When I lived in Manhattan, I practically lived at the movies. I ran to see “Belle De Jour” at the Film Forum. I loved seeing Fellini’s “8-1/2” on the big screen at the Paris. I went to see every Woody Allen film I could see at the Angelica Film Center in Soho. Just a few blocks from my house was the Lincoln Plaza Cinema where I devoured foreign movies like “Mon Vie En Rose” and “Muriel’s Wedding,” amongst so many others. I used to go to lectures and screenings at Lincoln Center and the 92nd Street Y that featured directors, actors, screenwriters and crew members.
When I moved to Westchester after our first child was born, I wasn’t sure how I’d keep up with my favorite films, which happen to be primarily Indies, classics and foreign movies. The majority of theaters in the vicinity showcase mainstream motion pictures. On the rare occasion, a theater in my area will feature a smaller film, but not very often.
Thankfully, I’ve discovered the Jacob Burns Film Center, located in Pleasantville. The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution dedicated to presenting the best of independent, documentary, and world cinema; promoting 21st century literacy; and making film a vibrant part of the community. The theater is housed in a state-of-the-art complex in the center of the village in Pleasantville. In a separate building, the staff provides educational opportunities for people of all ages who want to learn about film-making through the power of film, media and technology.
Every month, the JBFC presents two to four curated series including annual and monthly programs, as well as special one-time events and retrospectives on important film artists. More than 150 directors, actors, authors, scholars, and other remarkable guests come to speak each year. Just last week they featured the film “The Kids are Alright” with an appearance by co-screenwriter Stuart Blumberg being interviewed by New York Times critic Janet Maslin. They have special events, kid’s films and an animation series.
The JBFC also presents a number of popular annual and monthly series including “Global Watch,” a documentary series dealing with human rights and social justice; “German Cinema;” “The Wide World of Animation,” exploring the vitality of the medium from classic cartoons to the avant garde; “Dance on Camera;” “Classic Italian Cinema;” “FrameWorks,” dedicated to the visual arts; “Westchester Jewish Film Festival;” “Out at the Movies,” featuring the best in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender films; “Jazz Sessions;” and “Rarely Seen Cinema” curated by filmmaker and JBFC Board member, Jonathan Demme. I attended several of the films at the Jewish Film Festival this past spring that they held at the JBFC and witnessed several amazing films.
To get to the Jacob Burns Film Center from Brooklyn, give yourself an hour each way, and take the Henry Hudson Highway to the Saw Mill River Parkway. Turn right on Grant Street, left on Manville Road, go to #364.
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Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Holly Rosen Fink has spent the last 15 years in NYC working in all facets of media, from MTV to the world of traditional and online publishing. Now working as a consultant in Westchester, she blogs about travel, theater, film, art, books, advocacy and more at The Culture Mom Blog. She has two children, ages 5 and 7, who share her culture addiction.