JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER

The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) is a nonprofit, five-screen art house cinema in Pleasantville, New York, located across from the Metro-North station. Since opening in 2001, JBFC has presented independent, international, and documentary films alongside repertory titles and curated series, screening on both digital and 35mm film.
Through filmmaker Q&As, artist retrospectives, family- and senior-friendly screenings, and its popular Take 3 Wine Bar & Café series pairing films with food and wine, JBFC invites audiences to go deeper into the stories behind the films. Supported by a vibrant membership base and hundreds of local partners, the Burns serves as a central cultural hub for the community. The JBFC also advances visual literacy through educational programs for students and adults in its Media Arts Lab and supports working artists through residencies, with past participants including Bong Joon Ho, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Haley Anderson.

  • 73 years ago, Michalina Patane was the first "candy girl" at what was then the Rome Theater in Pleasantville

    In 2025, we welcomed Michalina back to the Theater—now the JBFC you know and love—for the first time in decades, celebrating her return with a certificate acknowledging her contributions to our storied history!

    The 1925 Rome Theater, a beautiful Spanish mission–style landmark, was one of the first movie theaters in the area. “The Show Place of Westchester County,” according to the New York Times, it was a working cinema until 1987, when competition with nearby multiplexes forced it to close its doors. In 2001, it re-opened as Jacob Burns Film Center.

  • Local beer from Captain Lawrence and Soul Brewing Company.

  • The Village Bookstore, an amazing independent shop.