HOWLAND, Ohio – The United States of America is marking its 250th anniversary this year, with each state recognizing its own contributions to the nation’s culture.
Ohio’s celebration will include screenings of the many movies that have been made in the state or by its residents. The Medici Museum of Art will play a major role in it with an exhibition that will open in the fall.
The Buckeye State will soon launch Ohio Goes to the Movies as a signature event of the America 250 celebration. It’s a sweeping cultural initiative that will place the state’s creative legacy firmly in the national spotlight.
Ohio Goes to the Movies will begin on February 11 and will run through October. The program will feature more than 250 free movie events in all 88 counties, creating what organizers describe as “about 250 days of Ohio movie magic showcasing Ohio’s contributions to America’s film industry and moviemaking.”
The first-of-its-kind effort celebrates Ohio’s influence on American cinema by highlighting “Ohioans in front of, and behind the camera – actors, directors, writers, composers – as well as Ohio locations and topics,” according to the official Ohio Goes to the Movies description.
At the heart of the statewide celebration is the Medici Museum of Art, which has been selected as the primary and largest exhibition venue for the initiative. The museum will host the culminating exhibition of the 250-day series, reinforcing the Mahoning Valley’s growing role in Ohio’s cultural and creative economy.
A Statewide Celebration of Film – and Community
From small-town theaters to major cultural venues, Ohio Goes to the Movies will bring free movie screenings into communities across the state, emphasizing local participation as a central goal of the program.
“Ohio has played a significant role in the history of American film and continues to attract talent, productions and storytelling that resonate around the world,” said Mike DeWine in an official announcement. “Ohio Goes to the Movies ensures that residents in every community can participate in the America 250 celebration and rediscover the films that connect us.”
Program Director Molly Kreuzman said the initiative is designed to honor both people and place.
“This celebration honors Ohio’s filmmakers, in front of and behind the camera, and the towns and cities that brought some of America’s most beloved stories to life,” Kreuzman said. “By offering more than 250 free events across all 88 counties, we are making the America 250 celebration accessible and meaningful for every Ohioan.”
The series highlights Ohio-born talent whose work has shaped American cinema, as well as iconic films made in the state. Screenings across Ohio will feature titles such as “The Shawshank Redemption,” filmed in Mansfield and Upper Sandusky; “A Christmas Story,” filmed in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood; “The Avengers,” shot in downtown Cleveland; and “Rain Man,” filmed throughout Cincinnati.
Music, Memory, and the Medici’s Culminating Exhibition
As the statewide series concludes in autumn 2026, the Medici Museum of Art will unveil a museum-wide exhibition titled Frequency and Vibration: Soundtracks and Music by Ohioans in Movies.
Spanning the entire museum, the exhibition will explore the role music plays in cinematic storytelling and how scores and soundtracks shape emotion, memory and meaning long after the credits roll.
“Hosting Frequency and Vibration as the culminating exhibition of Ohio Goes to the Movies is both a tremendous responsibility and an incredible privilege,” said Katelyn Amendolara-Russo, executive director of Medici Museum of Art. “This exhibition will transform the entire museum into an immersive experience that honors the musicians and composers who gave cinema its emotional voice – and who trace their roots back to Ohio.”
Ohio-born musicians featured in the exhibition will span genres and generations, illustrating the state’s lasting influence on the sound of film.
Medici on the National Stage
Further elevating the museum’s national profile, Amendolara-Russo has been selected as a panelist at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, joining Ohio Goes to the Movies leadership in discussions with filmmakers, cultural leaders and industry executives. Sundance Film Festival is the world’s premier independent film festival. Founded in 1978, it is internationally recognized as a launchpad for groundbreaking filmmakers, new voices and cultural innovation.
Amendolara-Russo will participate in the AMC and The Hollywood Reporter Lounge, a high-profile gathering space for filmmakers, industry leaders, artists and cultural institutions.
Representing the Medici Museum of Art, she will sit alongside Matt Berninger of Cincinnati-based rock band The National, who will perform.
“Being selected as a panelist at the Sundance Film Festival is an extraordinary honor – not just personally, but for the Medici Museum of Art and for Ohio’s creative community,” Amendolara-Russo said. “Sundance is where independent voices are elevated and cultural conversations begin. To represent Ohio in that space is deeply meaningful.”
A Cultural and Economic Milestone
By anchoring Ohio Goes to the Movies at the Medici Museum of Art and by extending Ohio’s creative narrative onto the national stage, the initiative marks a significant moment for the state’s cultural economy.
“This moment affirms that what we are building at the Medici Museum of Art matters beyond our region,” Amendolara-Russo said. “Ohio’s creative legacy deserves national visibility, and we are proud to help carry that story forward.”
