Anyone who’s visited the Museum of the Moving Image in recent months — particularly during the last two weeks, since the museum reopened some of its temporarily closed galleries — is already well-aware that the institution is in the middle of an immense, $65 million renovation and expansion. By the time the new-and-improved museum opens in late 2009 (or early 2010), visitors will be greeted by a fully renovated first floor and a three-story addition — three new floors composed in part of a brand-new theater, a separate screening room, an array of galleries and a multi-classroom education center.

But in the meantime, as construction has required a partial closing of the facilities in Queens, museum organizers have continued to move forward with an ambitious slate of online and off-site events — expanding the institution’s footprint even as it must close off some of its physical space.

This Thursday, the museum (movingimage.us) has organized the New York theatrical premiere of the hit Sundance documentary “Man on Wire,” directed by James Marsh, to be followed by a live panel discussion. Scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at the Times Center in Manhattan, the conversation will feature Mr. Marsh, moderator Dick Cavett, and famed tightrope walker Philippe Petit — whose 1974 ascent of the World Trade Center and subsequent stroll between the top of the towers forms the basis of the thrilling film, which opens in New York theatrically on Friday.

“What is fascinating about the film is that it doesn’t mention Sept. 11, [2001,]” David Schwartz, the museum’s chief curator, said. “As you watch the film, it’s always in your mind, the fates of the buildings, but this movie is so compelling that it transports you back to that time, to when the buildings were first created. It’s not just about the walk, but everything that leads up to it. It’s really a caper film, of how these men made their way to the top of the towers without anyone knowing.”

The “Man on Wire” event will be followed, six days later, by a celebration of the HBO series “The Wire.” Scheduled in conjunction with the DVD release of the series’ fifth and final season (it hits stores August 12), the event will feature Academy Award-nominated actress Amy Ryan, creator David Simon (also behind the current HBO miniseries “Generation Kill”), writer Richard Price, and others.

“The show was so absorbing, so absolutely involving — we’ve been waiting a long time to make this one happen,” Mr. Schwartz, who will be moderating the proceedings, said. “What I’ve always loved about ‘The Wire’ is that there are no clearly defined ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys,’ but from the very first season, the series had this panoramic view of the city. Most cop shows only focus on the cops, so I want to ask David about this unique perspective — and also about his background in journalism. He was aiming to be a lifer at the Baltimore Sun, he was a reporter who covered drugs, but then he became disillusioned and quit and wrote the book ‘Homicide.’ I want to hear about that transition.”

For the museum, these events are only the beginning. Last month, the long-awaited online cinema resource guide “Moving Image Source” made its debut (at MovingImageSource.us), overseen by longtime editor and cinephile Dennis Lim. In addition, the outdoor screening series at Socrates Sculpture Park — curated by the museum — continues for another five weeks (this Wednesday’s program spotlights the Queens-based drama “Chop Shop”). And in September, the museum plans to launch a monthly film series at La Guardia Community College in Long Island City, targeting yet another audience.

All these events, however, pale in comparison to the year-round educational programs the museum aims to expand in the near future. Every year, the museum plays host to some 32,000 students, who visit the facilities through organized class trips. “It’s actually a big part of the renovation; we are literally bursting at the seams,” Rochelle Slovin, the museum’s founding director, said. “We’ve been serving more than 30,000 schoolkids each year — mostly school groups from intermediate and high schools — and we’ve started to feel some of the pressure, as our education programs have started selling out.”

A big focus of the museum’s renovation involves additional class space — space that will enable the development of programs that can then cater to a wider number of New York City students. “Since the museum’s inception in 1981, the mission has always been education; museums in New York are chartered by the State Department of Education, so in a sense all museums are educational institutions, but from our very beginning, it’s been at the heart of our mission,” Ms. Slovin said, pointing to the ways in which the museum is reaching out to the next generation of film buffs. “Expanding our educational offerings was a big impetus for us to undergo this transformation. We expect to at least double the number of annual class visits we can accommodate.”

ssnyder@nysun.com