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    SIFF Cinema Downtown

    4.4 (667 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    SIFF Cinema Downtown Photos

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    View from the center of the balcony
    Will L.

    SIFF took over the old Cinerama a few years ago, and renamed it the SIFF Cinema Downtown. Huge theater with ample, comfortable seating and mostly good sight lines (with some exceptions at the front of the upstairs balcony). Seating is usually assigned and reserved, so I recommend buying seats in advance (unlike the other SIFF theaters, which are mostly not). I also recommend membership in SIFF, which gives discounted admissions for a year (and 5 free popcorns!).

    Madi S.

    I want to support this because I think it's an amazing addition to the community and I know it was recently saved! I think that more than anything, movie theatres in general are struggling. The high prices of tickets and concessions? It's just difficult. I know it's a little less if you have a membership though ($17 per movie rather than $20). It was nice to go see Star Wars in theaters of course! I know this is a crazy thing to complain about, but it was almost *too* loud. The opening scene of Revenge of the Sith is just a major fight scene, and I felt like I was right in the middle of it audio wise. Even my partner said it was abnormally loud. Maybe things have changed since I used to go to theaters more often! Regardless, the speaking parts were all at a normal volume. The music and fighting though, borderline unbearable in some moments. The concessions are fine, they're known for their chocolate popcorn. The regular popcorn was good too, and I prefer if because I love savory snacks! I think it could use a greater selection one day, but in this economy? I'm just happy we got to go see a movie! Hope to go more often so I can offer a more well-rounded review.

    Yuchen Z.

    Came here for the first time during SIFF 2024. The theater is beautiful and new and modern as expected of a brand new theater. Huge screen and good sound quality. The best thing about this place is of course the chocolate popcorn, which currently is the SAME price as the regular popcorn. As a first timer, I went for the full chocolate popcorn and I regretted it because it was too much after eating 2 cups. I would fully recommend the mixed popcorn because you get the salty from the normal popcorn and the sweet from the chocolate popcorn. Surprisingly the chocolate does not melt because it just coats the popcorn and it makes a harder outer shell coating. So you don't have to worry about getting your hands all covered in chocolate ( which was what I was afraid of at first). Recommendations: if you need to read subtitles in a movie, don't sit in the front because the chairs lean back(whether you want it to or not) and when you lean back, you can't really see the bottom of the screen. The balcony is nice but the chairs up there do not lean back, and if you sit in the front row of the balcony, you'll get a Blocked view by the balcony handrails if you are a shorter person.

    Sara C.

    I was SO happy to hear that SIFF saved the Cinerama we loved so much. It's such an iconic theater in Seattle, I was so sad to hear it was closing. SIFF thankfully kept the amazing outside theming and artwork on the building, changing only the sign along the exterior corner to have a SIFF logo instead of Cinerama. The interior of the theater looks similar too, with the classic red seats and purple drapes (unless that will change in the future), and yes, they have promised they will still have the chocolate popcorn - woo! Thank you, SIFF, for preserving this iconic Seattle landmark for film lovers like me.

    Drink and chocolate popcorn
    Diana C.

    They have done a great job renovating and preserving this place without making it feel too rundown. I think they had good popcorn and a cool selection of local drinks. We tried the chocolate popcorn, but personally I can't really eat a whole bag of it. It was good to try it but I think it smelled a bit better than it tasted - more of my preference than a comment on the quality. Definitely recommend trying a small bag once! My main complaints were that once you entered the lobby, it was chaos ordering concessions. We went for Dune 2 so it was busy and there were no clear lines or directions. Lots of folks were line jumping and that was pretty annoying because we were all trying to get concessions before the show started but it took almost 20 minutes to even order. Definitely recommend showing up on the earlier end. Also, the seating, if you're not familiar with the theater, was confusing. Several of the doors for the balcony areas aren't marked so you have no idea where to go. Up more stairs? Down the stairs? Some signage or direction would help! Overall we had a good experience and I don't think there was a bad seat in the whole theater which was pretty cool. I'd definitely come back for more movies, especially special events. It's pricier so I probably wouldn't make it my designated movie spot but I did like it!

    Chocolate popocorn

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    1 year ago

    Chocolate popcorn and very comfortable seats friendly help and great screen and sound.

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    9 months ago

    I watched the BFDI X II 2025 Tour here, and it was awesome! The episodes were good, and i really like the reclining seats!

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    2 years ago

    Painfully loud and I couldn't find any men's room. It's so sad. This was once a fantastic movie theatre.

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    Page 1 of 17

    Ask the Community - SIFF Cinema Downtown

    Do they ever refund tickets? I can't make it to a show and don't have my question on their website, nor do they have an email address to contact them since their phone number is just a recording of showtimes

    They stopped that when Vulcan took over day-to-day a few months ago.

    For concessions, are there vegan / plant-based options?

    Since I didn't actually buy anything from the concessions stand, I can't say from experience. However, I did a quick Google search and it turns out that there are vegan options! According to HappyCow.net, the description of Cinerama concessions… Read more

    View All 6 Questions

    Review Highlights - SIFF Cinema Downtown

    The theater is beautiful and very clean but the best part about this place is the chocolate popcorn.

    Mentioned in 199 reviews

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    Varsity Theatre

    Varsity Theatre

    3.5(73 reviews)
    3.5 miUniversity District

    I am rooting for this movie theater. In its glory days the front windows weren't smashed and the…read morecardboard boxes weren't left in the front entrance with urine stains and needle caps. Even during the homeless days with the Capitol Hill and U District tweens with patchwork jackets and dogs mobbing around in packs this theatre was in good condition. I have over 20 years of memories coming here watching indie movies like Pirana, docuseries to Siff films. I also watched plenty of blockbuster films. My fondest memory is the smell of the popcorn that fills the front space. It is so distinct and the melted butter and grease on my fingers rubbed on my movie ticket is nostalgic. I love the indie vibe of the workers. It was a polite Seattle cool, depending on the era a little emo and punk, with some grunge. The attitude was very U District. I hope this theatre can raise the funds to fix itself up. It is one of my favorites and I hope it doesn't get boarded up. It still has so much life left.

    I looked into other reviews prior to going to the Varsity Theatre but it seemed like people were…read moreeither raving or hating on it. At this point it felt like it's mostly dependent on personal preference so I decided to go in and find out. I thought the place is decent. The biggest attraction is that tickets are probably the cheapest in the area. Regular ticket price is around $16 for Seattle but it's $10 at Varsity (as of December 2023). And you get a dollar off if you're a student. Also you don't even have to buy the student tickets in person because you could just order them online (other places like AMC downtown, you have to go in person). I made sure to bring my student ID in case if they want to check, but it was never checked onsite. I think it's a little more shabby than AMC and other more commercial theaters, but it does its job. The movie started on time and there were no issue throughout the movie. I wish they could just shut off the ads before the screen turns on at starting time because you're facing a blue screen that shows nothing while the ad is blasting. On the other hand, I liked that there aren't that many previews to watch through to get to the actual movie I came to see. The bathroom is two flights up the stairs from the ground floor. It's well kept and smells ok, but they probably have to check the toilet paper inventory more often. By the time I went in, there were no toilet paper left at all so I didn't forget to inform the staff that before leaving. The staff was polite and accepted my remarks in good spirit.

    Photos
    Varsity Theatre
    Varsity Theatre
    Varsity Theatre - Entrance

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    Entrance

    Northwest Film Forum

    Northwest Film Forum

    4.3(47 reviews)
    1.1 miCapitol Hill

    I don't know why it's been so long but only recently was my first time to the Northwest Film Forum…read more I lived in Denver many years ago and it seemed like there were a lot of art house theaters there but after moving to the west coast and Seattle art house and independent film has a different level of love here. When I first moved to the Seattle Metro area I noticed a lot of theaters that played these types of films but alas quite a few of them have closed since then but despite that the arts and artistic films are still lovedin Seattle. The Northwest Film Forum from previous glances always played a great variety of cinema here and when Steve and I came here to watch the movie Pillion we remained impressed with the previews for the upcoming films that were going to get played here. Some movies were by fantastic directors like Ingmar Bergman for example. After we watched the movie there was a panel discussion going over the movie and the thoughts about it by members of the community that the movie relates to (the queer leather/fetish community). Although nobody on the panel gave the movie a ringing endorsement it was really interesting to hear the perspective of each person on the panel. I imagine lectures, discussions and other things happen at select screenings at this theater which definitely gives it a great personal approach. I can't wait for future movie outings at the Northwest Film Forum!

    Usually I would not rate an arts venue on the conduct of its attendees, but NWFF has a ongoing…read morestandard of starting screenings late when the audience hasn't arrived on time. Other problems include late arrivals commonly using the flashlight on their phones to find their seats during the movie. There's no staff on hand to curb such behavior, leaving it to the attendees to do so. It's also the case that people will chat with their friends during films and do performative exclamations and vocal reactions during movies. There's no on-screen rules of conduct describing a prohibition of this spectrum of behavior or phone use. Subsequently, all of these are more common at this cinema than other independents around town.

    Photos
    Northwest Film Forum - Drag pre-show for special occasion

    Drag pre-show for special occasion

    Northwest Film Forum - Unisex communal bathrooms

    Unisex communal bathrooms

    Northwest Film Forum - Lobby

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    Lobby

    Three Dollar Bill Cinema - Logo from a previous charity dinner + fundraiser.

    Three Dollar Bill Cinema

    5.0(2 reviews)
    1.1 miCapitol Hill

    I'm snagging some text from their site because I wanted to get my facts correct... not straight,…read moremind you... but correct! Since the mid-90s, Three Dollar Bill Cinema provides access to films by, for, and about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their families, and a forum for LGBT filmmakers to share and discuss their work with audiences. They curate themed screenings throughout the year and produce programs in partnership with other arts, cultural, and service delivery organizations in the Greater Seattle area. Now that's out of the way, let me tell what else they do. Once a year, they host the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, now the largest of its kind in the PNW! This festival showcases award-winning films and also gives chances for those in the community to express their own creativity in short film submissions that are shown on the big screen. They host a Transgender Film Festival and a Spring Film series highlighting vintage queer films. Two of my favourite events would have to be their Outdoor Cinema, held at Cal Anderson Park and Cineoke! The outdoor film series is always free and ALWAYS fun! So grab a blanket, grab your domestic partner and head on down to the Hill for some fabtastic film. And if you haven't gotten your karaoke on, get down to the Jewelbox Theatre on second Mondays, choose a scene from your favourite movie musical and get ready to be a star!

    This nonprofit film arts organization produces a few really good events each year, including the…read moreSeattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and the Seattle Transgender Film Festival. The volunteers are super nice, they have had very low staff turn over in their almost 20 years in operation and if you choose carefully, you can find a really good film, to watch with a fun audience you can't find anywhere else.

    Photos
    Three Dollar Bill Cinema - Image from the 2004 Film Festival.

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    Image from the 2004 Film Festival.

    Erickson Theatre - Stage

    Erickson Theatre

    4.5(6 reviews)
    0.9 miCapitol Hill

    Nice, cozy, intimate "off broadway " (literally) theatre. Great place to see a small play or show…read more There are many good restaurant and bar options nearby. Staff and volunteers at the magic show I attended were exceptional. This would be a great place for a date night, or night out with friends.

    It is no surprise for readers that every square inch of land and building on the West Coast is…read moreunder fierce economic pressure to level up to a higher rent or price. The arts, including performing arts, need space to make their work, and telecommuting is not a substitute. Examples are theater and dance performance. They need weeks, months, even longer, in person, as a group, in a heated space where jumping and pacing is not going to destroy their feet and bodies on up. This is one. Thankfully it is part of Seattle Central Community College, an institution who can resist the pressure to tear it down for apartments, condos or tech workspace, and play the long game of cultural evolution. It's back-to-back down Harvard with the Egyptian - that cinema space has found a home with SIFF. The Erickson rents their space to other performers and I saw my friends' performance there. The area is a parking nightmare weekends, but there is a paid parking garage at Harvard and Pine. Regular Seattleites probably know all the South Capital Hill parking angles better than I do! Of course the area weekends has many options for before and after a show. The theater itself has a respectable lobby. The house has comfortable seats and is small, intimate, with no sightline or sound issues. The lobby has a few couches and a bar. The two large restrooms are for everyone. Everything is neat and clean midscale. The sound is good. The stage has a good floor, but I don't think they have linoleum. There is really no fly space and no side stage area. The stage is not small, but it is smaller than the Meany and Paramount. All in all, the space hosted a great guest performance in a great active nightlife location, and in a comfortable, clean, and audience-friendly space. They have their own calendar on their website covering home and guest performances here and in another of their halls: https://theatres.seattlecentral.edu/event-calendar

    Photos
    Erickson Theatre - Exterior

    Exterior

    Erickson Theatre

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    SIFF Cinema Downtown - movietheaters - Updated May 2026

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