No fading to black: Nonprofit film centers in Westchester pivot to stay in business

Although three nonprofit film centers in Westchester have had to close their doors to the public during the COVID-19 economic shutdown, they’re still operating albeit on a smaller scale and with normal in-house audiences staying at home.

The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) in Pleasantville, Bedford Playhouse in Bedford and Pelham Picture House in Pelham are offering audiences the opportunity to replicate the experience of attending their programs without violating social distancing requirements.

They have worked deals with film distributors to make titles available to their member and nonmember audiences, with pricing similar to the admission prices they had been charging for pre-release screenings of new films.

Of course, there are savings for viewers since paying $12 for each ticket at the box office can be more expensive than paying $12 to stream a movie to a television set, laptop or mobile device that is being viewed by a family of four. The technology may vary but the techniques of virtual programming developed to help enhance life during the pandemic may provide new opportunities when normalcy returns.

In partnership with a number of film distributors, the JBFC”™s  staff has curated a variety of new release streaming opportunities that patrons can enjoy from the comfort of their homes. The JBFC education team is curating fun and simple activities and resources the whole family can enjoy. An education blog recommends animation activities, how-to videos teaching film techniques, suggested streaming content, and more. JBFC also has videos of events that took place at its facilities posted on its YouTube channel and offers podcasts on various film subjects.

Among the features offered by The Pelham Picture House are online film screenings along with replays of question-and-answer sessions from events at which films were screened followed by appearances by filmmakers.

Typical is when Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and filmmaker Ron Suskind and his wife, Cornelia, were at the Picture House to discuss their documentary, “Life, Animated,” to a sold-out house. It’s the inspirational story of Owen Suskind, a young man who was unable to speak as a child until he and his family discovered a unique way to communicate by immersing themselves in the world of classic Disney animated films.

The Bedford Playhouse, being unable to invite audiences to attend screenings and other events while also enjoying food and beverage service, has also created a lineup of virtual programming.

In addition to a series of discussions that can be attended using the Zoom teleconferencing software, the Playhouse offers feature film, documentary and short subject programming that can be streamed. Among the unique offerings: “The Best of CatVideoFest.” The Playhouse says this is the first time the cat video collection has been available to screen virtually outside of theaters. It distills hours of cat videos down to a 40-minute film.

All three venues have programming information and instructions on how to stream films from various soruces on their websites: burnsfilmcenter.org, thepicturehouse.org and bedfordplayhouse.org.