FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 1, 2026
Ohio Goes to the Movies - Apollo 11: First Steps Edition returns for one day only
Event includes panel discussions with NASA engineers and Ohio-born film director and composter July 18
CINCINNATI - Ohio Goes to the Movies is going to the Moon. Apollo 11: First Steps Edition is returning to the OMNIMAX® Theater for one day only as part of America 250-Ohio’s signature event, Ohio Goes to the Movies. As part of the event, Cincinnati Museum Center is hosting a free screening of the OMNIMAX® film, followed by a panel discussion and meet-and-greets with the film’s Ohio-born director and composer and NASA engineers involved in the Apollo program. 
Apollo 11: First Steps Edition immerses you in the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing alongside Ohioan Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and thousands of people behind the scenes. Crafted from a recently discovered trove of never-before-seen 70mm footage and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings, Apollo 11: First Steps Edition puts you at the center of humanity’s giant leap.
Following the free screening of the OMNIMAX® film, director Todd Douglas Miller and composer Matt Morton, both from Columbus, Ohio, will join Apollo Mission Control engineer Poppy Northcutt and Apollo launch team member Roy Tharpe for a panel discussion about the film and the remarkable Apollo program. The group will also greet guests in Cincinnati Museum Center’s Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery presented by the Harold C. Schott Foundation.
10:30 a.m. Apollo 11: First Steps Edition OMNIMAX® screening
11:30 a.m. Apollo 11: First Steps Edition panel discussion
1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Meet-and-greet in Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery presented by the Harold C. Schott Foundation
4 to 6:30 p.m. Apollo 11 (90-minute) screening and filmmaker discussion
Todd Douglas Miller was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and is best known for his award-winning feature-length films Apollo 11 and Dinosaur 13. Apollo 11 premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, winning over 90 national and international awards, and becoming one of the highest-grossing documentaries of all time.
Matt Morton is an award-winning composer, multi-instrumentalist and engineer/producer from Columbus, Ohio. He is best known for the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning documentary Apollo 11 from NEON and CNN Films. His captivating and innovative score exclusively used instruments and effects that existed at the time of the Apollo 11 launch in 1969. Morton was awarded both the 2019 Critics’ Choice Documentary Award for Best Score and the 2020 Cinema Eye Honors Award for Outstanding Original Score.
Frances “Poppy” Northcutt joined NASA as part of the Apollo program in 1965. She was soon promoted to engineer and became the first woman to serve in an operational support role in Mission Control. She was assigned to Mission Control’s Mission Planning and Analysis room and helped calculate the trajectories that guided Apollo astronauts safely home, including the crews of Apollo 8, Apollo 11 and Apollo 13. She received NASA’s Silver Snoopy Award for Flight Safety, presented by Neil Armstrong, for her work on Apollo 8. She, along with the Apollo 13 Mission Operations Team, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for helping to safely bring the crew home.
Roy Tharpe first joined NASA in 1963 as part of the Launch Operations Directorate at Cape Canaveral. He was a data systems analyst for the Gemini Program and then the Apollo Program beginning in 1967. Through the Apollo Program, he was a key member of the team responsible for supporting the ground systems and equipment required to test and launch the Saturn rocket and Apollo spacecraft. He was an integral member of Apollo missions 8 through 17, including the first manned Moon landing during Apollo 11, during which he provided one of the “go for launch” calls during liftoff.
Ohio Goes to the Movies is a statewide celebration of movies showcasing Ohioans: actors, directors, writers, composers, locations and topics, shown in cities and towns across the state. A signature event of America 250-Ohio, Ohio Goes to the Movies runs mid-February 2026 through October 2026 – roughly 250 days of Ohio movie magic showcasing Ohio’s contributions to America’s film industry and moviemaking. Movies include independent film, Hollywood blockbusters and industrial/special interest films, from rare archival footage to contemporary works.
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About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized, award-winning institution housed in a National Historic Landmark. CMC is a vital community resource that sparks curiosity, inspiration, epiphany and dialogue. CMC was awarded the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2012, one of a select few museums in the nation to receive both honors. Organizations within CMC include the Cincinnati History Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, The Children’s Museum, Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater, Cincinnati History Library and Archives and the Geier Collections and Research Center. Housed in historic Union Terminal – a National Historic Landmark restored in 2018 and recognized as the nation’s 45th most important building by the American Institute of Architects – CMC welcomes more than 1.8 million visits annually, making it one of the most visited museums in the country. For more information, visit cincymuseum.org.
