The Picture Show, FilmScene’s longest-running specialty screening series, made its grand return this past weekend.

Created to provide a place for film enthusiasts of all ages, the nonprofit theater will screen four family-friendly films on the third weekend of every month until April.

The films in this spring’s lineup include “Kubo and the Two Strings” in January, “The Princess Diaries” in February, “Toy Story 2” in March, and “The Iron Giant” in April.

Andrew Sherburne, FilmScene’s executive director and co-founder, spoke about what goes into the process of selecting films for the Picture Show’s roster.

“We’ve got a programming team, they usually set a yearlong slate of films and try to make sure that it’s diverse, both in the stories and the people behind the films, but also in eras and styles,” he said.

Sherburne said he looks for movies that both provide both comfort and more adventurous fare. Other factors that play into the film selection process are time and place.

“We want kids to understand that there are films from other countries, there are films made for kids 20, 40, 70 years ago,” Sherburne said. “We want to expand [the] audience’s understanding
of film history.”

According to him, the audience response to the Picture Show has been overwhelmingly positive.

“I think [the Picture Show] is one of our most beloved series,” Sherburne said, emphasizing how the series provides parents and kids an opportunity to get out of the house during the cold front.

Last year, over 2,000 people attended Picture Show screenings — a significant jump up from the previous year during which virtual activities were implemented due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“People have responded very well,” Sherburne added. “Last year, attendance grew pretty substantially as people came back to the movies at levels that were really strong again.”

Both FilmScene and the Picture Show series have recently hit their 10-year anniversaries, and neither show any sign of slowing down.

“[The Picture Show] is something that we will be committed to as long as we can,” said Sherburne, emphasizing how important young audiences are to the future of the film industry. “We want the next generation of storytellers and movie lovers together to be able to experience movies here.”

Sherburne also voiced his belief in the importance of giving the younger people an appreciation of cinema.

“It’s not just something that you casually throw on your TV at home when you’re bored,” he said.