Where to Watch Movies in Portland
A field guide to Portland’s historic palaces, repertory calendars, 70mm projectors, and neighborhood screens.
THE SHORT VERSION · KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Opened in 1926 in Northeast Portland and run as a non-profit cultural institution, the Hollywood Theatre is one of the premier repertory houses in North America.
- In Northwest Portland, Cinema 21 has anchored the city’s independent film diet since 1925, pairing first-run international cinema with weekend director retrospectives.
- Portland is a city of neighborhood movie houses that refused to disappear: the 1923 Laurelhurst Theater on Burnside, the Clinton Street Theater (one of the oldest continuously operating cinemas in the country), Montavilla’s Academy Theater, and the grand Bagdad Theater on Hawthorne.
- Major studio advance screenings in the Portland metro frequently land at Regal Lloyd Center, Regal Pioneer Place, and AMC Progress Ridge, while repertory series and filmmaker appearances anchor the independent houses.
MOVEMENT 01
Hollywood Theatre: 70mm, repertory deep cuts, and community programming
Opened in 1926 in Northeast Portland and run as a non-profit cultural institution, the Hollywood Theatre is one of the premier repertory houses in North America. Equipped for 70mm, 35mm, and 4K projection, its calendar swings effortlessly from kung-fu marathons and archival restorations to visiting filmmaker Q&As.
MOVEMENT 02
Cinema 21 and Living Room Theaters: Arthouse staples and international releases
In Northwest Portland, Cinema 21 has anchored the city’s independent film diet since 1925, pairing first-run international cinema with weekend director retrospectives. Downtown, Living Room Theaters offers intimate screening rooms for festival winners and independent releases.
MOVEMENT 03
Historic neighborhood screens: Laurelhurst, Bagdad, Clinton Street, and Academy
Portland is a city of neighborhood movie houses that refused to disappear: the 1923 Laurelhurst Theater on Burnside, the Clinton Street Theater (one of the oldest continuously operating cinemas in the country), Montavilla’s Academy Theater, and the grand Bagdad Theater on Hawthorne.
MOVEMENT 04
Tracking special events and advance screenings across the city
Major studio advance screenings in the Portland metro frequently land at Regal Lloyd Center, Regal Pioneer Place, and AMC Progress Ridge, while repertory series and filmmaker appearances anchor the independent houses. Set your Pass location to Portland, OR to track both on one calendar.
TOPICS & COVERAGE
EDITORIAL COLOPHON · High Standard Editorial
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