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Little Theatre (Rochester, New York) facts for kids

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Little Theatre
LittleTheatreRochesterNewYork.JPG
The Little Theatre, Rochester NY
Location Rochester, New York
Built 1929
Architect Edgar Phillips
Architectural style Art Deco
MPS Inner Loop MRA
NRHP reference No. 85002860
Added to NRHP October 4, 1985

The Little Theatre, often called "The Little," is a cool movie theatre in downtown Rochester, New York. It's a special place that shows unique movies, like independent films and films from other countries, that you might not see at bigger cinemas. It's also a non-profit place, which means it focuses on art and community, not just making money.

Discover The Little Theatre

The Little Theatre first opened its doors in 1929. It was built specifically to show movies. It's one of the oldest movie theaters still active in the United States. From the start, The Little wanted to show films that were more artistic. These were movies that weren't always popular at the time.

To stay open, The Little created a special experience for its visitors. This experience is different from what you find at regular movie theaters. The Little often shows films that big movie chains don't. This might be because the films are not widely advertised. Sometimes, the movies are just too different for a huge audience.

What Makes The Little Special?

The Little Theatre is known for showing art films. These include movies made by independent filmmakers. It also shows many films from other countries. You can often see interesting documentary films here too.

One cool thing about The Little is how it treats anime films. It sees them as artistic movies. So, you can often find films by famous directors like Hayao Miyazaki playing there. Before showing a film, The Little's critics write a short summary. You can find these summaries on their website and at the ticket booths. This helps you decide what to watch.

More Than Just Movies

The Little Theatre offers more than just films. It also has live music performances. Local musicians often play there. There's also an art gallery that changes regularly. It shows art from local artists. You can even grab a snack or drink at their cafe.

Every June, The Little becomes a performance spot for the Rochester International Jazz Festival. It's also the home of the Little Theatre Film Society. This group loves movies and helps keep the theater going. The theater works with the WXXI Public Broadcasting Council. This is a non-profit group that runs public radio and TV stations in the area.

A Bit of History

The Little Theatre is an important part of Rochester's movie culture. Rochester has a rich history with cinema. This is because it's the home of the Eastman Kodak company. Kodak film was used for many movies throughout history. This created strong ties between Rochester and the film industry.

The Little Theatre Film Society holds film festivals all year long. Many of these events happen at The Little. People who love serious movies in Rochester know The Little well. It offers a great alternative to typical Hollywood films. The Little has also managed to avoid being seen as snobby. Instead, it's known as a friendly place for anyone who wants to see different movies. It's a community that celebrates cinema.

Why "Theatre" with an "re"?

You might notice that "Theatre" is used instead of "Theater." This is often done to show that it's an art house cinema. It helps tell it apart from more common movie theaters. "Theatre" is an older way to spell the word. Both words mean the same thing. The Little uses the older spelling because it's an old theater itself. It also uses it to highlight its artistic focus.

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