Those of you who have been following me know that for a number of years, I’ve been trying to find a way to boost art cinema exhibition in Manhattan above 14th Street, more specifically on the Upper West Side. As stated many times before, the neighborhood is desperately in need of augmenting the good work done by Film at Lincoln Center and New Plaza Cinema. Well, now the word is out. The neighborhood group, New Friends of Metro has put out a press release endorsing my plan to buy the Metro Cinema and turn it into a not-for-profit 5-screen art film cinema, education center and cafe. The full press release is below.
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
NEW FRIENDS OF METRO THEATER SUPPORTS UPPER WEST SIDE CINEMA’S PLANS TO REVITALIZE LANDMARKED THEATER, FEATURING A NOTABLE ADVISORY BOARD INCLUDING FAMED FILMMAKERS AND ACTORS
New York, NY [July 17, 2024] – NEW Friends of Metro Theater (NFoMT), the organization dedicated to the cultural revival of the historic community Metro Theater at 2626 Broadway, located between 99th and 100th Streets, has been actively seeking potential buyers to rejuvenate this landmark building, which has remained dormant for nearly two decades. NFoMT has built an open and warm dialogue with the owners – the Bialek family.
NFoMT is notably impressed by the comprehensive and visionary plan put forth by film producer Ira Deutchman with film consultant Adeline Monzier, Founders of Upper West Side Cinema Center, Inc. (UWSC), a not-for-profit dedicated to bringing a world-class art cinema back to the neighborhood.
UWSC’s goal is to purchase and restore the theater into a vibrant five-screen movie house featuring movie classics, foreign films, independent hits, and blockbuster new releases. The plan also includes an education center and a café/lounge open to the street. President of NEW Friends of Metro Theater, Liza Cooper, noted, “Ira & Adeline bring longstanding relationships with national and international cultural institutions such as Film at Lincoln Center, New Plaza Cinema, Woodstock Film Festival, BAM and MOMA, Cinecitta and Unifrance. Additionally, their impressive advisory board, including Martin Scorsese, John Turturro, Ethan Hawke, Mary Harron, Geoffrey Fletcher, Nancy Savoca, Griffin Dunne, Amy Robinson, Bob Balaban and others, give us confidence that they can bring our Metro Dreams to fruition.”
Furthermore, Gina Bello, Vice President of Marketing and Social Media for NFoMT, stated, “This vision aligns perfectly with NFoMT’s mission to enhance our neighborhood through arts and cultural revitalization.” She added, “The plan reflects the hopes of our members and the community, promising to be a cultural center and an economic boon for local businesses.”
Ira Deutchman, a longtime resident of the Upper West Side, is a renowned independent film producer with over 150 credits. He is also Professor Emeritus at Columbia University and sees the Metro Theater as a center for artistic expression and community engagement. Deutchman fondly recalls the area’s rich cinematic legacy, noting today’s marked shift: “The Upper West Side is desperately under-screened for the devoted art film audience that exists. Since the demise of both the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and the Landmark 57, there are now only three full-time art screens plus one part-time screen north of 14th Street. This is in comparison to over twenty dedicated art screens in downtown Manhattan, and a similar number in Brooklyn.”
Adeline Monzier is a resident of Harlem. In addition to representing Unifrance in the United States, she has been programming for the Metrograph and the Maysles Cinema. Monzier believes, “The Metro’s central location and accessibility to subway and bus lines make it a perfect destination for the uptown community, including the underserved Upper East Side. These audiences would bring great economic benefit to the area surrounding the theater.”
Both Deutchman and Monzier are well-known figures in the domestic and international film business. In addition to the celebrities who have signed on as advisors, they have a who’s who of film business veterans supporting the endeavor, including Tim League (Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas), Russ Collins (Marquee Arts and Founder of the Art House Convergence), Richard Peña (Director Emeritus of the New York Film Festival), Meira Blaustein (Woodstock Film Festival), Jonathan Sehring (former President of IFC Entertainment), Barbara Twist (Film Festival Alliance), and Paul Richardson (former CEO of Landmark Theaters). According to Deutchman, “the funds necessary to implement this plan are significant, but I’m convinced the group we have put together will make it clear to potential funders that we can make this happen.”
NFoMT strongly advocates that any chosen plan preserves the artistic essence of the Upper West Side community. Local filmmaker and the group’s Chief of Content and Communications, Lauren Flick, stressed the initiative’s broader significance, “Beyond mere restoration, this project aims to rejuvenate community spirit and foster creative expression, values we strongly endorse and see in this proposal.”
For more information on how to support this transformative project, visit uwscinema.com.
Please let this happen. I will be there every weekend!
As a staunch supporter of film exhibition and art house presentations anywhere in Manhattan, I always expected that some group would get a grip on the helm of long forgotten Metro Cinema, ex-Midtown, for decades a place for second runs and in its latest format, an attempt by Dan Talbot of the New Yorker fame for a replacement of his legendary movie house on the Upper West Side. I trust the efforts of Ira Deutchman and his colleagues will resurrect the Metro bringing back classics and contemporary films to the neighborhood.