Bryn Mawr Film Institute
Encyclopedia
Bryn Mawr Film Institute is a non-profit, community-owned movie theater
located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
, a town on Philadelphia's Main Line
. Re-opened in March 2005, with such dignitaries as Sir Ben Kingsley
present, it currently has over 6,300 supporting members. BMFI shows a wide range of films, including foreign, independent and art house
films. Film education is an integral part of the theater's mission; BMFI works with area schools and also offers film studies courses for adults.
, a designer of over 200 theaters. The Seville was built in 1926, one of six theaters built along the Main Line in the 1920s. Originally a one-screen theater, it was later was split into two during the 1980s.
. Phase 1 was completed in March 2006 with the installation of the new marquee
. Approximately $9 million must be raised to complete the theater's transformation.
The Institute recently finished the restoration of the skylit atrium to its original state, at a cost of $2 million, in March of 2009. Other upgrades include classroom space and an elevator. The Institute currently plans to add a third screen, an elevator, and upgrades to the HVAC and other building systems.
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr from Welsh for "big hill") is a census-designated place in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue and the border with Delaware County...
, a town on Philadelphia's Main Line
Pennsylvania Main Line
The Main Line is an unofficial historical and socio-cultural region of suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comprising a collection of affluent towns built along the old Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad which ran northwest from downtown Philadelphia parallel to Lancaster Avenue , a road...
. Re-opened in March 2005, with such dignitaries as Sir Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
present, it currently has over 6,300 supporting members. BMFI shows a wide range of films, including foreign, independent and art house
Art film
An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...
films. Film education is an integral part of the theater's mission; BMFI works with area schools and also offers film studies courses for adults.
History of the Theater
The building began life as the Seville Theater. It was designed by Philadelphia architect William Harold LeeWilliam Harold Lee
William Harold Lee was an American 20th century movie theater designer and later the chief architect for Eastern College...
, a designer of over 200 theaters. The Seville was built in 1926, one of six theaters built along the Main Line in the 1920s. Originally a one-screen theater, it was later was split into two during the 1980s.
Goals
A three-phased restoration of the theater began soon after the Bryn Mawr Film Institute (which refers to the name of the group founded in 2002 by academic, business and civic leaders from the area) acquired the theater. Phase 1 included refurbishing the lobby, installing new production and sound equipment, modernizing the electrical and heating systems and building a new caféCafé
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
. Phase 1 was completed in March 2006 with the installation of the new marquee
Marquee (sign)
A marquee is most commonly a structure placed over the entrance to a hotel or theatre. It has signage stating either the name of the establishment or, in the case of theatres, the play or movie and the artist appearing at that venue...
. Approximately $9 million must be raised to complete the theater's transformation.
The Institute recently finished the restoration of the skylit atrium to its original state, at a cost of $2 million, in March of 2009. Other upgrades include classroom space and an elevator. The Institute currently plans to add a third screen, an elevator, and upgrades to the HVAC and other building systems.