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{{Use American English|date=October 2025}}
{{Short description|Non-profit cultural organization in Los Angeles, California, United States}}
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{{Infobox organization
{{Infobox organization
| name = American Cinematheque
| name                     = American Cinematheque
| image =
| formation                = {{sda|1984}}
| type = independent<br>[[non-profit]]
| image                   =  
| founded_date = 1981
| type                     = [[Non-profit]]
| tax_id =  
| founded_date             =  
| registration_id =  
| tax_id                   =  
| founder =  
| registration_id         =  
| location = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], [[United States]]
| founder                 = Gary Essert<br>Gary Abrahams<br>[[Sydney Pollack]]
| coordinates =  
| location                 = [[Los Angeles]], California, United States
| origins =  
| coordinates             =  
| key_people =  
| origins                 =  
| area_served = United States
| key_people               =  
| mission =  
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| homepage = {{url|http://americancinematheque.com}}
| homepage                 = {{url|http://americancinematheque.com}}
| dissolved =  
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}}
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The '''American Cinematheque''' is an independent, [[non-profit|nonprofit]] cultural organization in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], [[United States]] dedicated exclusively to the public presentation of the [[Film|moving image]] in all its forms.
The '''American Cinematheque''' is an independent, [[non-profit]] cultural organization in [[Los Angeles]], California, United States that represents the public presentation of the [[Film|moving image]] in all its forms.


The Cinematheque was created in 1981 as an offshoot of the annual [[Filmex]] Los Angeles Film Festival, which ran every year from 1971 to 1983. After five years of fundraising and planning, the Cinematheque launched its first series of screenings in 1987. It presents festivals and retrospectives that screen the best of worldwide cinema, video, and television from the past and present, ranging from the classics to the outer frontiers of the art form. In addition to presenting and celebrating all aspects of the moving picture on the big screen, the Cinematheque also provides a forum where film lovers and students can learn from world's leading filmmakers, actors, writers, editors, cinematographers, and others about their craft.
It presents festivals and retrospectives that screen the best of worldwide cinema, video, and television from the past and present, ranging from the classics to the outer frontiers of the art form. Cinematheque also provides a forum where film lovers and students can learn from established filmmakers, actors, writers, editors, cinematographers, and others about their craft.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}


==American Cinematheque's Theaters==
==History==
In 1981, [[Filmex]], the Los Angeles International Film Exposition organized by Gary Essert and Gary Abrahams, awarded [[Elizabeth Taylor]] the Filmex Trustees Award and raised $90,000 for the creation of a cinematheque with the declared aim that it would eventually build on the work of Filmex and provide year-round film programming of classic and new films from around the world at a proposed Los Angeles Film Center.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=November 10, 1981|page=1, Calendar|title=Another honor for Liz: The survival award?|last=Smith|first=Dave}}</ref>


Between 1987 and 1998, the Cinematheque presented its programs at a variety of venues, including the [[Directors Guild of America]] theater and the Raleigh Studios complex in Hollywood. In December 1998, it opened its own permanent home at the Egyptian in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], and in 2004 added a second theater, the [[Aero Theatre]], in [[Santa Monica]]. It now presents festivals, retrospectives, and assorted programs at these two theaters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://entertainment.inquirer.net/366015/lav-diaz-comes-to-la-to-be-saluted-in-american-cinematheques-first-tribute-to-a-filipino-filmmaker|title=Lav Diaz comes to LA to be saluted in American Cinematheque's first tribute to a Filipino filmmaker|last=Nepales|first=Ruben V.|website=entertainment.inquirer.net|date=27 February 2020|language=en|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref>
After Essert was forced to resign from Filmex in 1983, the Cinematheque was created by Essert, Abrahams and [[Sydney Pollack]] in 1984.<ref name=weintraub>{{cite news|newspaper=[[LA Weekly]]|last=Thompson|first=Anne|author-link=Anne Thompson (film journalist)|title=Filmex: Will Jerry Weintraub save it or destroy it?|date=April 17, 1986|pages=38-39}}</ref> Lawyer and [[United Artists]] employee Kenneth Kleinberg became co-chairman of the board with Pollack.<ref name=weintraub/> The Cinematheque was modeled on the [[Cinémathèque française]] and [[British Film Institute]].<ref name=weintraub/>  


[[Grauman's Egyptian Theatre]] is the Hollywood movie palace built in 1922 by showman [[Sid Grauman]] (four years prior to opening his [[Grauman's Chinese Theatre|Chinese Theatre]]). It was the location of Hollywood's first-ever movie premiere in 1922. In 1998, the American Cinematheque completed a major $12.8 million renovation that restored the theater's exterior to its original form, and added new film, video, and audio technology.<ref name="Deadline"/>
By 1985, Essert had raised over $1 million for the Cinematheque towards a $10 million goal to enable the Cinematheque to have a permanent home at a redeveloped [[Pan-Pacific Auditorium|Pan-Pacific Center]] that was proposed at the time.<ref name=weintraub/> The same year, the Cinematheque started screening films, starting with a three month Special Showcase honoring the [[Museum of Modern Art]] starting November 1 at the [[Ricardo Montalbán Theatre|Doolittle Theatre]] with a restored version of [[D. W. Griffith]]'s 1920 film ''[[Way Down East]]'' with a live orchestra.<ref name=about>{{cite web|url=https://www.americancinematheque.com/about/|title=About|website=American Cinematheque}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=From Griffiths to Hitchcock.. (advertisement)|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 27, 1985|page=20, Calendar}}</ref>  


The [[Aero Theatre]] in Santa Monica is a 1940 landmark movie theater that has also been renovated by the American Cinematheque.<ref>{{cite web |title=Classic Hollywood:  Santa Monica's Aero Theatre regulars believe in the joy of movies |date=2015-01-17 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426082245/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/classichollywood/la-et-mn-ca-aero-theatre-classic-hollywood-20150118-story.html |archive-date=2023-04-26 |url-status=live |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/classichollywood/la-et-mn-ca-aero-theatre-classic-hollywood-20150118-story.html}}</ref><ref>[https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/aero-theatre Los Angeles Conservancy]</ref>
Early board members and trustees included [[Barry Diller]], [[Robert Fitzpatrick (art executive)|Robert Fitzpatrick]], [[Wallis Annenberg]], [[Candice Bergen]], [[Allan Carr]], [[Francis Coppola]], [[Jane Fonda]], [[Goldie Hawn]], [[David Hockney]], [[Louis Malle]], [[Barry Manilow]], [[Diana Muldaur]], [[Mike Nichols]], [[Paul Schrader]], [[Martin Scorsese]] and [[Robert Wise]].<ref name=weintraub/> In 1986, the board of trustees of Filmex voted to merge with the Cinematheque however the Cinematheque board would not approve it unless Filmex's debts were cleared.<ref name=weintraub/><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=January 14, 1987|page=1 Calendar section|title=AFI introduces its new offspring: A film festival|last=Matthews|first=Jack}}</ref>
 
==Theaters==
 
Between 1987 and 1998, the Cinematheque presented its programs at a variety of venues, including the [[Directors Guild of America]] theater and the Raleigh Studios complex in Hollywood. In December 1998, it opened its own permanent home at [[Grauman's Egyptian Theatre]] in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], and in 2004 added a second theater, the [[Aero Theatre]], in [[Santa Monica]]. It now presents festivals, retrospectives, and assorted programs at these two theaters and the [[Los Feliz]] 3 Theatre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://entertainment.inquirer.net/366015/lav-diaz-comes-to-la-to-be-saluted-in-american-cinematheques-first-tribute-to-a-filipino-filmmaker|title=Lav Diaz comes to LA to be saluted in American Cinematheque's first tribute to a Filipino filmmaker|last=Nepales|first=Ruben V.|website=entertainment.inquirer.net|date=27 February 2020|language=en|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Theatres|url=https://www.americancinematheque.com/about/theatres/ |website=American Cinematheque |access-date=February 11, 2025}}</ref>
 
In 1998, the American Cinematheque completed a major $12.8 million renovation of the Egyptian Theatre that restored the theater's exterior, and added new film, video, and audio technology.<ref name="Deadline">{{cite news |last1=Fleming |first1=Mike Jr. |title=Netflix In Talks To Acquire Hollywood's Historic Egyptian Theatre From American Cinematheque |url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/egyptian-theater-hollywood-netflix-buying-cinematheque-1202591851/ |work=Deadline |date=April 9, 2019}}</ref> In May 2020, the theater was sold to [[Netflix]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Netflix Closes Deal to Buy Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/netflix-hollywood-egyptian-theatre-1234619985/|last=McNary|first=Dave|date=2020-05-29|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>


==Programming==
==Programming==
===Film Festivals===
===Film Festivals===
The American Cinematheque is home to a number of annual film festivals, which cover diverse topics, genres, and international cinemas. Its annual Beyond Fest, now entering its eighth year, is the highest attended genre film festival in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bell |first1=Nathaniel |title=BEYOND FEST CLOSING WEEK SCARES UP BLOOD ON HER NAME, NATURAL BORN KILLERS AND MORE |url=https://www.laweekly.com/beyond-fest-scares-up-blood-on-her-name-the-evil-dead-reimagined/ |website=LAWEEKLY |date=4 October 2019 |access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref>
The American Cinematheque is home to a number of annual film festivals, which cover diverse topics, genres, and international cinemas. Its annual [[Beyond Fest]] is the highest attended genre film festival in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bell |first1=Nathaniel |title=BEYOND FEST CLOSING WEEK SCARES UP BLOOD ON HER NAME, NATURAL BORN KILLERS AND MORE |url=https://www.laweekly.com/beyond-fest-scares-up-blood-on-her-name-the-evil-dead-reimagined/ |website=LAWEEKLY |date=4 October 2019 |access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref>


For the last 22 years, the Cinematheque has partnered with the Film Noir Foundation on its longest running festival, Noir City: Hollywood, that celebrates the history of film noir.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Turan |first1=Kenneth |title='Noir City: Hollywood' returns with Rita Hayworth, military films and David Mamet |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-02-27/noir-city-hollywood-returns-with-rita-hayworth-military-films-and-david-mamet |newspaper=LA Times |date=27 February 2020 |access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> Nitrate Nights, one of The American Cinematheque's newer film festivals, offers rare chances to see films on 35mm [[nitrate film]] base, a format abandoned in the early 1950s due to its highly flammable quality. After being retrofitted to project nitrate safely in 2016, the Cinematheque has since partnered with such film archives as the [[George Eastman Museum]], the [[Library of Congress]], the [[Academy Film Archive]] and the [[UCLA Film and Television Archive]] to bring rare archival prints to the screen for the public.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lindahl |first1=Chris |title=Christopher Nolan Hopes Nitrate Print of 'Rebecca' Will Reestablish the Film's Place in Hitchcock's Legacy |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/11/nitrate-film-flammable-egyptian-theatre-george-eastman-1202190206/ |website=indiewire.com |date=17 November 2019 |access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Turan |first1=Kenneth |title=Critic's Choice: Nitrate lives on at the Egyptian |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-critics-choice-20180315-story.html |newspaper=LA Times |date=15 March 2018 |access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref>
For the last 22 years, the Cinematheque has partnered with the Film Noir Foundation on its longest running festival, Noir City: Hollywood, that celebrates the history of film noir.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Turan |first1=Kenneth |title='Noir City: Hollywood' returns with Rita Hayworth, military films and David Mamet |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-02-27/noir-city-hollywood-returns-with-rita-hayworth-military-films-and-david-mamet |newspaper=LA Times |date=27 February 2020 |access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> Nitrate Nights, one of The American Cinematheque's newer film festivals, offers rare chances to see films on 35mm [[nitrate film]] base, a format abandoned in the early 1950s due to its highly flammable quality. After being retrofitted to project nitrate safely in 2016, the Cinematheque has since partnered with such film archives as the [[George Eastman Museum]], the [[Library of Congress]], the [[Academy Film Archive]] and the [[UCLA Film and Television Archive]] to bring rare archival prints to the screen for the public.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lindahl |first1=Chris |title=Christopher Nolan Hopes Nitrate Print of 'Rebecca' Will Reestablish the Film's Place in Hitchcock's Legacy |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/11/nitrate-film-flammable-egyptian-theatre-george-eastman-1202190206/ |website=indiewire.com |date=17 November 2019 |access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Turan |first1=Kenneth |title=Critic's Choice: Nitrate lives on at the Egyptian |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-critics-choice-20180315-story.html |newspaper=LA Times |date=15 March 2018 |access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref>


The Cinematheque also partners annually with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to present the Golden Globe Foreign-Language Nominees Series, which includes screenings of the year's nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.<ref>{{cite news |title=Also in Theatres Column |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50462010/golden-globe-foreign-language-nominees/ |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |date=4 January 2015 |page=62 |access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref> Each year the series has culminated in a panel discussion symposium with the directors of the five nominated films.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cramer |first1=Alex |title=Alfonso Cuaron, Nadine Labaki, More Foreign-Language Directors Honored by American Cinematheque |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/alfonso-cuaron-nadine-labaki-more-golden-globe-nominated-foreign-language-directors-honored-by-ameri-1173564 |website=www.hollywoodreporter.com |date=6 January 2019 |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>
The Cinematheque also partners annually with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to present the Golden Globe Foreign-Language Nominees Series, which includes screenings of the year's nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.<ref>{{cite news |title=Also in Theatres Column |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50462010/golden-globe-foreign-language-nominees/ |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |date=4 January 2015 |page=62 |access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref> Every year, the series has culminated in a panel discussion symposium with the directors of the five nominated films.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cramer |first1=Alex |title=Alfonso Cuaron, Nadine Labaki, More Foreign-Language Directors Honored by American Cinematheque |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/alfonso-cuaron-nadine-labaki-more-golden-globe-nominated-foreign-language-directors-honored-by-ameri-1173564 |website=www.hollywoodreporter.com |date=6 January 2019 |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>


==== Other Notable Film Festivals ====
==== Other Notable Film Festivals ====
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===Other Regular Film Series===
===Other Regular Film Series===
The Cinematheque also hosts a number of regular screening series year round including:
The Cinematheque also hosts a number of regular screening series year-round including:


* [[Cinematic Void]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Let's Scare Jessica to Death |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50542368/cinematic-void/ |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |date=6 May 2018 |pages=E9 |access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>
* [[Cinematic Void]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Let's Scare Jessica to Death |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50542368/cinematic-void/ |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |date=6 May 2018 |pages=E9 |access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>
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* Etheria Monthly Screening Series<ref>{{cite web |title=Etheria |url=https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/etheria/ |website=American Cinematheque |date=2021|access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref>
* Etheria Monthly Screening Series<ref>{{cite web |title=Etheria |url=https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/etheria/ |website=American Cinematheque |date=2021|access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref>


===American Cinematheque Award===
===Retrospectives===
In 2024, American Cinematheque, with the help of community partners including [[Armenian Film Society]] and [[GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society]], hosted "Three Homelands: A [[Sergei Parajanov]] [[Retrospective]]", focusing on the director's films about his three homelands: ''[[Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors]]'' ([[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukraine]]), ''[[The Color of Pomegranates]]'' ([[Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic|Armenia]]), and ''[[The Legend of Suram Fortress]]'' and ''[[Ashik Kerib]]'' ([[Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic|Georgia]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2024/three-homelands-sergei-parajanov-retrospective|title=Three Homelands: A Sergei Parajanov Retrospective|access-date=November 18, 2024}}</ref>
 
===Award program===
In addition to its year-round programs, the organization presents the prestigious [[American Cinematheque Award]] annually to a filmmaker in recognition of contributions to the art form.  In the 20 years since the award's inception, many major filmmakers have been honored, including directors such as [[Steven Spielberg]], [[Martin Scorsese]], [[Ron Howard]], and [[Rob Reiner]], producer [[Jerry Bruckheimer]], and actors including [[Eddie Murphy]], [[Bette Midler]], [[Mel Gibson]], [[Bruce Willis]], [[Samuel L. Jackson]], [[Denzel Washington]], and [[Jodie Foster]].
In addition to its year-round programs, the organization presents the prestigious [[American Cinematheque Award]] annually to a filmmaker in recognition of contributions to the art form.  In the 20 years since the award's inception, many major filmmakers have been honored, including directors such as [[Steven Spielberg]], [[Martin Scorsese]], [[Ron Howard]], and [[Rob Reiner]], producer [[Jerry Bruckheimer]], and actors including [[Eddie Murphy]], [[Bette Midler]], [[Mel Gibson]], [[Bruce Willis]], [[Samuel L. Jackson]], [[Denzel Washington]], and [[Jodie Foster]].


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==Participation by industry leaders==
==Participation by industry leaders==
The organization is governed by a board of directors and a board of trustees. Each board has included prominent leaders in the entertainment industry, including directors and producers such as [[Sydney Pollack]], [[Martin Scorsese]], [[Mike Nichols]], [[Francis Coppola]], [[William Friedkin]], [[Melvin Van Peebles]], [[Brian Grazer]], [[Joe Dante]], [[Paula Wagner]], and [[Steve Tisch]]. Other prominent board members include actors [[Candice Bergen]] and [[Goldie Hawn]]; studio chief [[Mike Medavoy]]; journalist [[Peter Bart]] (editor in chief of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''); and talent agent [[Rick Nicita]] (co-chairman of [[Creative Artists Agency]]).
The organization is governed by a board of directors and a board of trustees. Each board has included prominent leaders in the entertainment industry, including directors and producers such as Sydney Pollack, Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols, Francis Coppola, [[William Friedkin]], [[Melvin Van Peebles]], [[Brian Grazer]], [[Joe Dante]], [[Paula Wagner]], and [[Steve Tisch]]. Other prominent board members include actors Candice Bergen and Goldie Hawn.  


==Attorney General's investigation and Proposed sale of the Egyptian Theatre==
The current board of directors is chaired by talent agent [[Rick Nicita]] (former co-chairman of [[Creative Artists Agency]]). It also contains journalist [[Peter Bart]] (former editor in chief of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''); film producer [[Jason Blum]]; film executive [[Franklin Leonard]]; film director [[Michael Mann]]; former studio chief [[Mike Medavoy]]; film producer [[Paula Wagner]]; and [[David Zaslav]], current CEO and president of [[Warner Bros. Discovery]].<ref name=about/> Original co-chairman Kenneth Kleinberg is still on the board of directors.<ref name=about/>
As of May 2019, the American Cinematheque was under investigation by the California Attorney General. [[Netflix]] is reportedly seeking to purchase the theater, but concerned community members<ref name="Deadline">{{cite news |last1=Fleming |first1=Mike Jr. |title=Netflix In Talks To Acquire Hollywood's Historic Egyptian Theatre From American Cinematheque |url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/egyptian-theater-hollywood-netflix-buying-cinematheque-1202591851/ |work=Deadline |date=April 9, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/will-netflixs-ownership-las-egyptian-theatre-spark-backlash-1229765|title=Will Netflix's Ownership of L.A.'s Egyptian Theatre Spark Backlash?|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=9 August 2019|language=en|access-date=2019-08-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://labusinessjournal.com/news/2019/jul/19/will-la-stall-netflix-plan/|title=Will LA Stall Netflix Plan? {{!}} Los Angeles Business Journal|website=labusinessjournal.com|date=19 July 2019 |access-date=2019-08-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/news/2019/08/07/netflix-planning-to-purchase-historic-egyptian-theater-angering-film-fans|title=Netflix Planning to Purchase Historic Egyptian Theater|website=spectrumnews1.com|language=en|access-date=2019-08-15}}</ref> are petitioning<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://esotouric.com/egyptiantheatre/|title=Sign the Petition|website=Esotouric.com|date=29 April 2019|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-15}}</ref> the American Cinematheque board, the California Attorney General and Los Angeles City Council<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://esotouric.com/2019/08/13/egyptiantheatre2/|title=A Report From The Last Days of the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre… or are they?|last=Cooper|first=Kim|date=2019-08-13|website=Esotouric|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-15}}</ref> to halt the sale and hold public meetings explaining the situation.


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.americancinematheque.com/ Official American Cinematheque website]
* [https://www.americancinematheque.com/ Official American Cinematheque website]
*[https://esotouric.com/egyptiantheatre/ Friends of the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre petition campaign]
*[https://esotouric.com/egyptiantheatre/ Friends of the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre petition campaign]


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[[Category:Film organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:Film organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:Cinema of Southern California]]
[[Category:Cinema of Southern California]]
[[Category:Arts organizations established in 1981]]
[[Category:Arts organizations established in 1984]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Cinematheques]]

Latest revision as of 19:27, 9 October 2025

American Cinematheque
FormationTemplate:Sda
FounderGary Essert
Gary Abrahams
Sydney Pollack
TypeNon-profit
Location
Websiteamericancinematheque.com

The American Cinematheque is an independent, non-profit cultural organization in Los Angeles, California, United States that represents the public presentation of the moving image in all its forms.

It presents festivals and retrospectives that screen the best of worldwide cinema, video, and television from the past and present, ranging from the classics to the outer frontiers of the art form. Cinematheque also provides a forum where film lovers and students can learn from established filmmakers, actors, writers, editors, cinematographers, and others about their craft.[citation needed]

History[edit | edit source]

In 1981, Filmex, the Los Angeles International Film Exposition organized by Gary Essert and Gary Abrahams, awarded Elizabeth Taylor the Filmex Trustees Award and raised $90,000 for the creation of a cinematheque with the declared aim that it would eventually build on the work of Filmex and provide year-round film programming of classic and new films from around the world at a proposed Los Angeles Film Center.[1]

After Essert was forced to resign from Filmex in 1983, the Cinematheque was created by Essert, Abrahams and Sydney Pollack in 1984.[2] Lawyer and United Artists employee Kenneth Kleinberg became co-chairman of the board with Pollack.[2] The Cinematheque was modeled on the Cinémathèque française and British Film Institute.[2]

By 1985, Essert had raised over $1 million for the Cinematheque towards a $10 million goal to enable the Cinematheque to have a permanent home at a redeveloped Pan-Pacific Center that was proposed at the time.[2] The same year, the Cinematheque started screening films, starting with a three month Special Showcase honoring the Museum of Modern Art starting November 1 at the Doolittle Theatre with a restored version of D. W. Griffith's 1920 film Way Down East with a live orchestra.[3][4]

Early board members and trustees included Barry Diller, Robert Fitzpatrick, Wallis Annenberg, Candice Bergen, Allan Carr, Francis Coppola, Jane Fonda, Goldie Hawn, David Hockney, Louis Malle, Barry Manilow, Diana Muldaur, Mike Nichols, Paul Schrader, Martin Scorsese and Robert Wise.[2] In 1986, the board of trustees of Filmex voted to merge with the Cinematheque however the Cinematheque board would not approve it unless Filmex's debts were cleared.[2][5]

Theaters[edit | edit source]

Between 1987 and 1998, the Cinematheque presented its programs at a variety of venues, including the Directors Guild of America theater and the Raleigh Studios complex in Hollywood. In December 1998, it opened its own permanent home at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, and in 2004 added a second theater, the Aero Theatre, in Santa Monica. It now presents festivals, retrospectives, and assorted programs at these two theaters and the Los Feliz 3 Theatre.[6][7]

In 1998, the American Cinematheque completed a major $12.8 million renovation of the Egyptian Theatre that restored the theater's exterior, and added new film, video, and audio technology.[8] In May 2020, the theater was sold to Netflix.[9]

Programming[edit | edit source]

Film Festivals[edit | edit source]

The American Cinematheque is home to a number of annual film festivals, which cover diverse topics, genres, and international cinemas. Its annual Beyond Fest is the highest attended genre film festival in the U.S.[10]

For the last 22 years, the Cinematheque has partnered with the Film Noir Foundation on its longest running festival, Noir City: Hollywood, that celebrates the history of film noir.[11] Nitrate Nights, one of The American Cinematheque's newer film festivals, offers rare chances to see films on 35mm nitrate film base, a format abandoned in the early 1950s due to its highly flammable quality. After being retrofitted to project nitrate safely in 2016, the Cinematheque has since partnered with such film archives as the George Eastman Museum, the Library of Congress, the Academy Film Archive and the UCLA Film and Television Archive to bring rare archival prints to the screen for the public.[12][13]

The Cinematheque also partners annually with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to present the Golden Globe Foreign-Language Nominees Series, which includes screenings of the year's nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[14] Every year, the series has culminated in a panel discussion symposium with the directors of the five nominated films.[15]

Other Notable Film Festivals[edit | edit source]

Past Film Festivals[edit | edit source]

  • EW's CapeTown Film Festival[24]
  • Festival of Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction[25]
  • Brutal Youth Festival with Entertainment Weekly[26]

It has also presented Mods & Rockers Festival[27] a festival of rock-culture films first presented in 1999.

Other Regular Film Series[edit | edit source]

The Cinematheque also hosts a number of regular screening series year-round including:

Retrospectives[edit | edit source]

In 2024, American Cinematheque, with the help of community partners including Armenian Film Society and GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society, hosted "Three Homelands: A Sergei Parajanov Retrospective", focusing on the director's films about his three homelands: Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Ukraine), The Color of Pomegranates (Armenia), and The Legend of Suram Fortress and Ashik Kerib (Georgia).[32]

Award program[edit | edit source]

In addition to its year-round programs, the organization presents the prestigious American Cinematheque Award annually to a filmmaker in recognition of contributions to the art form. In the 20 years since the award's inception, many major filmmakers have been honored, including directors such as Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, and Rob Reiner, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and actors including Eddie Murphy, Bette Midler, Mel Gibson, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, and Jodie Foster.

Former Distribution[edit | edit source]

American Cinematheque's distribution arm was set up in 1999 as Vitagraph Films.[33]

Participation by industry leaders[edit | edit source]

The organization is governed by a board of directors and a board of trustees. Each board has included prominent leaders in the entertainment industry, including directors and producers such as Sydney Pollack, Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols, Francis Coppola, William Friedkin, Melvin Van Peebles, Brian Grazer, Joe Dante, Paula Wagner, and Steve Tisch. Other prominent board members include actors Candice Bergen and Goldie Hawn.

The current board of directors is chaired by talent agent Rick Nicita (former co-chairman of Creative Artists Agency). It also contains journalist Peter Bart (former editor in chief of Variety); film producer Jason Blum; film executive Franklin Leonard; film director Michael Mann; former studio chief Mike Medavoy; film producer Paula Wagner; and David Zaslav, current CEO and president of Warner Bros. Discovery.[3] Original co-chairman Kenneth Kleinberg is still on the board of directors.[3]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Smith, Dave (November 10, 1981). "Another honor for Liz: The survival award?". Los Angeles Times. p. 1, Calendar.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Thompson, Anne (April 17, 1986). "Filmex: Will Jerry Weintraub save it or destroy it?". LA Weekly. pp. 38–39.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "About". American Cinematheque.
  4. ↑ "From Griffiths to Hitchcock.. (advertisement)". Los Angeles Times. October 27, 1985. p. 20, Calendar.
  5. ↑ Matthews, Jack (January 14, 1987). "AFI introduces its new offspring: A film festival". Los Angeles Times. p. 1 Calendar section.
  6. ↑ Nepales, Ruben V. (February 27, 2020). "Lav Diaz comes to LA to be saluted in American Cinematheque's first tribute to a Filipino filmmaker". entertainment.inquirer.net. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Theatres". American Cinematheque. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  8. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 9, 2019). "Netflix In Talks To Acquire Hollywood's Historic Egyptian Theatre From American Cinematheque". Deadline.
  9. ↑ McNary, Dave (May 29, 2020). "Netflix Closes Deal to Buy Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre". Variety. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  10. ↑ Bell, Nathaniel (October 4, 2019). "BEYOND FEST CLOSING WEEK SCARES UP BLOOD ON HER NAME, NATURAL BORN KILLERS AND MORE". LAWEEKLY. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  11. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (February 27, 2020). "'Noir City: Hollywood' returns with Rita Hayworth, military films and David Mamet". LA Times. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  12. ↑ Lindahl, Chris (November 17, 2019). "Christopher Nolan Hopes Nitrate Print of 'Rebecca' Will Reestablish the Film's Place in Hitchcock's Legacy". indiewire.com. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  13. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (March 15, 2018). "Critic's Choice: Nitrate lives on at the Egyptian". LA Times. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Also in Theatres Column". The Los Angeles Times. January 4, 2015. p. 62. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  15. ↑ Cramer, Alex (January 6, 2019). "Alfonso Cuaron, Nadine Labaki, More Foreign-Language Directors Honored by American Cinematheque". www.hollywoodreporter.com. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  16. ↑ "'The Blood is the Life: Vampires on Film' and 'Dusk-to-Dawn Horrorthon'". The Los Angeles Times. October 22, 2006. p. 55. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  17. ↑ "American Cinematheque Presents: Recent Spanish Cinema". The Los Angeles Times. March 2, 2000. p. 440. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Cinema Italian Style- New Films from Italy". The Los Angeles Times. June 3, 2004. p. 49. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  19. ↑ King, Susan (October 2013). "German Currents: Festival of German Film opens Friday at Egyptian". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  20. ↑ Yamato, Jen (August 29, 2018). "Beyond Fest sets 13-film David Cronenberg retrospective with director in attendance". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  21. ↑ Ziemba, Christine. "Your Ultimate Guide To May: 20 Cool Events Happening In Los Angeles". laist.com. LAist. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  22. ↑ King, Susan (December 30, 2010). "A Series You Can't Refuse". The Los Angeles Times. p. 36. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Etheria Film Night 2019". The American Cinematheque Calendar. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  24. ↑ Thompson, Anne; Hanna, Beth (April 18, 2013). "'Iron Man 3' Free Advance Screening to Open EW's CapeTown Film Festival UPDATED". indiewire.com. IndieWire. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  25. ↑ King, Susan (August 6, 2003). "Hail the Party Animal". The Los Angeles Times. p. 88. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  26. ↑ Breznican, Anthony. "Brutal Youth Fest: Dark coming-of-age stories return to the big screen". ew.com. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  27. ↑ Modsandrockers.com
  28. ↑ "Let's Scare Jessica to Death". The Los Angeles Times. May 6, 2018. pp. E9. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  29. ↑ King, Susan (April 26, 2014). "The Spy Who Started It All". The Los Angeles Times. p. 31. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  30. ↑ Craughwell, Kathleen (January 21, 2018). "Events & Revivals". The Los Angeles Times. pp. E9. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Etheria". American Cinematheque. 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Three Homelands: A Sergei Parajanov Retrospective". Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  33. ↑ "UniJapan: Talking about European cinema in the Japanese marketplace". Cineuropa. 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2020.

External links[edit | edit source]

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