The Cinematheque

“We’re thrilled to be back to non-virtual business. The presentation and experience of exceptional cinema on the big screen is at the core of what we do as a cultural organization. Our staff has worked extraordinarily hard to ensure a safe and secure reopening for our Cinematheque community.”

Jim Sinclair, Executive & Artistic Director

Updated: June 25, 2020

We are excited to announce that we will be resuming in-person screenings at The Cinematheque from Thursday, July 9 as part of a phased reopening plan. We can’t wait to welcome our community back to the theatre to experience essential cinema together again. 

This announcement comes after thoughtful consideration and planning by our management staff to enable the organization to reopen in a safe and responsible manner. We have developed a comprehensive set of protocols to ensure that we are doing everything we can to keep our patrons, staff, volunteers, and wider community safe. Full details of these protocols can be found here. This will be a phased reopening in order for us to remain flexible as we navigate this new normal.

To begin, we look forward to presenting some of the titles from our March–April program that had to be cancelled due to the temporary closure, including the retrospective ​“Juraj Herz: In & Out of the Czechoslovak New Wave,” and remaining titles from the UCLA Festival of Preservation Tour. A complete schedule for our reopening screenings will be announced in early July. Virtual screening opportunities will continue to complement our in-theatre programming, ensuring those in our community who are unable to return at this time can still experience Cinematheque programming from home.

The theatre will have a reduced capacity of 45 or less, depending on the seating configuration of each screening, to ensure appropriate social distancing can be maintained. Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance, however tickets will still be available to purchase at the door with distancing measures and dedicated line up space. Online advanced seating reservations will be introduced at a later stage, and until then an usher will help patrons select seating on a first-come, first-served basis limited to couple or individual seats. 

We plan to offer our ever-popular popcorn and other concession items after our first week of screenings. Patrons are encouraged to wear masks when possible, and all theatre staff and volunteers will wear masks throughout their shifts. Seats will be sanitized between each screening and an increased cleaning schedule will be implemented with a focus on high-contact areas. There will be hand sanitizing stations throughout the venue.

As an organization, we value cinema as a communal experience and so we eagerly anticipate being able to enjoy films on the big screen with our wider Cinematheque family once again.

Updated: April 7, 2020

In light of the ongoing situation, The Cinematheque will remain closed until further notice. As an organization committed to shared cultural experiences, we will continue to bring you moments of cinematic joy through our online channels and will look forward to welcoming you back to our theatre as soon as it is safe to do so. Our Learning & Outreach team are working remotely with schools and community groups to facilitate virtual workshops. 

Posted: March 16, 2020

In response to concerns around COVID-19, The Cinematheque has made the extraordinary but necessary decision to close the theatre and cancel upcoming screenings beginning today (March 16) through to and including April 15. Our Learning & Outreach team is putting workshops with schools and community groups on hold and we are working with partners to navigate the current situation. 

Our aim is to ensure we are doing everything we can to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The safety of our patrons, our learners, our staff, our volunteers, and our wider community is our top priority at this time.

We will continue to monitor the situation very carefully and will keep you updated as things progress. 

If you have bought tickets to an upcoming screening we will be reaching out to you shortly, but you can also contact us directly at info@​thecinematheque.​ca

This closure is temporary. We will look forward to seeing you all back in the theatre soon, but for now stay healthy and keep that love of essential cinema burning.