SEATTLE — The year was 1963. Kennedy was president, Beatlemania swept the world, and a theater called "Cinerama" flickered to life in Seattle.
"Part of Seattle history and part of Seattle lore," said Beth Barrett, the artistic director of Seattle International Film Festival.
The triple-screen projection system was supposed to be the future of film. It wasn't. But the theater rallied for decades, screening mostly standard-format movies until the business nearly closed in 1997.
"It was not in great shape," Barrett said.
Then a philanthropist film buff came to the rescue.
"Paul Allen stepped in and was like, 'No, I saw movies here as a child. I want this to be a movie palace,'" Barrett said.
The Seattle billionaire funded a multi-million-dollar renovation.
"He loved movies," Barrett said.
The pandemic put operations on hold in 2020. But three years later, the group that runs the Seattle International Film Festival has brought it back to life one more time. The newly renamed SIFF Cinema Downtown is set to screen everything from blockbuster new films to art house classics. And, yes, it remains one of just three theaters in the world capable of playing those original ultra-widescreen Cinerama format films.
"This will be a place that you can see movies of all sizes," Barrett said.
The theater's legendary chocolate popcorn is also alive and well, part of a legacy worthy of its latest sequel.
"Create those experiences that bring people together around film," Barrett said.
The SIFF Cinema Downtown begins regular screenings Thursday with the new release, "Wonka."
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