and program planning, the UWSCC admin team attended the recent Art House Convergence conference (a consortium of 800 independent cinemas from across the country) and we continue to take every opportunity to tour model art houses–most recently, the Music Box and Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago and the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, Mass.