What’s Westchester Watching? August Edition

“What’s Westchester Watching?” is ArtsNews’s guide to notable film releases and special screenings for Westchester moviegoers.

Westchester moviegoers have plenty to look forward to this August, including the debut of the Mount Vernon Film Festival, 50^th anniversary screenings of Jaws, an in-person screening of First Reformed with Paul Schrader and more.

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

New Releases

Together

Original horror film Together stars real-life partners Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a couple that moves to a foreign country and begins having supernatural experiences. The film uses body horror to explore ideas about codependency and the loss of identity within relationships. Together is currently playing at Jacob Burns Film Center.

It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley

Directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Amy Berg, It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley uses never-before-seen footage, as well as accounts from loved ones and former bandmates, to document musician Jeff Buckley’s rise to fame before his sudden death at age 30.  It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley opens at Jacob Burns Film Center August 8 and Bedford Playhouse September 19.

Caught Stealing

Caught Stealing is the latest film from Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky. Austin Butler plays Hank, a former prodigious high school baseball player who no longer plays the sport but is content in life. Hank suddenly finds himself mixed up with gangsters in 1990s New York City. Caught Stealing opens at Jacob Burns Film Center and Bedford Playhouse on August 29.

The Roses

Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch star as a seemingly perfect couple Theo and Ivy in a remake of the dark comedy The Roses, based on Warren Adler’s 1981 novel War of the Roses. Despite a dream house and Ivy’s successful career, competitive tendencies and hidden resentments drive the two apart and set the stage for chaotic antics. The Roses opens at Jacob Burns Film Center on August 29.

Special Screenings

Screenings with Live Jazz Performances
Jacob Burns Film Center
August 3

As part of its Sounds of Summer series, Jacob Burns Film Center presents two film screenings with live music components. Jazz on a Summer’s Day, a documentary that showcases performances by jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Thelonious Monk at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, will feature a live performance by the John Pizzarelli Trio and Jessica Molaskey.

A live bossa nova performance the same day will accompany a screening of Black Orpheus, Marcel Camus’s 1959 classic that retells the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in 20th century Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval.

A free jazz performance by the Tyler Henderson Trio will also take place at 8:45pm in the Take 3 Wine Bar and Café. Showtimes: Black Orpheus 2pm; Summer’s Day 6pm.

Ghost Almanac
Picture House Pelham
August 9

Set to live musical accompaniment and live foley sound, Ghost Almanac is an 80-minute program made of clips from classic horror films. Featured films include the original Nosferatu; German expressionist film The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari; Häxan, a silent documentary-fiction film about witchcraft; and more. At 8pm.

Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Life
Bedford Playhouse
August 12

Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Life is a documentary about artist Georgia O’Keeffe, a leading figure in American modernism known for her paintings of flowers, bones and desert landscapes. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paul Wagner, The Brightness of Life tells O’Keeffe’s life story with narration by Hugh Dancy and with Claire Danes as the voice of the artist. At 7pm.

Party Girl
Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers
August 12

Party Girl is one of many ‘90s indie gems starring Parker Posey—who is currently experiencing a career renaissance after her turn as Victoria Ratliff in The White Lotus. The film follows Mary, an extroverted free spirit (with great taste in fashion) who is arrested for hosting an illegal rave. She strikes a deal with her librarian aunt that she will start working shifts at the library in exchange for bail money. At 7pm.

First Reformed Screening with Director Paul Schrader
Irvington Theater
August 15

Irvington Theater will host a screening of First Reformed, which will be followed by a discussion with writer and director Paul Schrader. The renowned filmmaker is known for his work on titles such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Affliction and more. First Reformed stars Ethan Hawke as a reverend of a small church in upstate New York. After an unsettling experience with an unstable environmentalist and his pregnant wife, he contends with his past and world issues. At 7pm.

Jaws 50th Anniversary
Picture House Pelham (beginning August 28)
Jacob Burns Film Center (beginning August 29)

Jaws is returning to the big screen for its 50th anniversary. Stephen Spielberg’s classic blockbuster tells the story of Amity, a tourist-filled beach town that becomes terrorized by a great white shark. Police chief Martin Brody enlists the help of a marine biologist and a shark hunter to catch the beast. Various times.

Miss Hokusai
KinoSaito
August 29

As part of its Japanese film series, KinoSaito will screen Miss Hokusai, an anime film adapted from the manga Sarusuberi. The story centers around the complex relationship between protagonist O-Ei, her father Hokusai—the famous woodblock painter known for The Wave—and their roommate Zenjiro. O-Ei develops as an artist, studying her father’s style and grappling with her place in a male-dominated world. Professor of Japanese Dr. Hiromi Tsuchiya Dollase will present a historical introduction and lead a post-screening discussion. RSVP required. At 6pm.

Upcoming Film Festivals

Mount Vernon Film Festival
August 9 & 10

Mount Vernon Film Festival features short works by local filmmakers, with a focus on those from Mount Vernon. The lineup of films, all under 40 minutes, covers a broad range of genres, including animation, documentary, drama, horror and more. The weekend festival at the Mount Vernon Public Library presents film screenings, workshops, panels and an awards ceremony.

Katonah Classic Stage Film Festival
August 9

Katonah Classic Stage Film Festival, presented by Katonah Classic Stage, began with outdoor screenings during the pandemic to bring audiences together and keep cinema alive. Now in its sixth year, the festival presents films both outdoors and indoors at the Bedford Playhouse. The festival features short films from all around the world, each 25 minutes or less, in categories that include Narrative Drama, Narrative Comedy, Documentary, Animation, Made in Westchester County, NY, and Student (Under 18).

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_{Images: top illustration for Jaws’s 50th anniversary by artist Julia Herceg; It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley (photo courtesy Magnolia Pictures); Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (photo courtesy of Goldwyn Pictures); First Reformed (photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)}