Southwest D.C. gets a new movie theater for indie films
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Photo: Erika Dimmler for 4EYE Film Center
There's a new movie theater in Southwest D.C. screening films you wouldn't normally find on the big screen.
Why it matters: It's the Southwest neighborhood's only dedicated cinema outside of the IMAX at the Air and Space Museum, and comes as several beloved indie cinemas in D.C. have closed in recent years, like the Uptown Theater and E Street Cinema.
State of play: 4EYE Film Center launched last month in the new Revada Arts Center, which also houses theater and opera groups.
- The nonprofit screens its films in the space's 58-seat cinema, but there's also a 140-seat black box theater and a cafe in the Revada building. (And, yes, you can bring your wine into the movie with you.)
What they're saying: "We won't be doing Marvel," says 4Eye founder Emily Lenzner, who once worked in Hollywood and at the Motion Picture Association, and who previously led an effort to revive the Uptown Theater.
- Instead, 4Eye will screen films by indie and local filmmakers, documentaries, international films and the classics.
Lenzner says movie-goers are looking for more of an experience from their theaters now, and so she plans to host Q&As and panels tied to the featured films, as well as themed movie series.
- Think: an upcoming run of food-centric movies called "Reel Food" with post-screening convos facilitated by food writers, says Lenzner.
- Also expect: Matinees tailored to people with young kids or older folks.
The intrigue: "It's a bit of a double entendre," says Lenzner of the name — the center sits at the intersection of Fourth and I streets in Southwest, but the films are quite literally for your eyes.
The bottom line: Lenzner says several Southwest residents have already told her how excited they are to have a movie theater in their neighborhood: "We're a city of people who are interested in ideas and storytelling."
If you go: 340 Maple Dr. SW; tickets range between $8 - $16