STAMFORD — The Roxbury Arts Group will present a double-feature screening as part of its Local Lens Film Showcase on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at the Headwaters Arts Center, 66 Main Street.
The evening, which is free to attend with donations welcomed, will feature two films that approach rural life from markedly different angles: New Kingston by Kevin Bewersdorf of New Kingston, and The Reception by John G. Young of Charlottesville. Concessions will be available for purchase, and both filmmakers are scheduled to participate in a post-screening Q&A.
More information is available at roxburyartsgroup.org or by calling 607-326-7908.
A portrait of place, in real time
In New Kingston, filmmaker and musician Kevin Bewersdorf documents daily life in the unincorporated hamlet of the same name, weaving together images of seasonal change, home renovation, and local residents.
The film moves between observation and memoir, tracing both the physical work of rebuilding and the slower accumulation of community memory. Set against the rhythms of the Catskills, it offers a portrait of a place shaped as much by weather and geography as by the people who remain.
The result is an intimate, documentary-style record of rural life that captures what Bewersdorf presents as a quieter, often overlooked resilience.
A drama set against winter light
The second feature, The Reception, directed by John G. Young, shifts into psychological territory. Originally shot at the Roxbury Barn and Estate and premiered at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival, the film begins with a family gathering that quickly unravels into a study of buried tensions and emotional fracture.
When a woman’s daughter arrives unexpectedly with a new husband, what begins as a reception becomes an examination of secrecy, betrayal, and family history. Set in a snowbound rural landscape, the film uses the stark Delaware County winter as an emotional counterpoint to its unfolding drama.
The film contains strong language and sexual content and, if rated, would receive an R rating.
Young, who chairs the Film Conservatory at Purchase College, has filmed multiple projects in the region, including Rivers Wash Over Me, shot in Stamford, Jefferson, and Charlotteville. His work is often noted for its attention to rural landscapes and the ways setting shapes narrative and character.
Place as character
Taken together, the two films underscore a shared premise: that geography is not backdrop but structure.
In both works, the Catskills are not merely scenery but an active presence—shaping movement, constraining possibility, and reflecting the emotional contours of the people who inhabit it.
The Roxbury Arts Group’s Local Lens series continues that exploration, pairing regional filmmaking with audience conversation and context.
