Summer Guide: Film

There are plenty of popcorn blockbusters to spend your time and money on this summer, but why not spice up your filmgoing with awesome movies at some of New York"s cinema temples?

By Staff

92YTribeca
If you can"t escape the heat of the city, we suggest you do the next best thing by enjoying some air conditioning and a film at 92YTribeca, which has varied programming all summer long. Fairytale Road Trips is the theme of its Beer Goggle Series in June. Check out a screening of To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar June 3, because the only people who make a better road trip trio than Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando are Noxeema Jackson, Vida Boheme and Chi-Chi Rodriguez. 200 Hudson St. (at Canal St.), 212-601-1000, www.92ytribeca.org.

Alliance Francaise
Want to imagine you"re spending the summer in Paris? This June, Cinema Tuesdays presents The Magic of Jean Gremillion. And don"t worry if you"re rusty's they"re all in French with English subtitles. Little Lise is the story of a convict who returns home to discover his daughter has become a prostitute. For a steamier romp, Stormy Waters tells the tale of a boat captain stranded with another man"s wife while his own wife waits for him at home with an illness he doesn"t know about. Dark, twisted, melodramatic and gorgeous's sure sounds French! June 7, 14, 21 & 28, 22 E. 60th St. (betw. Park & Madison Aves.), 212-355-6100, www.fiaf.org.

Anthology Film Archives
Cycling cinephiles should start saving the dates for The Bicycling Film Festival June 24–26. The annual event celebrates two-wheelers with film, art, music and lots more. AFA"s other film series are getting the disco treatment with a little help from Hollywood. Part 1 of Hollywood Musicals of the 1970s & "80s: The 1970s opens June 17 with the break-up of the Beatles through a screening of Tony Palmer and Frank Zappa"s 200 Motels, and encompasses screen classics such as Sidney Lumet"s The Wiz, as well as Martin Scorsese"s New York, New York. 32 2nd Ave. (at E. 2nd St.), 212-505-5181, www.anthologyfilmarchives.org.

Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
Movies start at sunset every Monday in this outdoor film series, which opens June 20. We recommend coming early if you want a seat. This year"s festival is going old school; you won"t find a film from after 1980 on the list. Come see classics like One Flew Over the Cuckoo"s Nest, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Cool Hand Luke and Dirty Harry quick before someone gets the dim idea to greenlight remakes. Monday nights June 20­–Aug. 22, Bryant Park, enter park at W. 41st St. and 6th Ave., www.bryantpark.org.

Central Park Film Festival
By late August, we"re too heat exhausted to do anything but watch movies, which makes the timing of Central Park"s annual film festival ideal. The dates and line-up of films for the week-long festival"s ninth season is still under wraps; however, we can guarantee it"ll be a mix of classic and newer movies. We couldn"t be vaguer if we tried, but trust us: It"s worth a trip to Rumsey Playfield. Central Park, Rumsey Playfield, enter park at E. 69th St. & 5th Ave., www.centralparknyc.org.

Film Forum
With Hollywood hellbent on adapting every famous film from the past 75 years or so, Film Forum"s Revivals & Repertory summer season offers a chance to see why the originals became classics in the first place, such as Planet of the Apes, 3:10 to Yuma and King Kong, as well as iconic films including Bringing Up Baby, The Maltese Falcon and a series of essential Pre-Code films that have yet to find 21st-century interpretations. Mondays are devoted to the best of Buster Keaton; 24 of his feature and short films will screen weekly now through Aug. 8. May 13–Aug. 8, 209 W. Houston St. (betw. 6th Ave. & Varick St.), 212-727-8110, www.filmforum.org.

Film Society at Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center houses the most lauded film series in the city's and will soon have a whole new cinema's and this summer"s selections are especially enticing. June opens with an homage to Italian film, as it"s the 150th anniversary celebration of the movement responsible for Italy"s modern configuration the Risorgimento. Open Roads: New Italian Cinema explores films such as Mario Martone"s We Believed, inspired by the elements that led to Italian independence. Open Roads also marks the American premiere of Giulio Manfredonia"s political satire, Whatsoeverly, and director Dianni Di Gregorio"s new film The Salt of Life. 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, W. 65th St. (near Amsterdam Ave.), www.filmlinc.com.

IFC Center
Aside from screening some of the best independent and foreign films around, every summer IFC Center actually gives us an excuse to head indoors. This summer is no exception, starting with its weekend classics series, which is devoted to the works of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa now through September. Proceeds from ticket sales will aid in Japan"s disaster relief efforts through the Japan Society"s Earthquake Relief Fund. 323 6th Ave. (at W. 3rd St.), 212-924-7771, www.ifccenter.com.

Manhattan Film Festival
This film festival has held on to the indie roots on which it was founded and includes 10 days of film screenings as well as panel discussions, workshops and Q&A sessions. The fest presents a total of 132 films, 30 of which are international selections, with John Gray"s White Irish Drinkers selected for opening night. The Children and Family Program is among the new programming this year, along with the Student Film Program, featuring the work of 19 student filmmakers. For beginning filmmakers, the Festival has partnered with screenbooker.com to create the Film Revenue Sharing Program, a start-up that enables filmmakers to promote festival events and earn 50 percent of the revenue. July 22–31, 2537 Broadway (betw. W. 94th & W. 95th Sts.), 212-864-5400, www.manhattanfilmfestival.org.

Museum of Modern Art
MoMA kickstarts its summer film series with an exhibition of Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow"s works June 1. Crafting Genre: Kathryn Bigelow includes films written, directed and produced by Bigelow, from early films like Near Dark, thrillers like Point Break and films covering contemporary issues like The Hurt Locker, for which she won an Oscar. And stick around the museum this summer to enjoy a vicarious vacation to Ireland with Revisiting The Quiet Man: Ireland on Film (through June 3), or some fun for the whole family with Pixar Revisted, a film series and exhibition celebrating 20 years of Pixar"s animated works (June 25–July 9). 11 W. 53rd St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.) 212- 948-9400, www.moma.org.