EXCLUSIVE: Martin Scorsese and his daughter Francesca Scorsese, a filmmaker and actress, are co-curating a new year-round film series titled Scorsese Presents: Family Films starting August 14 at the Southhampton Playhouse in Long Island.
The lineup reflects the iconic director’s lifelong dedication to cinema and the personal role it has played in his own family.
“We’ve been watching movies together for so long now. It’s been a sacred practice, like passing on the most precious family heirloom and understanding the meaning of it, the place that it holds,” said the father-daughter duo. “Watching, re-watching. Reacting to them, absorbing them, seeing them through each other’s eyes. It’s been a revelatory experience for both of us, grounded in love. Love between the two of us, father and daughter, and love for the art form of cinema and the individual movies that comprise its history and its future. We’re starting at the beginning of the whole process—the endless adventure of movies.”
To mark the debut of the series, they’ll appear on the first episode of the venue’s new weekly podcast All Kinds of Stories: Movies & More Conversations from the Southampton Playhouse, also premiering in August.
“Welcome to the Summer of Scorsese at the Southampton Playhouse,” said artistic director Eric Kohn. “Our theater blends nostalgia with a passionate investment in the future of the moviegoing experience, and we couldn’t have asked for better partners than Marty and Francesca to cement this goal. ‘Scorsese Presents: Family Films’ will be a foundational part of our programming agenda as we work to inspire new generations of film lovers for years to come.”
The series will feature curated screenings each with a pre-recorded introduction by Martin and Francesca Scorsese. Opening week titles include A Dog’s Life (1918); The Red Balloon (1955); The Thief of Baghdad (1940); Bicycle Thieves (1948); Playtime (1967); and The Wizard of Oz in Imax 3D (1939).
The Playhouse is a nonprofit serving the community of Southampton, New York and beyond with cinema and live events. Its four auditoriums include an Imax theater, 35mm projection and a flexible space for parties and performance arts. Like many local cinema mainstays appearing or reappearing in small-town centers, it shows a mix of studio, indie and repertory fare
