Barring an acquisitions deal – rare, especially for low-budget independent films – many people had little idea how to get their film seen theatrically. This issue of distribution we think is easily resolved by taking control of your theatrical release, yourself. How, you ask? It can be done – simply – by contacting small film organizations or theaters and asking to have your film screened. Sometimes you can even arrange a revenue split at the box office- like we do for Cinema Speakeasy.
We’ve compiled a quick list of groups worldwide that curate and/or host ongoing four-wall independent film screenings, above and beyond Cinema Speakeasy:
Europe: England
- The Aubin Cinema (London, UK): http://www.aubincinema.com/
- Secret Cinema (London, UK): http://www.secretcinema.org/
- Portobello Pop Up Cinema (London, UK): http://www.portobellopopup.com/
- Side Cinema (Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK): http://www.amber-online.com/sections/side-cinema
Europe: Germany
- b-ware! ladenkino (Berlin, Germany): email only, at b-wareladenkino3@gmx.de
- Mind Pirates (Berlin, Germany): http://www.mindpirates. org
- Basso (Berlin, Germany): http://www.basso-berlin.de/
- Sputnik Kino (Berlin, Germany): http://www.sputnik-kino.com
- Eiszeit Kino (Berlin, Germany): http://www.eiszeitkino.de/web/
- Roderich (Berlin, Germany): http://roderich-berlin.blogspot.com
United States: West
- Cinefist (Los Angeles, CA): http://www.cinefist.com/
- Film Courage (Los Angeles, CA): http://www.filmcourage.com/
- Downtown Independent Theater (Los Angeles, CA): http://www.downtownindependent.com/
- Echo Park Film Center’s Microcinema (Los Angeles, CA): http://www.echoparkfilmcenter.org/cinema/cinema.html
- New Filmmakers LA (Los Angeles, CA): http://newfilmmakersla.com/
- Cinefamily @ Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax (Los Angeles, CA): http://www.cinefamily.org/
- Burke Roberts’ Engine Theatre (Los Angeles, CA): http://www.theenginetheater.com/
- Dolores Park Movie Night (San Francisco, CA): http://www.doloresparkmovie.org/faq.html
- NorthWest Film Society (Portland, OR.): http://www.nwfilm.org/
- Living Room Theatres (Portland, OR.): http://www.livingroomtheaters.com/
- Northwest Film Forum, (Seattle, WA.): http://www.nwfilmforum.org/
- Boise MicroCinema (Boise, ID.): http://www.boisemicrocinema.com/
- Denver Film Society (Denver, CO): http://www.denverfilm.org
- The Filling Station (Albuquerque, NM): http://www.fillingstationabq.com/
- Mesilla Valley Film Society (Mesilla, NM): http://mesillavalleyfilm.org/
United States: Midwest & South
- MusicBox Theatre (Chicago, IL): http://www.musicboxtheatre.com/
- Siskel Film Center (Chicago, IL): http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/
- The Nightingale Theatre (Chicago, IL): http://nightingaletheatre.org/
- White Light Cinema (Chicago, IL): http://www.whitelightcinema.com/
- Milwaukee Independent Film Society (Milwaukee, WI): http://festival.milwaukeeindependentfilmsociety.org/
- Des Moines Social Club (Des Moines, IA): http://www.desmoinessocialclub.org
- Speakeasy Cinema (Louisville, KY): http://www.louisvillespeakeasy.com/
- Open Sceen Nights at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (Austin, TX): http://www.originalalamo.com/
- Aurora Picture Show (Houston, TX): http://aurorapictureshow.org/
- 14 Pews (Houston, TX): http://14pews.org/
- O-Cinema (Miami, FL): http://www.o-cinema.org/
- The Enzian Theatre (Orlando, FL): http://www.enzian.org/
- Cinefest Theatre (Atlanta, GA): http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwcft/
United States: Northeast
- Slamdance East Coast (New York, NY- Dir. Paul Rachman): http://www.slamdance.com
- Astoria Indies (Queens, NY): http://www.astoriaindies.com/
- Rooftop Films (New York, NY): http://www.rooftopfilms.com/
- New Filmmakers (New York, NY): http://www.newfilmmakers.com/
- Angelika Film Center (New York, NY): http://angelikafilmcenter.com/
- BAM (New York, NY): http://www.bam.org/
- Rosendale Theatre (Rosendale, NY): http://www.rosendaletheatre.org
- Rehoboth Beach Film Society (Delaware): http://www.rehobothfilm.com/
- Indies for Indies (Pittsburgh, PA): http://indiesforindies.com/
- The Annapolis Pretentious Film Society (Annapolis, MD): http://www.pretentiousfilm.com/
- The Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, MA): http://www.icaboston.org
- ImprovBoston (Cambridge, MA): http://www.improvboston.com
- The Brattle Theatre (Cambridge, MA): http://www.brattlefilm.org
- The Coolidge Corner Theatre (Boston, MA): http://www.coolidge.org/
- Somerville Theatre (Somerville, MA.): http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com/
- Fete Films (Jersey City, NJ.): http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=156269951054711
- The ShadowBox (Roanoke, VA.): http://www.theshadowboxcinema.com/
Worldwide: Other
- Speakeasy Cinema (Melbourne, Australia): http://www.speakeasycinema.com.au/
- Don’t You Have Docs? (Melbourne, Australia): http://www.dontyouhavedocs.com
- 1Up Microcinema (Perth, Australia): http://www.insertcoins.com.au/
- Open Cinema (Victoria, BC, Canada): http://www.opencinema.ca/
- Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (Calgary, Canada): http://csif.org/csif/
- Cine Arte Alameda (Santiago, Chile): http://www.centroartealameda.cl/cine.html
There are so many more– will keep adding them as they come up, or throw them in the comments as a suggestion.
Filed under: Announcements, art house film, berlin, curation, DIY Distribution, film curation, independent film, independent film screening resource, london, microcinema, slamdance, theatrical distribution
Wow ! This is just gold ! I was looking for so long for such a list, it’s just amazing to get it finally.
Great job and thanks for all your valuable advices.
I AGREE with Malcolm. This list is a little bit’o awesome!!
Thanks Malcolm– please let us know if you know of any more. We’re adding all the time.
I have some:
The Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, MA) – http://www.icaboston.org
This is an art gallery with an enormous theater and screen with surround sound speakers. The projection booth can accommodate a lot of different formats—film, tape, and digital. They also have a video studio that they run programs out of as well so they’re very technically competent.
ImprovBoston (Boston, MA) – http://www.improvboston.com
This is mainly a stage theater, so the space is small and the set-up isn’t very high-tech, but they’re open to pretty much anybody.
I work with both of these venues a lot. Tell ‘em I sent ya!
Slight correction to above: Despite the name, ImprovBoston is technically in Cambridge, MA.
Oh, and how could I forget these:
The Brattle Theatre (Cambridge, MA) – http://www.brattlefilm.org. Been around since 1953. It’s pretty much *the* indie theater in Boston—they host everything from the “Do It Your Damn Self!” teen film festival to the Boston Society of Film Critics Awards. The seating is small and unelevated but it’s a good venue to be in.
Kendall Square Cinema (Cambridge, MA) – http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/Boston/KendallSquareCinema.htm
Somerville Theatre (Somerville, MA) – http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com/
Hugh: Pure gold! I will incorporate them right away. Thanks.
I didn’t understand the concluding part of your article, could you please explain it more?
Very helpful list. Thanks for the doing the heavy lifting. Hopefully some unknown venues will emerge to be added to the list.
Great list! In Chile there’s a great big theater for indie film called Cine Arte Alameda in Santiago, Chile(www.centroartealameda.cl) There great people and they support indie films from all over the world.
fantastic- I’ll add it!
Please add the link to the theaters to your posting. Thanks so much!
the links are there, Kelly. Thanks!
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