‘Ohio Goes to the Movies’ series to make entire state a screening room

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — In celebration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Ohio is recognizing its contribution to the magic of cinema with a statewide movie series.

Announced on Wednesday by America 250-Ohio Commission (AM250-OH) the series, Ohio Goes to the Movies (OGTTM), will take place in early 2026.

From mid-February through May 2026 the Buckeye State will honor its representation in film, including movies made in Ohio, featuring Ohio-born actors, transpiring in an Ohio city or town, or centering on Ohioans.

The entire state will become one big screening room with all 88 counties participating in the festival. Venues will consist of locations from historic movie palaces, drive-in theaters and local auditoriums. Organizers promise each showing will go beyond watching the film. Attendees can look forward to behind-the-scenes information, activities, speakers, and more.

With the state’s broad celluloid history, there will be something for everyone. Archival/hard-to-find niche films, silver-screen classics and blockbusters will all be represented over the 100-day-long commemoration.

Ohio Goes to the Movies is kicking off the extraordinary event on Wednesday evening with a screening of “Apollo 11,” the 2019 documentary created with previously unseen NASA footage. Directed by Ohio’s Todd Douglas Miller and scored by Ohio native Matt Morton, the pair will also attend the sold-out inaugural show at the Lincoln Theater in Columbus.

Notable attendees will include:
• Todd Douglas Miller, Apollo 11 producer, director and editor, who grew up in Columbus
• Matt Morton, the film’s composer, who hails from Gahanna, Ohio
• JoAnn Hardin Morgan, the first woman to serve as a NASA flight director and in an executive position at NASA Kennedy Space Center
• Molly Kreuzman, Ohio Goes to the Movies program director
• Doug Preisse and former Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, America 250-Ohio Co-Chairs

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