Cinerama starts ticket sales for first movie of grand reopening
Nov 16, 2023, 10:17 AM
At opening night for the 49th Annual Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Executive Director Tom Mara made the announcement the theater has been acquired by SIFF from the estate of Paul Allen. (KIRO 7 News)
(KIRO 7 News)
When the Seattle International Film Festival, or SIFF, bought the Cinerama movie theater in downtown Seattle it was a matter of time before the theater could reopen. Now, they have a date set and a movie to show in their grand reopening.
The beloved movie theater, now renamed to SIFF Cinema Downtown, will reopen on Dec. 14 with a showing of the new film “Wonka,” an origin story for the eponymous Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character starring Timothée Chalamet.
Read more: Cinerama sign taken down: What’s next for the iconic theater and sign?
Tom Mara, SIFF’s Executive Director, said in a statement, “We are honored to take on stewardship and reopen the doors of this truly historic theater. It’s a film venue adored by the community and speaks to the critical role SIFF plays in bringing the power and art of film to diverse audiences across our region.”
Cinerama opened in 1963 but fell into disrepair, and by the late 1990s, the theater was in danger of being demolished until Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen bought and restored the theater.
The theater shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. In accordance with Allen’s wishes, the Seattle Cinerama Theater was set to be sold, with all estate proceeds dedicated to philanthropy.
The King County Council and the Seattle City Council approved sending $2 million to SIFF to help renovate the Cinerama Theater. There is a public benefits package element to the grant that may include job creation and workforce development to support the City’s film industry. The Seattle Office of Arts and Culture will be required as part of the purchase to provide workers with a living wages and jobs to have labor harmony agreements.
In a statement to KIRO 7, Tom Mara, SIFF’s Executive Director said, “We are honored to take on stewardship and reopen the doors of this truly historic theater. It’s a film venue adored by the community and speaks to the critical role SIFF plays in bringing the power and art of film to diverse audiences across our region.”
