Several area venues will host free screenings of films with Ohio ties in 2026 as part of Ohio Goes to the Movies.

The film series showcases the state’s many connections to the industry, both in front of and behind the camera as well as a filming location, and it’s one of the signature events for America 250-Ohio, the state’s celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary.

In the news release announcing the schedule, Gov. Mike DeWine says, “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. 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.”

From Feb. 11 to Oct. 10, 2026, more than 250 free movie screenings are planned in all 88 Ohio counties.

The lone event in Mahoning County also is one of the first — a screening of “The Deer Hunter” at the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor at 5 p.m. Feb. 20.

The 1978 film, which won five Academy Awards including best picture, was filmed throughout western Pennsylvania and Northeast Ohio, including Struthers.

Three screenings are planned in Trumbull County, two of which have local ties.

Best picture Oscar winner “A Beautiful Mind” will be shown at 3 p.m. March 7 at Regal Boulevard Centre in Niles. The cast includes Warren native Austin Pendleton, who has 170 film and television credits on his IMDb.com page and is best known for his work as an actor, director and playwright in the theater.

The Robins Theatre in Warren will screen “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” at 7 p.m. July 10. It was directed by Chris Columbus, who grew up in Champion and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. He also directed such box-office hits as “Home Alone” and “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and he was nominated for an Academy Award as a producer on “The Help.”

In past interviews, Columbus has talked about going to see films at the Robins in the 1960s and ’70s when it was a movie theater.

Elm Road Triple Drive-In in Warren will show on Aug. 10 the 1982 film “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” one of the many blockbuster hits directed by Stephen Spielberg, who was born in Cincinnati.

“Little Giants” is scheduled at the Columbiana Arts Theater at 7 p.m. May 22. While Youngstown native Ed O’Neill is best known for this work on the long-running sitcoms “Married with Children” and “Modern Family,” the 1994 comedy is one of O’Neill’s feature film starring roles.

Waterworth Memorial Park in Salem will host an outdoor screening of “The Shawshank Redemption” at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 1. The 1994 film, nominated for seven Academy Awards, was shot predominantly in Mansfield at the former Mansfield Reformatory.

The complete list of film screenings statewide and a database of Ohio folks with ties to the film industry can be found online at ohiogoestothemovies.org.