The Knolls Returns as the Sponsor of Arts in the Afternoon at the JBFC

Pleasantville, NY – September 22, 2021 – The Knolls, a continuing care retirement community located in Valhalla, is once again the sponsor of Arts in the Afternoon at the Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC). This ongoing program includes two popular series, World Stage on Screen and Senior Afternoon Cinema.

World Stage on Screen brings the best of international theater and dance to the screen and includes performances from esteemed institutions such as the National Theatre Live and the Royal Opera House in London. Senior Afternoon Cinema is a series of outstanding older, repertory films programmed to appeal to senior moviegoers. Both programs run year-round. The JBFC is vaccinated only for ALL screenings and events until further notice. Masks are required for all patrons and staff, and may only be removed to enjoy concessions while seated in the Theater. The JBFC installed Bi-Polar Ionization air filtration units at the Theater, which filters the air to the highest commercially available standards, and continues our enhanced cleaning protocols.

“The Knolls is thrilled to once again be partnering with the Jacob Burns Film Center. We are proud to make the arts accessible not only to our residents, but to the community as a whole,” said Michael Dobbins, Executive Director at The Knolls.

“World Stage on Screen and Senior Afternoon Cinema feature a broad selection of afternoon arts programs. These series cultivated a loyal and enthusiastic audience over the years, so it’s exciting to bring them back this fall,” said Brian Ackerman, JBFC Founding Director of Film Programming. “We are delighted to once again partner with The Knolls as we engage our community in person.”

The first three films scheduled for Senior Afternoon Cinema’s return are:

Gosford Park
Oct. 19, 2:00
Robert Altman (McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Nashville), one of America’s most distinctive and prolific filmmakers, journeyed to England to create this unique whodunit near the end of his career, utilizing another of his outstanding ensemble casts that included Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Ryan Phillippe, Kristin Scott Thomas, Charles Dance, Kelly Macdonald, and Bob Balaban. Set in the 1930’s, Gosford Park brings a group of pretentious rich and famous elites together for a weekend of relaxation at a hunting resort. But when a murder occurs, each one of the characters becomes a suspect.

Sabrina
Nov. 16, 2:30
Chauffeur’s daughter Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn, Funny Face) comes home from two years in Paris and immediately catches the attention of David (William Holden, Sunset Boulevard), the slacker, playboy son of her father’s rich employers. Sabrina, who has been in love with David her whole life, falls for his flirtations almost immediately. However, their relationship is threatened when she also develops feelings for David’s more serious older brother, Linus (Humphrey Bogart, Key Largo), who dutifully runs the family business and is relying on David to marry an heiress in order for a crucial merger to take place. Co-written and directed by Hollywood ace Billy Wilder (Some Like It Hot, The Apartment).

The Lady Eve
Dec. 14, 2:30
Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity) sizzles, Henry Fonda (The Wrong Man) bumbles, and Preston Sturges, directing his third feature, runs riot in one of the all-time great screwballs, a pitch-perfect blend of comic zing and swoon-worthy romance. Aboard a cruise liner sailing up the coast of South America, Stanwyck’s conniving card shark sets her sights on Fonda’s nerdy snake researcher, who happens to be the heir to a brewery fortune. But when the con artist falls for her mark, her grift becomes a game of hearts—and she is determined to win it all.

The three upcoming World Stage on Screen programs are:

NT Live: Follies
2:00, 6:00 Oct. 21
New York, 1971. There’s a party on the stage of the Weismann Theatre. Tomorrow the iconic building will be demolished. Thirty years after their final performance, the Follies girls gather to have a few drinks, sing a few songs, and lie about themselves. Tracie Bennett, Janie Dee, and Imelda Staunton play the magnificent Follies in this dazzling production. Featuring a cast of 37 and an orchestra of 21, Stephen Sondheim’s legendary musical was directed by Dominic Cooke and filmed live on stage at the National Theatre in 2017. Winner of Academy, Tony, Grammy, and Olivier awards, Sondheim’s previous work includes A Little Night Music, Company, and Sunday in the Park with George.

NT Live: Skylight
Nov. 17, 2:00, 6:00
Bill Nighy (Love Actually, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman, Drive) feature in David Hare’s Skylight, directed by Stephen Daldry (Together, Billy Elliot), filmed live on-stage in London’s West End. On a bitterly cold London evening, schoolteacher Kyra Hollis (Mulligan) receives an unexpected visit from her former lover, Tom Sergeant (Nighy), a successful and charismatic restaurateur whose wife has recently died. As the evening progresses, the two attempt to rekindle their once passionate relationship only to find themselves locked in a dangerous battle of opposing ideologies and mutual desires.

NT Live: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dec. 7, 2:00, 6:00
Captured live from the National Theatre in London, this critically acclaimed production tells the story of Christopher, fifteen years old, and who stands beside Mrs. Shears’ dead dog. It has been speared with a garden fork; it is seven minutes after midnight, and Christopher is under suspicion. Exceptionally smart, but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life, Christopher has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, detests being touched, and distrusts strangers. But his detective work—forbidden by his father—takes him on a frightening journey that upends his world.

The Knolls is part of Bethel Homes and Services, the only not-for-profit organization in Northern Westchester offering a full continuum of services to seniors. These programs include Adult Day Services, Home Care, Independent Senior Living, Assisted Senior Living, Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, and Outpatient Therapy. Located on campuses in Croton-on-Hudson, Ossining, and Valhalla, Bethel has been serving the senior community for over 100 years.

To download the press release pdf, click here.