Olympic film series plays at Pelham's Picture House

Wednesday July 18, 2012 1:00 PM By Taylor Bacic

Photo credit: Handout | Leading up to the 2012 London Olympics, the Pelham Picture House is running a film series, "Faster, Higher, Stronger: The Olympics on Screen." Cheryl Haworth, pictured, competed in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. She is the focus of "Strong!," a documentary about her career, which will screen on Sunday, July 22, and Monday, July 23.

The 2012 London Olympics are right around the corner, and in honor of the upcoming games, Pelham's Picture House is presenting a film series, “Faster, Higher, Stronger: The Olympics On Screen.”

From Friday, July 20 to Thursday, July 26, The Picture House will be screening Olympics-inspired movies and documentaries. The Picture House will also feature special events, like Q&As with some of the films' directors, discussions with authors, and a chance to meet the youngest American to ever become an Olympic weightlifting medalist, Cheryl Haworth (pictured), who is featured in the documentary, "Strong!"

From family-friendly films like "Cool Runnings" to dramatic documentaries like "One Day in September," the film series covers a wide range of Olympics-related topics. With the Opening Ceremony of the summer Olympics on Friday, July 27, Ilya Tovbis, director of programming at The Picture House, said that now seemed like a good time to reflect on all the elements of the games.

“There are so many different angles you can approach the Olympics from, whether its political, national, artistic, or athletic,” Tovbis said. He hopes the film series will expose guests to an all-encompassing view of the Olympics while offering something for everyone to enjoy.

If you want to attend the film series, a pass is available at $25 for Picture House members and $40 for nonmembers. General admission tickets for individual shows are $10 at the door, $9 if purchased in advance, and $6 for members. For seniors, students, and children, tickets are $10 at the door and $8 if purchased in advance.

The following are some of the featured screenings, listed by day of the week. The Picture House is at 175 Wolfs Lane in Pelham. Find more information on the event and descriptions of each of the films at thepicturehouse.org.

"Faster, Higher, Stronger: The Olympics on Screen" schedule:

Friday, July 20: "Cool Runnings" (5:30 p.m.); "Jesse Owens," with director Laurens Grant (7:30 p.m.)

Saturday, July 21: "Walk, Don’t Run" (1 p.m.); "Warrior Champions," with directors Craig and Brent Renaud (3:30 p.m.); "Miracle" (8 p.m.)

Sunday, July 22: "China Heavyweight" (noon); "Visions of 8" (2 p.m.); "One Day in September" (5:30 p.m.); "Strong!" with director Julie Wyman (7:30 p.m.)

Monday, July 23: "Strong!" (7 p.m.)

Tuesday, July 24: "Warrior Champions" (6:15 p.m.); Free discussion with The Nation Sports Editor, Dave Zirin (8 p.m.)

Wednesday, July 25: "Cool Runnings" (1:30 p.m.); "Miracle" (6:30 p.m.); "Cool Runnings" (9 p.m.)

Thursday, July 26: "Walk, Don’t Run" (1:30 p.m.); Free discussion with ESPN The Magazine writer, Shaun Assael (6:30 p.m.); "China Heavyweight" (8 p.m.)

Tags: Pelham , The Picture House , Westchester , movies , events , Olympics