Today, I went to one of my favorite Rose Scholar events: a tour of Cinemapolis!

I had been there once, during Hispanic Heritage month last year to see Cantinflas (a Latin American film) and immediately knew there was something special about that place. You walk in and see some cute little tables on the right where you can sit and talk to friends or strangers while you wait for the movie, or even after the movie to discuss it! At what other movie theaters do you see space that promotes interaction and conversation?

Cinemapolis is special for many more reasons. Unlike most theaters, this one is not commercial; it is of a non-profit organization called, “The 7th Art.” When space below the garage opened, there was talk of making it into a movie theater and something like Regal (at Ithaca Mall) was being considered. However, this non profit and community members got together to fundraise and be able to have the space for Cinemapolis and spread the love of cinematography to the greater Ithaca community. They are passionate about the types of movies they show, different from the ones you will find at commercial movie theaters as they get the films from independent distributors. As a non-profit, they make sure to engage community-groups to share the space with them. That’s how I ended up there the first time. 🙂

So next time you’re in the Commons, head on over to Cinemapolis and live out the cinematic experience they have to offer.

Thank you Cinemapolis for bringing together strangers to have this shared experience!