Ohio Goes to the Movies is a statewide celebration of movies showcasing Ohio actors, directors, composers, writers, locations and topics. Movies will be shown in cities and towns across the state. A variety of movies will include independent films, Hollywood blockbusters, and industrial/special interest films, from rare archival footage to contemporary works.
Ohio can claim a rich heritage in the film industry starting with Thomas Edison who, with his staff, invented the Kinetoscope in 1891.
Great actors and pioneering legends like Clark Gable, Lillian Gish, Dorothy Dandridge, Doris Day, and Paul Newman are Ohioans. Contemporary actors like Halle Berry, Martin Sheen and Sarah Jessica Parker have carried on this tradition.
We are the home of directors like Steven Spielberg, Jim Jarmusch, Julia Reichert, and the Russo Brothers. Brilliant composers like Henry Mancini, animators like Disney’s Mark Allen Henn, even the Warner Brothers…all are native Ohioans!
There will be about 250 days of Ohio movie magic showcasing Ohio’s contributions to America’s film industry and moviemaking. And did we mention that all of the screenings are free!
Check out the films you can see around here:
To see all the films playing across the state, click here.
Ohio Goes to the Movies is the brainchild of Stephen George, who envisioned a statewide film festival while planning the 2003 Ohio Bicentennial. As executive director of the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, he traveled to each of Ohio’s 88 counties to learn about their history. “I always asked people what they were proud of in their community. They often brought up an actor or film connection from their hometown… that’s when the idea struck me,” he explained.
“While we didn’t have the capacity to make the statewide film festival a reality during the Ohio Bicentennial, I carried around the idea for years mulling over how something so big and so meaningful could happen across the whole of our state. When planning began for the 2026 America 250-Ohio celebration, I shared the idea for Ohio Goes to the Movies with Governor DeWine and other statewide leaders. They took to it immediately,” said Steve.
“We are pretty sure a statewide film festival of this size has never been envisioned before let alone accomplished. We are over-the-moon excited that so many communities—of every size and in all Ohio regions—will be involved in this truly statewide event.”
What better way to spend a winter Sunday afternoon than watching a cinematic gem on a big screen – for free? Dayton Metro Library began a new Sunday Movies @ Main series on January 6th. Each Sunday features a different film – from overlooked masterpieces and classics to foreign films, independent cinema and documentaries. All films start at 1:30pm in the Main Library’s Eichelberger Forum, 215 E. Third Street, and are free and open to the public.