New York City’s first-ever “Art House Cinema Week” is underway but the Bronx is notably absent.
The weeklong celebration highlights independent theaters across the city that showcase foreign, documentary and arthouse films. But a map of participating locations shows only four boroughs.
“I, for one, was very disappointed The Bronx wasn’t on the map,” one community member said.
Art House New York, the organization behind the event, says The Bronx is included – pointing to the Bronx Independent Cinema Center as a participating partner.
But that claim is being disputed.
“We are no longer a part of Art House Theater Week. That was news to us,” said Gregory Hernandez, executive director of the Bronx Independent Cinema Center. “You can’t say it’s Art House New York and not include the borough.”
The Bronx Independent Cinema Center is a nonprofit working to bring a dedicated independent movie theater to the borough — something advocates say is long overdue.
Currently, The Bronx only has two major chain theaters — the Regal Concourse and AMC Bay Plaza — which primarily show mainstream films.