Looking for things to do in NYC with an art and culture twist? We have you covered with our top picks for events taking place mid-week through Sunday. Festivals abound this weekend with a film, jazz and theater festival on the list. Also included are a debut theater performance and a screening of Pat O'Neill's new feature length film at a Chelsea gallery. Read on for our picks of the best things to do in New York City through January 17, 2016 (and a bit beyond).
1. "First Look" Film Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image
The “First Look” Festival continues this weekend at the Museum of the Moving Image. Held from January 8 to 24, 2016, the Fifth Annual “First Look” Festival presents innovative international cinema. This year’s emphasis is on avant-garde films that reflect on the medium itself. Screenings take place this weekend on Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m.; and on Sunday from 1:30 to 7 p.m. The festival continues next weekend and concludes on Sunday, January 24, 2016.
A Festival Pass, good for admission to all films, is $40. The Museum of the Moving Image is located at 36-01 35th Avenue, New York, NY 11106. www.movingimage.us.
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A still from Alexander Sokurov's FRANCOFONIA (2015), the opening night film of the 5th annual First Look Festival at Museum of the Moving Image, January 8-24, 2016. Credit: @Jaap Vrenegoor. Courtesy of Music Box Films.
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2. Winter Jazzfest NYC
Winter Jazzfest NYC returns to New York City for its 12th edition on Wednesday, January 13, and continues through Sunday, January 17, 2016. Held at 10 NYC venues, the festival features over 100 acts. Expect to find two jazz marathons in Greenwich Village, special concerts, fundraisers and more.
Tickets are $145 for a 5-day pass with single passes ranging from $20 to $100. For a full schedule, tickets and event details, visit www.winterjazzfest.com
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3. “The Glory of the World” at BAM
“The Glory of the World” opens on Saturday, January 16, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. at the BAM Harvey Theater with performances continuing through February 6, 2016. Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was an icon and hermit; writer and photographer; a Trappist monk and art activitist; world traveler and 27-year resident of a monastery as well as a contemplative drinking buddy. Inspired by the advent of what would have been Thomas Merton's 100th birthday, "The Glory of the World" portrays a raucous birthday party of 17 men in party hats to toast Thomas Merton and his many sides, revealing how the search for sacred, as well as a person's life, can be complicated and messy.
“The Glory of the World” by the writer-director duo of Charles Mee (Big Love) and Les Waters (Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice). It was commissioned by the Actors Theatre of Louisville and developed at the 2014 Perry-Mansfield New Works Festival in Steamboat Springs, CO. The performance is an Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Production.
Tickets start at $30. The BAM Harvey Theater is located at 651 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217. www.bam.org.
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4. Under the Radar Festival at The Public Theater
The Under the Radar Festival continues through Sunday, January 17 at The Public Theater & Joe’s Pub. The annual contemporary theater festival serves as a launching-pad for new performers from the U.S. and beyond and presents new theater from around the world.
In addition to the performances, expect to find events including a pop-up library will book collections curated by festival artists at the Strand Book Shop on Saturday and Sunday (along with drink specials and small plates by the Library's Chef Andrew Carmellini); Roundtable discussions on the state of theater and what the future might hold on Saturday and Sunday at noon; moderated talk-back discussions following select performances; and a spotlighted series of performances meshing theater, art performance or dance with music.
Tickets are $25 per performance and can be purchased here. The Public Theater & Joe’s Pub is located at 425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003. www.publictheater.org.
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A scene from Institute of Memory (TIMe) running January 8-17 at The Public Theater as part of The Public’s 12th Annual Under the Radar Festival. Photo Credit: Lars Jan.
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5. Screening of “Where the Chocolate Mountains” at Mitchell-Innes & Nash
Pat O’Neill’s new feature film, “Where the Chocolate Mountains” (2015) screens on Thursday, January 14, at 6:30 p.m. at Mitchell-Innes & Nash. The film has a run time of 55 minutes; refreshments will be served. The screening is a one night only event.
In the film, O'Neill "...combines haunting cinematography of the Chocolate Mountains along the border between California and Arizona—long used as a bombing range by the military—with footage shot in L.A., Mexico and Prague, intimate self-portraits, and recurring graphic motifs to create irrepressible, stunningly detailed streams of multilayered sight and sound,' according to redcat.org. The film has its West Coast premiere in March 2016 at the CalArts Theater.
"Where the Chocolate Mountains" at Mitchell-Innes & Nash is presented in conjunction with the solo show “Pat O’Neill: Let’s Make A Sandwich”, which remains on view through January 23, 2016. The exhibition is the New York debut of Los Angeles-based artist and presents works spanning five decades and includes film, sculpture and works on paper
Mitchell-Innes & Nash is located at 534 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001. www.miandn.com.
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“Pat O’Neill: Let’s Make A Sandwich" at Mitchell-Innes & Nash.
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