In Canarsie, the movie theater isn’t just about entertainment. It’s about dignity; About having a place in your own neighborhood where people can gather, laugh, talk back to the screen, and feel like the city is investing in them, too. That’s why CitizensNYC is proud to support the Canarsie Third Space Initiative through our Collaborative Impact Grants, which are built for partnerships: local groups working together to bring a shared vision to life, block by block.
At the center of this collaboration is PaleFO Cinema, led by Eileen Baptistin Level, who is turning the side of the historic Jerry Building on Rockaway Parkway into an outdoor cinema. The plan is both simple and powerful: a floral-themed mural that includes a large projection space, so the wall itself becomes a movie screen. Level has described Canarsie as a “cinema desert,” shaped by decades of disinvestment and the loss of local theaters.
And she’s building a new kind of cultural home in response. The goal is building a new tradition in Canarsie, with a ribbon-cutting and first community showing planned as part of bringing the space online.
The strength of this work is the partnership behind it. The Flossy Organization brings the civic muscle: supporting residents with organizing, advocacy, and the skills to shape what comes next so this isn’t a one-off project, but a foundation for community power. The Canarsie Merchants Association brings deep corridor leadership, helping ensure the streets around Rockaway Parkway are active, cared for, and welcoming because a thriving public space is also a thriving small business community. And Bink International Charity Inc. brings a commitment to young people and families, with support that helps students build academically and socially, so the next generation isn’t just invited to attend events, they’re supported to lead in their own neighborhood.
Together, they’re making something bigger than a screen: a place where Canarsie can gather, be seen, and speak loudly together.
