Film events to catch in New York City this summer
New York City remains the summer capital of serious film programming, with major institutions rolling out lineups that reward both die-hard cinephiles and casual viewers looking for something sharper than the multiplex. The venues that shaped earlier seasons keep the calendar moving with refreshed editions, new premieres, and outdoor options that make the most of long evenings.
Future Imperfect: The Uncanny in Science Fiction ran at the Museum of Modern Art in 2017 and featured around seventy titles that examined the unsettling edges of the genre. Those dates and specific films are now historical, so current visitors turn instead to MoMA’s summer slate that includes Silent Movie Week from July 29 through August 3 along with repertory selections and newer releases.
New York Asian Film Festival 25th Anniversary
Film at Lincoln Center and partner venues host the New York Asian Film Festival’s 25th edition from July 10 through 26 across five locations. The milestone program brings premieres, Q&As, and appearances from more than fifty filmmakers working in new and established Asian cinema. Audiences can trace both commercial hits and experimental titles that rarely reach commercial runs elsewhere in the city.
Outdoor Film Screenings at Lincoln Center
Free public screenings return under the Summer for the City banner with the Penalty Flicks series running July 9 through 18. The campus-wide celebration mixes film with arts and sports programming, turning the plazas into open-air theaters where ticket lines move quickly and blankets claim prime spots early. The series keeps the Film Society’s profile visible even when indoor houses are quiet.
MoMA Summer Film Highlights 2026
MoMA’s calendar for 2026 leans into repertory and silent-era work rather than the earlier sci-fi focus. Silent Movie Week anchors late July, while additional series fill August with restored prints and contemporary titles that reward repeat visits. The programming gives visitors an alternative to festival crowds and keeps the museum’s theaters active through the warmest weeks.
Philip K. Dick Film Festival
The annual Philip K. Dick Film Festival continues as a dedicated New York City gathering for science-fiction cinema. Its program often overlaps thematically with the spirit of the old MoMA series, pairing classic adaptations with newer independent features that explore surveillance, identity, and altered realities. Screenings draw a steady mix of longtime fans and first-time viewers curious about the genre’s literary roots.
Japanese Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film has been refreshed as JAPAN CUTS Powered by Canon. The 2026 edition runs July 8 through 18 and presents more than thirty contemporary Japanese features, giving North American audiences an early look at directors who rarely travel with their work.
Scary Movies X has become Scary Movies XIV, scheduled August 12 through 20 at Lincoln Center’s Film Society. The latest iteration continues the series’ emphasis on boundary-pushing premieres while still finding room for restored classics that defined earlier waves of horror programming.
Together these events keep New York City’s summer screens busy with a range of tones and formats. Whether the draw is a 25th-anniversary retrospective, an outdoor double feature, or a late-night horror premiere, the city’s institutions continue to treat July and August as prime time for serious filmgoing.
