Metrograph Launches Tv App Plans Theater Reopening In September

Like most other NYC theaters, the Metrograph closed its doors in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now readying for a September re-opening. The two-screen theater, located on Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side, has yet to announce its full release plans as other NYC-area theaters continue to reopen, but today’s launch of the app makes it clear that a digital component will be part of its plans moving forward. “Metrograph’s digital expansion this past year has brought our programming to a nationwide audience, and the launch of the Metrograph TV App will make it even easier to enjoy Metrograph from your home,” said Metrograph CEO Christian Grass in an official statement. “While we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the cinema in September, our goal is to continue building a permanent digital space for everyone who shares our passion for movies.”

Metrograph first launched its online streaming platform in July 2020 with Metrograph Live Screenings, curated by the Metrograph programming team and featuring a rotating selection of new releases and repertory titles each week, with introductions, Q&As, and special pre-show presentations specific to each show. In the months since, Metrograph has expanded its digital platform with the addition of ticketed extended engagements on demand (TVOD), with highlights including a 4K restoration of Stanley Kwan’s “Center Stage,” Valentyn Vasyanovych’s “Atlantis,” and Metrograph Pictures releases “Sisters with Transistors” and repertory masterwork “Goodbye, Dragon Inn.” From its inception, the Metrograph’s digital arm has sought to create an at-home alternative to the live Metrograph experience. The launch of the Metrograph TV App will, per an official release, “make that experience seamless for home viewers, with all the same films, panels, and Q&As available to stream directly on your television.” Metrograph Membership is currently available for purchase for $5/month or $50/annually. Upcoming June Metrograph programming available both online and on the Metrograph TV App includes Lisa Rovner’s “Sisters with Transistors,” back by popular demand; a sneak preview of Éric Rohmer’s “The Aviator’s Wife,” coming soon from Metrograph Pictures; filmmaker Marisa Silver introducing “Old Enough” and Joan Micklin Silver’s “Bernice Bobs Her Hair,” starring Shelley Duvall; and “Whole Lotta Herzog,” showcasing 16 of the German master’s most celebrated narrative and documentary films including “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” and “Fata Morgana.”

Other standout programming picks include Wes Anderson presenting William Klein’s “The French,” featuring legendary tennis stars John McEnroe, Björn Borg, and Chris Evert behind the scenes of the 1981 French Open; a special preview screening of Edgar Wright’s “The Sparks Brothers”; and Courtney Stephens and Pacho Velez’s documentary “The American Sector.” Check out a (very charming) new trailer for the service below.