What’s Westchester Watching?: One Year Anniversary 

“What’s Westchester Watching?” is ArtsNews’ guide to movies in Westchester, including notable releases and special screenings.* 

“What’s Westchester Watching?” is celebrating its one-year anniversary! Keep reading for an extended edition that features July movie highlights, a reintroduction to three of Westchester’s indie cinemas and a “Closer Look” at The Picture House Bronxville’s new craft nights.  

To mark the occasion, ArtsWestchester has partnered with Bedford Playhouse, Jacob Burns Film Center and The Picture House to give away three pairs of free movie tickets this July—head to @artswestchester on Instagram to learn more! 

Also this month: For those interested in outdoor movie screenings throughtout summer, click here.

*All screenings are current as of the publishing of this article but are subject to change. Check with the individual venue before attending. 

Westchester’s Independent Movie Theaters 

A reintroduction to three local cinemas that are keeping film alive in Westchester 

Bedford Playhouse  
Bedford Playhouse first opened in 1947 and kept its doors open in Bedford Village for nearly 70 years. After it closed in 2015, a group of locals raised funds to revitalize the theater. Currently known as the Bedford Playhouse Clive Davis Art Center, the Playhouse is no longer just a movie theater, but a community gathering place with live events, art exhibitions and a café.  

Jacob Burns Film Center 
A Westchester mainstay since 2001, Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) is a nonprofit arthouse theater located in Pleasantville. JBFC is currently celebrating the 25^th year of robust programming (including a commitment to 35mm screenings), educational offerings, its new Take 3 Café and more.   

The Picture House 
The Picture House is comprised of two Westchester locations – one in Pelham, which is over a hundred years old, and the other in the Bronxville. The Picture House is home to the Westchester Italian Film Festival, youth programming, special screenings and more. 

New Releases 

Moana (Live Action) 

The hit animated feature Moana, which follows a young island girl who journeys across the Pacific Ocean to bring prosperity to her village, has been remade with a live action cast. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returns as the demigod Maui and the titular Moana will be played by newcomer Catherine “Katie” Laga’aia. Moana opens on July 9 at Bedford Playhouse and The Picture House Bronxville. 

As part of its Family Fun Series, The Picture House will host family-oriented screenings of Moana paired with a themed pre-show party. Two showtimes: 3pm at The Picture House Bronxville on July 12; 3pm at The Picture House Pelham on July 18.  

The Odyssey 

Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s centuries-old epic uses brand new IMAX technology and sees Matt Damon as Odysseus, a Greek king who encounters mythical creatures and deities on a treacherous 10-year journey after fighting the Trojan War. The ensemble cast features Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o and more. The Odyssey opens at Bedford Playhouse and The Picture House Bronxville on July 16. 35mm screenings of the film begin at Jacob Burns Film Center on the same day. 

Romería 

From Spanish director Carla Simon, Romería is a family portrait following 18-year-old orphan Marina as she travels to the beach town Vigo to find her father’s death certificate. As she connects with his siblings, Marina learns her family’s secrets. Romería is currently screening at Jacob Burns Film Center.  

The Invite 

Olivia Wilde’s third feature film takes place over the course of a dinner party. In the comedy, Wilde plays Angela, whose marriage to Seth Rogen’s Joe is on the rocks. The couple’s relationship is tested when they invite their upstairs neighbors (Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton) over for dinner. The Invite opens at Jacob Burns Film Center on July 10 and Bedford Playhouse on August 21. The Invite will screen at Jacob Burns Film Center’s second Next Gen Kickback, offering free tickets to those aged 21-40 on July 10 at 7:10pm.  

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World 

The first feature-length documentary about Mary Oliver is comprised of interviews with the late poet’s close friends, as well as photos, notebooks and correspondences from Oliver’s personal archive. Recitations of Oliver’s poems by celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Stephen Colbert and Lucy Dacus are featured as well. Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World will screen exclusively in Westchester at Jacob Burns Film Center beginning July 6. 

Closer Look: Craft Night at The Picture House 

Last May, a special Devil Wears Prada 2 screening drew over 100 crafters to The Picture House Bronxville.  

New monthly craft nights at The Picture House, led by crafting influencer Jennie Spellman (@jenniestichedthis on Instagram), intentionally keep the lights dim during screenings so moviegoers can work on their craft of choice while enjoying the film. After seeing a similar event in the Midwest on social media, Spellman was inspired to begin a Westchester equivalent.  

Craft nights reimagine the way community can inhabit a movie theater. “The atmosphere is definitely different from a traditional movie showing,” says Spellman. “Since it’s a social event, you’ll hear a little light conversation before the movie or during quieter moments. It honestly feels like I invited 50 or 100 friends over to watch a movie together.” 

Etiquette purists, don’t fret: “Everyone is still very respectful of the movie and each other,” adds Spellman.  

The craft nights are intended to be low-stakes, welcoming environments, and Spellman is thrilled the screenings are attracting a growing community of diverse crafters. “On one side someone is crocheting, on another someone is knitting, and someone else is coloring or sketching…I always leave feeling inspired.” 

The Picture House Bronxville will screen the new live action Moana for its July craft night, which takes place on July 23 at 7:30pm.  

Special Screenings 

Lawrence of Arabia 
Yonkers Alamo Drafthouse 
July 4 

David Lean’s 1962 Best Picture winner is inspired by the real-life experiences of British army officer T.E. Lawrence, who brought together divided Arabian desert factions during World War I to fight Turkish forces. Featuring sweeping cinematography and performances by Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif, Lawrence of Arabia is an epic designed to be seen on the big screen. At 12:15pm.  

Gangland Westchester Premiere 
The Picture House Bronxville 
July 8 

The Picture House is premiering Lou Diamond Phillips’ Gangland as part of its Reel Conversations series intended for moviegoers who are “seeking a deeper connection to cinema.” Set on an Indigenous reservation, the crime drama centers a tribal veteran police officer and his trainee as they track down a fugitive threatening to expose long-buried secrets. Phillips will attend the screening, which begins at 7:30pm.  

Atonement 
Bedford Playhouse 
July 9 

Joe Wright’s adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel of the same name stars Kiera Knightley, James McAvoy and a 12-year-old Saoirse Ronan. Ronan plays Briony Tallis, who tells a lie out of jealousy that irrevocably alters the lives of her older sister Cecilia (Knightley) and her lover Robbie (McAvoy). At 7pm.  

Parenthood  
Jacob Burns Film Center 
July 12: Introduction by Director Ron Howard 
July 15: 35mm Screening  

This July, Jacob Burns Film Center features the most extensive Ron Howard retrospective to date; Howard will make four appearances over the course of the series. On  July 12, he will introduce a screening of ensemble comedy Parenthood. This film celebrates the messiness of family and stars Steve Martin, Dianne Wiest, Rick Moranis and more. The film also features young Keanu Reeves and Joaquin Phoenix. Two showtimes: July 12 at 7pm; 35mm screening on July 15 at 4pm. 

Mamma Mia! 
Mamaroneck Cinemas 
July 13 

Adapted from the Broadway hit, the beloved modern musical comedy Mamma Mia! takes place on the picturesque fictional Greek island of Kalokairi. Meryl Streep plays an innkeeper preparing for her daughter Sophie’s (Amanda Seyfried) wedding. Unknown to her mother, Sophie has derived a plan to figure out who her father is by inviting three men from her mother’s past to the wedding. The story is told with hit songs by the band ABBA, including “Dancing Queen,” “Honey, Honey,” and “Lay All Your Love on Me.” Two showtimes: 4pm and 7:30pm.  

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 
Tarrytown Music Hall 
July 17 

Tarrytown Music Hall’s pick for its monthly film screening is The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which follows four siblings who find themselves in the magical land of Narnia, filled with fantastical creatures and the beguiling White Witch (Tilda Swinton). Revisit the original adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ fantasy novel before a new version directed by Greta Gerwig drops in 2027! At 7pm.  

Fantasia 
Jacob Burns Film Center 
July 18 & 19 

Comprised of eight animated sequences set to classical music, Walt Disney’s Fantasia defies linear narrative structure. Instead, it offers a surreal visual concert created with the most cutting-edge animation of its era. The film screens as part of Jacob Burns Film Center’s All Ages series, which offers $5 for all attendees. Two showtimes: July 18 and 19 at 11pm.  

Tongues Untied (with Anthem Music Video) 
Jacob Burns Film Center 
July 23 

Tongues Untied is a landmark film born out of the New Queer Cinema movement of the ‘90s. Directed by Marlon T. Riggs, the documentary combines rap, poetry, personal narrative and performance to illustrate the nuances of Black gay life. A screening of Riggs’ music video Anthem, which deliberately uses “sensual, sexual, and defiant” images of African American men to push back against homophobia, will screen before Tongues Untied. At 7pm.  

Cotton Queen: Screening and Virtual Q&A with Director Suzzanah Mirghani  
Jacob Burns Film Center 
July 26 

When a foreign businessman arrives in her village, Sudanese teenager Nafisa gains a new understanding of the stories her grandmother told her of resistance against British colonizers. A virtual Q&A with director Suzzanah Mirghani will follow the film. Cotton Queen screens as part of Jacob Burns Film Center’s Contemporary Arab Cinema series, co-presented with the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The screening begins at 1pm.   

Rashomon 
Yonkers Alamo Drafthouse 
July 26 

Legendary director Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon questions the objectivity of truth by exploring four different accounts of a man’s murder and the rape of his wife. Vivid black-and-white cinematography, compelling narrative flashbacks, and an atmospheric setting in feudal Japan have made Rashomon a time-tested classic. At 12pm.  

Touch of Evil 
Bedford Playhouse 
July 28 

Touch of Evil (dir. Orson Welles) screens as part of Bedford Playhouse’s Classic Tuesdays series. Welles stars as a police chief who frames a young Mexican man in this “dark portrait of corruption.” The film will be introduced by Bedford Playhouse’s Artistic Director Dan Friedman. At 7pm. 

Upcoming Film Festivals 

Mount Vernon Independent Film Festival 
July 10 & 11 

Spotlighting local talent, the Mount Vernon Independent Film Festival returns for its second year of screening, panels and more. See the 2026 schedule here.  

The Yonkers Film Festival (YoFi Fest) 
November 6-15 

Yonkers’ annual film festival is returning for its 14^th year. Championing local voices, the festival brings together movie lovers from Westchester and Rockland Counties, as well as the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut tri-state region. Submissions are currently open.  

You May Also Enjoy

• Outdoor Movies in Westchester 2026
• 9 Outdoor Music Festivals in Westchester
• 25+ America 250 Events in Westchester 
• Janet Langsam: From Artist to Artists’ Advocate and Back Again

_{Photos (top to bottom): Illustration by Julia Herceg for ArtsWestchester; film still from The Invite (photo courtesy of A24); Craft night (picture credit: Jennie Spellman); film still from Touch of Evil (photo courtesy of Universal and Kino Lorber); film still from Parenthood (photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment); Tongues Untied (photo courtesy of Frameline and Kanopy); YoFi Fest (photo courtesy of YoFi Fest)}