Home / Arts and Entertainment / New Cinema Hub Revives SF's Arthouse Scene
New Cinema Hub Revives SF's Arthouse Scene
20 Aug
Summary
- The Portal Cinema, a new nonprofit theater, will open in San Francisco's Mission District this fall.
- It aims to screen new global releases, repertory films, and archive prints on 35mm and 16mm.
- A crowdfunding campaign seeks $250,000 for essential upgrades to ensure full capacity opening.
San Francisco is gearing up to welcome a new cinematic destination this fall with the upcoming opening of The Portal Cinema in the Mission District. Located at 3293 Mission Street on a formerly vacant lot, this nonprofit, single-screen theater marks the first new movie venue built in the city in over a decade. It is designed to showcase a diverse range of films, from new global releases and repertory selections to special programs and even rare archive-only 35mm and 16mm prints, alongside digital formats.
To support its grand opening and ensure it can operate at full capacity, The Portal Cinema has launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign with a goal of $250,000. These funds are earmarked for essential upgrades, including an electrical panel enhancement, 35mm projection capabilities, and a 5.1 sound system. The theater is the vision of SF native Nellie Killian, a seasoned film programmer and curator with extensive experience at institutions like BAM and Metrograph.
Killian expressed her intent for The Portal Cinema to complement San Francisco's vibrant arts landscape, offering adventurous programming in a community-focused setting. The venue also aims to serve as a hub for industry events, including press screenings and awards-season showings, capitalizing on the Bay Area's significant concentration of film professionals. This initiative arrives at a time when San Francisco has seen numerous independent and arthouse theaters close over the past 15 years.
