Hollywood Moves into West 1 and the PAC, Students Left Guessing

By Jacob Heyman

The Performing Arts Center on a sunny day. (Photo by Jacob Heyman)

For nearly three weeks in September, Purchase College’s West 1 parking lot looked less like a place for commuter vehicles and more like a Hollywood loading dock. Police cruisers, trailers and crew equipment filled the blacktop while student parking was squeezed toward the upper rows, leaving many wondering what was being filmed on campus.

The answer: “Focker-in-Law,” the newest installment in the “Meet the Parents” franchise, starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Ariana Grande. The film is scheduled for release in November 2026 and is one of several recent productions that have chosen Westchester County as their backdrop.

Thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities, suburban setting and proximity to New York City, Purchase has long been a go-to location for production companies looking to film in the New York Metropolitan Area. 

Kristin Bruno-Bates, director of conferences and rentals, explained how productions are vetted, approved, and set up shop here at Purchase. “Studios are first cleared by the Westchester County Film Office and the New York State Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development,” said Bruno-Bates. “After that, they coordinate with us, and we work with University Police and the Purchase College Association to finalize logistics and get them started.”

Bruno-Bates sitting in their office. (Photo by Jacob Heyman)

While the arrangement benefits film crews and brings revenue to the college, it also frustrates many students and campus residents. For some, the parking lot chaos even raised safety risks.

Senior Claire Delasho described nearly colliding with a crew vehicle as she entered West 1. “I was in the left lane pulling into the parking lot when someone zoomed in, cut me off from the right lane, and turned into the set.”

The production wasn’t strictly confined to the parking lot either. The crew used The Performing Arts Center’s large rooms for catering and its dressing rooms for talent, with West 1 serving as the base camp just outside its doors.

West 1 visitor parking sign near the Performing Arts Center. (Photo by Jacob Heyman)

The disruption wasn't limited only to student life. Purchase resident Phillip Marraccini, who walks the Loop daily, said the project threw a wrench in his usual routine. “I love walking the Loop because of its beautiful scenery,” said Marraccini. “When I go for a walk, and the only thing I hear is the birds chirping, that's when I feel most at peace. Seeing the trucks and hearing all the noise was just an eyesore and a headache.”

By Sept. 20, the trailers were gone, and West 1 returned to normal. For Purchase, the challenge is balance: welcoming Hollywood while still protecting the students and neighbors who call campus home.