Downtown Boulder Gets A Movie Theater

Downtown Boulder is finally getting a movie theater.

Boulder Art Cinema opens its doors tonight, February 25, at 6 p.m. for three evenings of Oscar-nominated film screenings: Trumbo, Amy, and The Danish Girl (general admission is $11). The 200-seat venue is a collaboration between Downtown Boulder and Boulder Public Library and will show first-run art and independent films on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. (There will typically be two screenings a night, but the hours of operation could eventually expand.)

“I’ve been trying to figure out for years how we can get a real genuine movie theater downtown again,” says Sean Maher, executive director of Downtown Boulder. “Back in the ’60s and ’70s all of the movie theaters in Boulder were downtown—single-screen, historic theaters. As the suburban multiplexes came online, one by one those smaller theaters just couldn’t compete and they went away.” In the interim, Boulderites have had to make the drive to Denver if they want the small-theater, independent film experience—or try their luck at grabbing a spot at the 60-seat Boedecker Theater at the Dairy Center for the Arts, an art house cinema. Now, thanks to new digital projection and sound systems in the library’s Canyon Theater, they can catch those flicks closer to home.

And they can enjoy People’s Republic–appropriate snacks while they are there. Yes, there’s popcorn and soda, but Seeds Library Cafe also serves fresh eats made with ingredients from the Boulder County Farmers Markets. Avery Brewing Company and Bookcliff Vineyards‘ local libations will also be available.

All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the show.

Coming Up: Boulder Art Cinema will host screenings during the Boulder International Film Festival (March 3 to 6). The following weekend, the venue will show two foreign films: Oscar-nominated A War and The Wave. 1001 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder

@daliahsinger.