San Francisco Cinemas
San Francisco has a long and storied history of independent cinemas, from classic movie houses to cutting edge screening rooms.
Here are some of our partners and some of our favorite cinema venues in the city.
BALBOA THEATER
Since 1926, The Balboa has been one of the original classic San Francisco neighborhood movie theaters, offering a perfect retro nostalgic screening experience that caters to the revival house crowd – featuring weekly screenings of classic cinema. This Outer Richmond gem is one of the best theaters in town and has also been known to still occasionally show screenings on film.
BALBOA THEATER
3630 Balboa St.
San Francisco, CA 94121
AMC KABUKI 8
Spacious seats, luxury recliners, innovative menus, IMAX, Dolby Cinema, and more upscale experiences at this legendary locally owned cinema, now operated by AMC Theatres. Often voted by locals as the best theater in the city and located in Japantown.
AMC KABUKI 8
1881 Post St.
San Francisco, CA 94115
VOGUE THEATER
The Vogue is a gorgeous 220 seat theater, located in a very charming part of the city. As one of San Francisco’s oldest operating cinemas, The Vogue first opened in 1910 as the Elite Theater, then as the Rex Theater in 1919, before becoming the Plaza in 1927, and then finally becoming The Vogue Theater in 1939. Once part of the UA cinema chain, but now owned by the Neighborhood Theater Foundation and operated by Cinema SF.
VOGUE THEATER
3290 Sacramento St.
San Francisco, CA 94115
ALAMO NEW MISSION
The Alamo Drafthouse motto is “Good food, good beer and good film, all in the same place!” With a code of conduct that bans use of cell phones in the theaters, and maintains a strict no-talking-during-the-film policy, the Drafthouse has become the venue for all serious SF filmgoers.
ALAMO NEW MISSION
2544 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
4 STAR THEATER
The 4-Star Theater has had many different lives since opening in 1912, surviving thanks to being beloved by a supportive community that has kept this 140 seat neighborhood cinema going strong. With an art gallery and some of the best programming in the city, the 4-Star is a home-away-from -home for true cinema lovers. Located in the Richmond District.
4 STAR THEATER
2200 Clement St.
San Francisco, CA 94121
LANDMARK OPERA PLAZA
Landmark Theater’s Opera Plaza Cinema caters to filmgoers who appreciate a quiet and comfortable experience. This cinema house is the main spot in town for popular independent and foreign film screenings. The Landmark Opera Plaza is always one of our favorite places to watch a movie, and is well known by locals for being located in the heart of the city, as well as for being a true neighborhood cinema.
LANDMARK OPERA PLAZA
601 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94102
MARINA THEATRE
Built on the site of the Panama International Exhibition, the Marina Theatre opened on Sept. 21, 1928, and had many different names before reaching its current form as a two-screen venue featuring a stunning 260-seat cinema. Known for screening the newest first-run films and located in the Marina District, near the Presidio, Cow Hollow, and Pacific Heights. Marina Theatre is part of the local Lee Neighborhood Theatre chain.
MARINA THEATRE
2149 Chestnut St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
PRESIDIO THEATRE
After opening July 1st 1937 as the El Presidio Theatre, this cinema is just a little down the block from its sister venue the Marina Theatre, with both cinemas offering a vintage local cinema experience while screening the best new releases. Located in the heart of the Marina District, this cinema is near the Presidio, Cow Hollow, and Pacific Heights neighborhoods, and is part of the locally-based Lee Neighborhood Theatre chain.
PRESIDIO THEATRE
2340 Chestnut St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
Castro Theater
San Francisco’s legendary Castro Theater
Newly renovated & iconic LGBTQ+ venue