The city’s repertory cinemas are bustling again, offering a wide range of programming for cinephiles. This weekend’s highlights bring together newly restored prints, director-focused retrospectives, and rare 35mm presentations. For readers planning outings, these screenings showcase both household favorites and adventurous choices, with each venue leaning into a distinct curatorial voice. Think of the schedule as a map of New York’s film culture, where each stop reveals a different aspect of the art form.
Whether you’re chasing pristine restorations or searching for historical formats, the offerings include something for every interest. Several institutions are presenting programs that foreground filmmakers’ careers, technical achievements, or experimental work. Expect major houses to present films on formats like 35mm and 4K, while others mount focused series that explore music videos, commercials, and less-seen shorts. The listings below break down the standout presentations by theme and venue to help you plan.
Retrospectives and director-focused programs
At the forefront this weekend is a large-scale retrospective centered on actor Tony Leung, mounted at Film at Lincoln Center. The program includes films by auteurs such as Wong Kar-wai, John Woo, Hou Hsiao-hsien, and Zhang Yimou, allowing viewers to trace collaborations and career highlights. These screenings function as an actor-centered retrospective, a format that places a performer’s body of work in context rather than focusing on a single director. For anyone interested in performance and cinematic partnerships, this series is a particularly rich opportunity to see how different directors have worked with a single leading presence.
Notable restorations at major venues
Several cinemas are emphasizing restorations this week. Film Forum has begun showings of Luchino Visconti’s Bellissima in a newly refreshed print, an occasion to appreciate the film’s textures on a carefully preserved copy. BAM is presenting Whisper of the Heart in a fresh 4K restoration, a format that sharpens color and detail for animated work. IFC Center is screening Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams in a new 3D restoration, offering a rare chance to experience the film’s prehistoric cave imagery with enhanced depth. These restored presentations are ideal moments to see films as close as possible to their creators’ intentions.
35mm screenings and essential cinema
Fans of photochemical projection will find a comforting number of celluloid presentations. Anthology Film Archives is showing Citizen Kane on 35mm as part of its Essential Cinema series, a longstanding program dedicated to influential works. Metrograph also emphasizes celluloid this weekend, with titles like Fantastic Planet, La Belle Noiseuse, and Decision to Leave all programmed on 35mm. The tactile grain and tonal range of these prints can transform familiar films into fresh experiences, especially for viewers used to digital projection.
Late-night and specialty screenings
For those who prefer quirky or nocturnal programming, several venues offer late slots and themed nights. Film Forum schedules Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Sunday, a crowd-pleasing choice that often draws lively audiences. IFC Center’s late-night lineup includes eclectic titles such as Blow Out, Millennium Actress, Salò, and Sneakers, making it a destination for varied tastes. These programs work as communal viewing experiences where the film’s tone and the audience’s energy combine to create memorable screenings.
Curated series and new program launches
Museum of Modern Art has opened a new series devoted to the director Tarsem, showcasing his films alongside commercials and music videos to highlight a multimedia approach to visual storytelling. This project treats short-form work with equal seriousness and is a useful reminder that filmmakers often move fluidly between formats. Meanwhile, Metrograph is launching several new programs, including The Dog Dies, The Last Dreamers, and Actress as Auteur, while continuing multi-title strands like New Humans, Fables for a Fragile Earth, Holy Trips, After the Case, Tahar Cheriaa, and Empress Li.
The Paris Theater is presenting a collection titled Wild Tales, which features work by directors such as Kelly Reichardt, Jerzy Skolimowski, and Ken Loach, and is also screening Frank Perry’s Last Summer on 35mm. These curated programs highlight international and independent voices and make for excellent double-bill or marathon options. Together, the week’s offerings reflect a diverse spectrum of archival care, curatorial ambition, and pure entertainment value—ample reasons to head to one of the city’s repertory houses and take in a film on the big screen.