Seattle Cinerama facts for kids
The SIFF Cinema Downtown building after its 2014 makeover
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| Former names | Seattle Cinerama Seattle's Martin Cinerama |
|---|---|
| Address | 2100 4th Avenue Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 47°36′50″N 122°20′29″W / 47.61394°N 122.34133°W |
| Owner | Seattle International Film Festival |
| Capacity | 570 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1963 |
| Renovated | 1999, 2010, 2014, 2020 |
| Closed | 2020–2023 |
| Website | |
| SIFF.net | |
The SIFF Cinema Downtown is a famous movie theater in the Belltown area of Seattle, Washington, USA. It first opened in 1963. The theater was updated in the 1990s after it was bought by Paul Allen.
The cinema closed in May 2020. At that time, it was one of only three theaters in the world that could show special three-panel Cinerama films. In 2023, the theater was bought by the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). It reopened on December 14, 2023, as SIFF Cinema Downtown. This new name was chosen because of issues with using the old "Cinerama" name.
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The Story of SIFF Cinema Downtown
The theater first opened in 1963 as Seattle's Martin Cinerama. It was built to show Cinerama movies. Cinerama used three projectors at once to show a super-wide picture on a huge curved screen. A few months later, it was also set up to show 70 mm films. These films are much bigger than regular ones, making the picture look amazing.
The theater became known for showing big, exciting movies like The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm. It also showed It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. However, both Cinerama and 70mm films became less popular. Krakatoa, East of Java in 1969 was the last special film shown for a long time.
For the next 30 years, the theater struggled. Many new movie theaters opened in the suburbs. This meant fewer people came to the Cinerama. The theater started to look run-down. It ended up showing older movies after being taken over by Cineplex Odeon.
A Big Change in the 1990s
Things started to get better in 1997. Developers wanted to turn the Cinerama into a dinner theater or a rock-climbing gym. But local movie fans wanted to save the historic theater. They started petitions and asked for help.
A very rich person named Paul Allen heard their call. He was a movie fan himself and had enjoyed the theater in the 1960s. Allen bought the theater and spent millions of dollars to fix it up. The theater reopened in 1999, looking brand new. Since then, it has shown both classic movies and new films.
The renovation made the theater look like a grand movie house from the mid-1900s. It also got new, modern technology. The theater had 808 seats and two screens. One screen was a huge, curved screen, 90 feet long and 30 feet high. This screen was made of 2,000 thin strips. It is used for showing rare three-strip Cinerama films. Examples include How the West Was Won. It also shows 70mm classics like Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The big curved screen is stored behind a smaller screen. This smaller screen is used for regular movies. A special crew is needed to take down the small screen and set up the large one for Cinerama shows.
Updates in 2010
The theater closed in August 2010 for more updates. During this time, it got a new digital projector and sound system. This included support for showing 3-D films. A new screen was also put in. The snack area was updated, and new carpet and paint were added. The outside also got a new sign. The theater could still show films in 70mm and three-panel Cinerama formats.
Updates in 2014
The theater closed again in August 2014 for more renovations. It reopened on November 20, with a showing of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.
This third renovation brought many changes. The number of seats was reduced from 798 to 560. This gave people more legroom and wider seats. The number of speakers increased from 65 to 110. This improved the sound. A Dolby Atmos sound system was installed. It also got a special Christie 6P dual laser projector. This was the first time this type of projector was used in a commercial theater anywhere in the world!
2020 Renovation and Closure
The theater closed for a fourth renovation in February 2020. Most of its staff were laid off. New carpet and kitchen equipment were planned. It was expected to reopen later in 2020. However, in May 2020, the Seattle Cinerama announced it would stay closed. This was due to the money problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2021, people started a petition to save the theater. Over 12,000 people signed it.
SIFF Buys the Theater
The family of Paul Allen sold the theater to the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) in May 2023. They paid $4.5 million for it. SIFF plans to reopen the theater for its 50th anniversary in 2024. The reopened cinema no longer uses the Cinerama name because of trademark rules.
The Seattle City Council gave SIFF $950,000 to help reopen the theater. The Metropolitan King County Council also approved a $1 million grant a week later. The first movie shown at the reopened theater was a private showing of The Boys in the Boat on December 7, 2023. The theater fully reopened on December 14 as SIFF Cinema Downtown. The first public movie shown was Wonka.
Fun Events and Festivals
From 1976 to 2018, the Seattle Cinerama hosted many cool festivals and events:
- Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF): This festival happens every year. The theater was one of the places where movies were shown, most recently in 2015.
- SFFSFF: This festival shows short science fiction, fantasy, and horror films. It's a team-up between the EMP Museum and SIFF.
- Emerald City Comicon Cinema Series: Since 2014, Cinerama and the Emerald City Comicon have worked together. They bring movie stars to talk about their films and answer questions. Famous guests included Stan Lee and Alan Tudyk.
- Fists & Fury: Started in 2015, this film festival showed martial arts movies. It featured rare Bruce Lee films like Enter the Dragon. Other popular movies like Kill Bill: Volume 1 were also shown.
- 70mm Film Fest: This festival happens almost every year. It shows movies made in the large 70mm film format. Titles include classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Lawrence of Arabia. It also shows newer films like Interstellar. The last 70mm Film Festival was in September 2018.
Famous Movie Showings
2001: A Space Odyssey played only at Seattle Cinerama for about two and a half years after it first came out in 1968. In 2001, Warner Brothers chose the Seattle Cinerama to show a newly fixed-up 70mm version of the movie.
In 2012, Paul Allen paid for a new 70mm copy of 2001: A Space Odyssey to be made. This was for the first Cinerama Science Fiction Film Festival. The new copy is on "permanent loan" to the Seattle Cinerama.
Starting in June 2013, the theater began "2D Tuesdays." This meant that 2D versions of all 3D movies were shown every Tuesday. In September of that year, the Cinerama showed rare original 3-strip Cinerama films. How the West Was Won played daily. This Is Cinerama was shown on a Saturday evening.
In March 2016, the Cinerama was one of only ten theaters in the country to show Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 70mm. The next month, Quentin Tarantino's special "70mm Roadshow" version of The Hateful Eight was shown. The theater also showed Mad Max: Fury Road Black and Chrome Edition. Then it showed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 70mm.
Other Cinerama Theaters
Besides SIFF Cinema Downtown, only two other theaters in the world can still show three-panel Cinerama films. These are the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, USA. The other is the Pictureville Cinema in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.
