Can Art House Cinema Week, Launched by Mamdani’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Revitalize New York Moviegoing?

At last year’s Oscar ceremony, “Anora” director Sean Baker, having just won the Best Director award, sounded a cinematic battle cry by stating that “independently owned theaters are struggling, and it is up to us to support them.” New York City officials and art house film aficionados apparently heard the call, and starting Friday 20 March, the inaugural “Art House Cinema Week New York” launches with theaters across the city offering reduced prices, exclusive perks, and curated pics.The Big Apple was the first city with a “Restaurant Week” so why not an initiative dedicated to art house cinema? Similar to the renowned culinary celebration, discounts will be offered — on tickets and concessions — though only at select moviehouses. Additionally, 5,000 complimentary tickets will be offered to select moviegoers, including city teachers, City University of New York students, United States active duty military personnel and veterans, and others. New Yorkers have long lamented exorbitant ticket prices, and considering $20 is often the current baseline for a non-matinee screening, these discounts and freebies will come as welcome relief to many.While cinemas of all types have taken a hit since the pandemic, the art house variety is particularly prone to instability considering their often uncommercial programming and revival ethos. The prominence of streaming services and rising operational costs and rents have weakened them further, making “Cinema Week” an important promotional and potentially revenue-driving tool. Created by Art House New York, the week-long event is supported by The City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Julie Sue, Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice, a position newly created by Mayor Mamdani, sees the seven days providing “a boost for our local theaters and small businesses” as well as ensuring that “all New Yorkers can enjoy the arts.” New York has always been considered a cinema capital, particularly as an independent film hub, and the Art House Cinema Week is, according to co-founder Allason Leitz, “a chance to celebrate the local, curated and community-oriented cinemas across our city that help New York feel like New York.” Running from March 20-26, the initiative will not only shine a spotlight on several beloved moviehouses, such as the Quad and Cinema Village, but celebrate what makes art house theaters different from large theater chains. The Angelika Film Center, whose namesake recently passed, will be hosting several Q&As with directors while also offering a free large popcorn for those who sign up for a membership. The Film Forum won’t be offering a free bag of their much-lauded, unadorned popcorn to film fans, but the institution does promise discount pricing on all programming, which includes a retrospective of the work of French auteur Agnès Varda.The actress Julia Fox attends the Quad cinema in 2023. Michael Loccisano/ Getty ImagesOne programming highlight during the week will take place at the IFC Center as it pays tribute to comedian Catherine O’Hara, who died earlier this year. “Best in Show: The Films of Catherine O’Hara” will include three of the mockumentaries the actress made with director Christopher Guest as well as a few of her major Hollywood movies like “Home Alone” and “Beetlejuice.” Also of particular note is the Anthology Film Archives’ “Metaphysics Of The Pratfall: Jerry Lewis And Jean-Luc Godard” in which the venerable cinephilic citadel will screen several double features of the two seemingly incongruous filmmakers’ works in order “to reveal a shared commitment to invention and a profound suspicion of the very illusions they so brilliantly created.”Downtown film destinations aren’t the only ones getting a chance to shine, though, with Film at Lincoln Center and the Paris Theater examples of two uptown theaters getting in on the act. Beyond Manhattan, the other boroughs are represented via several cinemas, including but not limited to the Museum of Moving Image in Queens and the two Nitehawk locations in Brooklyn. In total, around 30 theaters in and around New York will take part in the week’s events. The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment will hope that Art House Cinema Week, unlike most independent movies, will do well enough to get a sequel.

Can Art House Cinema Week, Launched by Mamdani’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Revitalize New York Moviegoing?

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