Nitehawk Cinema

“On my way to Nitehawk Prospect Park for the New Voices Filmmaker Grant Showcase at NewFest, I took an early train and got off at the Prospect Park station. The mosaic murals there-depicting everyday New Yorkers on the subway, reading newspapers or daydreaming on their commute-felt like a quiet prologue to the evening ahead. Before the screening, I took a slow stroll in the park, watching the last light slip through the trees. Inside the cinema, the mood was both intimate and electric. The showcase featured the 2025 New Voices Grant recipients-MG Evangelista, Shuli Huang, Farah Jabir, and Kevin Xian Ming Yu-each telling stories that felt tender, brave, and beautifully specific. I was surprised and proud to learn that Farah is Malaysian too, carrying another thread of Southeast Asian voice into the festival. After the screening, we gathered around tables of food under warm lights, surrounded by merch printed with slogans like “Queer Film Is an Act of Rebellion.” There was laughter, conversation, and a shared sense of purpose. In that moment, New York felt like a constellation of small worlds-each filmmaker, each story, illuminating a different way of belonging.”

“So much love to send to Nitehawk and the events team 🩷 We had our birthday party here by renting out one of the theaters to host a Nintendo Switch video game tournament. It was such a blast and the Nitehawk team was amazing to work with (huge shoutout to Chenelle & Raekwon)! The sound and picture quality was perfect, we were able to customize the menus to fit our theme (the Fried Chicken S’witch was a hit), and the space was cozy yet spacious enough to socialize. Would highly recommend having an event here and can’t wait to come back!!”

“What a great movie watching experience! The independently made previews were so cool to watch. The food was gourmet level good - I'm addicted to the Nitehawk popcorn, yes truffle me please. The creamy dip that comes with the soft pretzel is also outstanding. The service was quick and seamless. Thanks for a perfect date night Nitehawk:)”