NEWSLETTER
Five films on screen between August 5 and 8
Rochester, N.Y. (July 31, 2026) —Between August 5 and 8, the Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum will present five films on screen as part of the Paul and Phil film series, all on rare 35mm. This year’s installment is part of an annual celebration of Philip Seymour Hoffman around his birthday, honoring one of Rochester’s shining stars. The acclaimed actor would have turned 59 on July 23.
“Philip Seymour Hoffman is an important part of the Dryden Theatre’s history,” said Curator of Film Exhibitions Jared Case. “Not only was he born and raised in nearby Fairport, but he attended screenings at the Dryden in his younger years, taking in the performances of his cinematic predecessors. He is a permanent part of its infrastructure, with a sculpture of his likeness mere feet from the entrance to the theatre. As we celebrate the theatre’s 75th anniversary, there seems no better way to honor both than with vintage prints of the films he took so much pride in.”
Across sixteen years and five films, Hoffman became something of a muse for writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson, who recalled seeing him perform for the first time and thinking, "He's for me, and I'm for him."
From an obnoxious gambler in Anderson's first feature to an aggressive phone-sex supervisor, and from a charismatic and enigmatic cult leader to a shy and sensitive boom operator, Anderson's films continually challenged Hoffman with roles that showcased the remarkable breadth of his talent.
Dates and Titles:
- Wednesday, August 5 at 7:30 p.m.: Hard Eight (Paul Thomas Anderson, US 1996, 101 min., 35mm)
- Thursday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m: Punch-Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson, US 2002, 95 min., 35mm)
- Friday, August 7 at 7:30 p.m: The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson, US 2012, 138 min., 35mm)
- Saturday, August 8 at 5 p.m.: Boogie Nights (Paul Thomas Anderson, US 1997, 155 min., 35mm)
- Saturday August 8 at 8:30 p.m: Magnolia (Paul Thomas Anderson, US 1999, 188 min., 35mm)
Tickets to each film can be purchased online or at the Dryden Theatre box office up to forty-five minutes prior to each film.
About the George Eastman Museum
Founded in 1947, the George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the largest film archives in the United States. Its holdings comprise more than 400,000 photographs, 31,000 motion picture films, the world’s preeminent collection of photographic and cinematographic technology, one of the leading libraries of books and archival materials related to photography and cinema, and extensive holdings of documents and other objects related to George Eastman. The museum is located on the historic Rochester estate of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography. As a research and teaching institution, the Eastman Museum has an active publishing program, and its L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation’s graduate program (a collaboration with the University of Rochester) makes critical contributions to film preservation. The George Eastman Museum is supported with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. For more information, visit eastman.org.
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