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For Immediate Release:
New Organization To Establish Annual
Outdoor Movie Tradition in The Bronx
The Bronx Independent Cinema Center is a new 501(c)3 organization that unites filmmakers from diverse backgrounds with a shared passion for learning and thriving in our communities.
Bronx, New York, June 27, 2023 - Imagine not having to leave The Bronx anymore to enjoy art-house, independent, foreign and local films. This is part of the Bronx Independent Cinema Center’s vision. To develop an annual tradition of park, rooftop and drive-in screenings in The Bronx for local residents and those who reside uptown. The organization is producing its first outdoor screening series during its inaugural year to raise awareness of their true goal - develop a brick and mortar independent cinema center and incubator.
“The only outdoor film screenings that take place in The Bronx are normally in gardens, backyards or parks, but these are done once in a while, without much consistency, it’s difficult to build a community through cinema that way. There isn’t enough programming or much thought into how this benefits the local art community here uptown. While elected officials have done a commendable job of working with the parks department to produce Movies Under The Stars, a program which mostly screens animated films, Disney and Marvel productions, there’s a large market of people here in The Bronx who desire something more engrossing and stimulating.”
Gregory Hernandez is the Executive Director and President of the BICC. He sees a clear path toward activating the filmmaking scene in The Bronx, through a curated program of local film screenings on a seasonal basis. He believes this is a step toward establishing an annual tradition of screening both classic and contemporary independent films that are inspiring and thought provoking.
The BICC is collaborating with the 161st Street Business Improvement District(BID) to produce a free series of screenings. The 161st Street BID is sponsoring this program at Joyce Kilmer Park and additional screenings at the Lou Gehrig Plaza, which lies in front of the park. Other sponsors include the Bronx Documentary Center and The Dugout, a local black owned bar that has served the 161 corridor for over twenty years. Soon, BICC will aim to produce screenings at the Fordham Plaza, since the Fordham area is where the organization aims to open a storefront cinema space next year.
Established in October of 2022, BICC has a fundraising goal of $3 million dollars to develop an indie cinema and incubator space. The organization has shared proposals for the cinema with the Borough President’s office and city council member Pierina Sanchez’s chief of staff.
In its first year, BICC is hosting a series of pop up events and programs, such as screenings, workshops, fireside chats with industry professionals and mixer/networking events. This screening series will take place at Joyce Kilmer Park on June 29, July 27 and August 24 and the Lou Gehrig Plaza July 28, August 25 and September 14. The films are made by local filmmakers from the Uptown NYC area, immigrants and filmmakers of color. The list includes Shola Lynch (Chisholm 72’: Unbought and Unbossed), Eunice Levis (Ro & The Stardust), Anthony Rojas (The Last Movie Theater in Washington Heights), Gregory Hernandez (1.5 Million) and Ousmane Sembène (Black Girl).
In addition, a free monthly workshop series is set to begin June 17 and will also run until September. Those interested in attending the workshop series can RSVP via Eventbrite: https://bronxcinema.eventbrite.com.
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