May Ohio Goes to the Movies Showcases Films Made in Ohio and About Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (April 22, 2026) – Ohio Goes to the Movies (OGTTM), an America 250-Ohio Signature Event, continues its statewide lineup in May with 31 free movie screening events, many featuring films made in or about Ohio.
Several events on the May calendar will feature films that were made in the Buckeye State and illustrate Ohio’s movie magic. Iconic “The Shawshank Redemption,” independent film “Carol,” debutant “Union County” and Academy Award winner “Best Years of Our Lives” are only a few of the Ohio Goes to the Movie’s free screenings.
Leaving a Lasting Legacy on Ohio – “The Shawshank Redemption” Attracts Fans and Tourism
The iconic “The Shawshank Redemption” is screening twice next month – on May 1 in Toledo at The Valentine and May 15 in Sandusky at The Star.
More than 30 years since it filmed in locations around central and northern Ohio, “The Shawshank Redemption” is one of Ohio’s most beloved films and tourism attractions in Richland County (learn more) and around the state. Even the actors who made the movie enjoy returning to Ohio to recall the experience.
Though proud of many roles, actor Clancy Brown is most often recognized for “The Shawshank Redemption,” filmed at the Mansfield Reformatory. Born in Urbana, Ohio, he returned for the film’s 30th anniversary celebration in 2024. “From the score and set design to the writing, it was well done,” he said of the movie. “You walked onto the set, and it was right there in your nostrils and on your skin. The ghosts are still there,” he said. Read more about Clancy here.
Cincinnati and “Carol” Connection Immortalized on Screen
Independent film “Carol” is screening twice next month – on May 6 in Dayton at The Neon and May 9 in Beavercreek at The Regal Fairfield Commons.
Cincinnati served as far more than a filming location for the movie “Carol.” It was the foundation and heartbeat of the entire production. “More than a decade after its release, ’Carol’ stands as a landmark of American independent cinema. It is taught in film programs, presented in retrospectives across the globe and consistently cited among the most accomplished love stories in the history of the medium. Cincinnati is woven into every frame, a testament to a city that recognized the opportunity, embraced it fully and helped bring one of the defining films of a generation to life,” said Film Cincinnati President and CEO Kristen Schlotman.
“Film Cincinnati, the city and the broader community rallied around the production at every stage. Dozens of residents were engaged as crew members, and hundreds became extras, infusing the production with homegrown talent and faces, as well as a deep sense of civic pride,” she added.
Confusing Hollywood and Ohio
On May 15 the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati will screen “The Best Years of Our Lives,” which won seven Academy Awards in 1946 including Best Picture. Shot almost entirely in California, it is often listed as “filmed in Ohio” and Schlotman did some research to clarify Cincinnati’s role.
“The film’s fictional Midwestern hometown of Boone City was explicitly modeled on Cincinnati by novelist MacKinlay Kantor, who wrote the source material. Samuel Goldwyn’s publicity department claimed the film was shot in Cincinnati when it was not; a marketing move that muddied the waters for decades,” she explained. “What is documented is that a production crew flew over Cincinnati and captured aerial footage used in the film’s opening sequence.”
(Bethany Berry photo)
More Than a Location…Ohio Is a Character in the Story
“Union County” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will screen at the Holland Theatre in Bellefontaine on May 17, in the heart of where it was filmed with an audience of those who were subjects of the movie and appeared in it. Written and directed by Ohio native Adam Meeks, the movie is set in a rural part of the state and follows the main character on his journey and challenges through the process of court-mandated opioid addiction recovery based on the real community program. The sold-out OGTTM event will include a panel with Meeks and select cast members after the screening.
According to producer Brad Becker-Parton, “This film was made in collaboration with local communities. We filmed from March to June in 2025 in Bellefontaine, as well as Marysville, West Liberty and surrounding areas, and our crew was from Columbus. Because it is about a local drug program, many people played themselves in the film. These are the people we most wanted to go back and share the movie with.”
Origins of Football and Astronauts
Ohio football teams and astronauts are launching Ohio into the spotlight in May. Did you know that in 1920 the first-ever NFL football game was played in Dayton? On May 9, America’s Packard Museum in Dayton will screen “Triangle Park” about that first game between two of the 14 original NFL teams, the Dayton Triangles and the Columbus Panhandles.
Directed and written by Allen Farst (Dayton), the movie was filmed in Ohio and features Kirk Herbstreit (Centerville) and Taylor Decker (Vandalia). Following the screening, the museum will host a talk-back with Farst discussing local history, NFL history, and motion picture car selection and coordination in film.
Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta is named for Ohio Astronaut Neil Armstrong, so it is fitting that it will host the May 30 screening of “Apollo 11.” The Apollo 11 mission was commanded by Armstrong (Wapakoneta, Upper Sandusky), and the movie reconstructs the real-life drama.
“This film was released during the 50th anniversary year of Apollo 11 in 2019 and featured some archival footage of the historic mission, some of which had never before been seen by the public,” and Dante Centuori, executive director of Armstrong Air & Space Museum.
“Our museum has limited space inside for showing a movie, so we felt it was worth ‘rolling the dice’ with the weather and hosting an outdoor film on our lawn. The building’s unique architecture provides a wonderful backdrop. Sunset will be around 9 p.m. The museum will be open extended hours, so folks can arrive early and visit the museum before heading outside to find their spot on the lawn for the film,” he added.
Guernsey County (Cambridge) Public Library’s 1950s Sock Hop & Classic Car Cruise-In and Family Movie Night on May 30 runs 12 to 5 p.m. After the Sock Hop’s classic cars, music from the 1950s and tasty food from local food trucks, “Hidden Figures” will screen at the Crossroads Branch Library. The movie was selected because of the tie to Ohio astronaut John Glenn, who was born in Cambridge and raised in New Concord.
“Hidden Figures” highlights Glenn’s achievement in space exploration. It is about three women mathematicians who face racial and gender discrimination while playing a key role in Glenn’s launch into orbit.
Looking for Famous Ohio Actors on Screen in May?
In addition to Urbana’s Clancy Brown’s role in the “The Shawshank Redemption,” he is also the voice of Mr. Krabs in “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie,” which will be on screen on May 2 at Champaign County Public Library (Urbana). He also has a smaller role in “Lady and the Tramp,” which will screen on May 23 at Barnesville State Theater.
Youngstown’s Ed O’Neill’s movie “Little Giants” will screen twice – on May 16 at Englewood Cinemas and May 22 at The Columbiana Arts Theater. On May 15 the Capitol Theatre in Mount Gilead will screen “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” which stars Paul Newman (Shaker Heights; Kenyon College), with a screenplay by William Goldman (Oberlin College). Dayton’s Allison Janney (Kenyon College) can be seen on screen May 20 in “Hairspray” at the Ohio Theatre in Loudonville, and on May 28 Halle Berry (Cleveland) will appear in “Boomerang,” hosted by Midtown East Community Enrichment Center at the Ohio State House Atrium in Columbus.
“There are so many great movies to see in May, and all Ohio Goes to the Movies films are free, running until October 2026. They all celebrate Ohio’s role and influence in the movie industry, past and present,” said OGTTM Program Director Molly Kreuzman.
For more Ohio connections all year-long, visit OhioGoestotheMovies.org.
May 2026 Ohio Goes to the Movies Events
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Media Contacts:
Betty Weibel, Yopko Penhallurick, 216-956-4034 | bw@yp-pr.com
Jackie Reau, Game Day, 513-708-5822 | jreau@gamedaypr.com
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