Tag: Ira Deutchman

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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.

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Progress on the UWS Cinema Center Continues

“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.

 

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UWS Cinema Center Announces Successful Purchase of The Metro!

 

Upper West Side Theater Is Sold After Governor Allocates $3.5 Million | by Annie Aguiar, New York Times, 4/6/2025

A nonprofit bought the landmark Metro Theater after receiving financial support from Gov. Kathy Hochul, the State Senate and Steven Spielberg’s foundation.

New York’s Metro Theater Is Being Revived by Upper West Side Cinema Center | by Harrison Richlin, Indiewire, 4/6/2025

The landmark institution along the Broadway corridor of Manhattan is set to be renovated and reopened by this new non-profit organization.

New York’s Metro Theater Gets New Lease on Life as Ira Deutchman-Led Non-Profit Buys Historic Cinema | by Matt Minton, Variety, 4/6/2025

The Metro Theater in New York City has been purchased by the newly formed nonprofit Upper West Side Cinema Center for $6.9 million.

 

 

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Upper West Siders Rally to “Reclaim the Metro”

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