WILLIAMSTOWN — Images Cinema will reopen its big screen to the public this weekend with a two-week screening series and discounted tickets.

The 110 year-old single-screen theater on Spring Street closed in mid-2025 after embarking on a $2 million renovation, part of its Look Forward Capital Campaign to add a second screen and renovate its lounge space.

Now, it’s welcoming the community back to see the renovations with First Look, a two-week series featuring some of the most acclaimed films of the last year, says Executive Director Dan Hudson.

The run of films will be free for members and $5 for non-members, running May 22 through June 4 and screening releases like "Sinners," "KPop Demon Hunters" — with select screenings in Sing-Along version — and "The Testament of Ann Lee."

Hudson said that finishing touches are still happening, but the reopening series is intended as a soft-opening and thank-you to the community that supported the renovation.

The 70-seat theater at Images Cinema on Spring Street in Williamstown, which will open to the public on Friday, features Dolby surround sound.

It was within the last few days that the theater got the screen attached and the sound system balanced. Hudson said theater staff have been inviting curious passersby on the street to check out the new audio system, and Wednesday was the first small-audience screening in the renovated theater.

The theater's lounge space, also renovated by the Look Forward Campaign, remained open during screen renovations and hosted some small screenings and events.

Images will be showing the reopening series in one theater, but the second theater is not quite ready. Hudson estimates the second screen will be open for business sometime in June, at which point Images will begin screening summer releases in both theaters.

The redesigned space now includes the 70-seat main theater with Dolby Atmos sound, an 18-seat second theater with surround sound, and the 15-seat lounge space for alternative programming. The theaters also have new seats.

The renovated Images Cinema on Spring Street in Williamstown, which will open to the public on Friday, features new seats.

“I’m especially excited that we’ll be presenting some of these films in Dolby Atmos, our new spatial audio sound system, unique in our region,” Hudson said. “Hearing films like 'Sinners' in Atmos is like seeing them for the first time.”

All public spaces and theaters are now fully ADA accessible, with traditional assisted listening devices available and new Bluetooth technology that allows hearing aids to directly connect to the theater audio.

The 70-seat theater at Images Cinema on Spring Street in Williamstown will open to the public on Friday.

For the film nerds out there, Hudson said the theater will be screening using its new scope aspect ratio screen that allows it to screen the films in the ratio in which they were shot.

At the Williamstown annual town meeting Tuesday, voters approved spending $20,000 of Community Preservation Act funds on renovations at Images. The money will help preserve the oldest remaining part of the theater, the lobby and box office area. Hudson said the majority of those funds will go toward a new heating and cooling system for the space, and that work will be done later this year.

After the two-week series, the show goes on. Images already has films programmed immediately after the series ends starting June 5.

It will be showing multiple films off the new release calendar of summer blockbusters and indie favorites, including Boots Riley's "I Love Boosters," Steven Spielberg’s "Disclosure Day," Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" and Olivia Wilde’s "The Invite."

Images Cinema on Spring Street in Williamstown will open to the public on Friday after an eight-month renovation.

Without the clout of big-name corporations, acquiring movies from distributors as a small and independent theater can be challenging. Part of Images’ desire for the second screen was because it would help compete against its fellow cinemas but also television and the internet.

Hudson and Images have been working on adding a second screen since he started in 2022 — and even before then, there were years of planning and dreaming by the board and community to make it happen.

Hiram Walden converted the former Williams College fraternity house into a movie theater in 1916 and since then the screen has satisfied audience cravings for silent films, talkies, Westerns and onward.

“It's all really happening, and it's coming together beautifully,” Hudson said. “The folks that we invited in to take a peek yesterday evening all were very enthusiastic, so we’re just excited to welcome the rest of the community very soon.”

Images Cinema First Look series

The reopening series will run May 22 through June 4, with tickets free for members and $5 for nonmembers. The series will include recent releases:

"Sinners"

"Frankenstein"

"Sentimental Value"

"Hamnet"

"One Battle After Another"

"KPop Demon Hunters" (plus select screenings in Sing-Along version)

"Train Dreams"

"Bugonia"

"Sirāt"

"The Testament of Ann Lee"

"Zootopia 2"

"Marty Supreme"

"The Secret Agent"

Summer releases

After its First Look series and when the second screen reopens, Images will begin screening anticipated summer releases including: