CELEBRATING CINECENTA’S 50th ANNIVERSARY!
Since 1971 Cinecenta has been bringing movie magic and damn fine popcorn to Victoria!
Cinecenta came from modest beginnings in a UVic classroom, when a 17 year-old student named Doug Sprenger began showing movies on borrowed 16mm equipment a few nights a week. In 1971 he christened the operation “Cinecenta” after a small repertory cinema in London. As its popularity grew, so did the number of weekly evening showings and, by 1975, the UVic Students’ Society built Cinecenta its own cozy 300 seat cinema.
While Cinecenta began as a space for undergraduate film-lovers--it’s since expanded to become a fixture in the Victoria arts scene--where people from all parts of the community gather over a shared love of movies. We’ve always prided ourselves on offering something for everyone, and over the years Cinecenta has hosted a variety of events, from independent premieres to documentaries, blockbuster sellouts, and live musical performances set to obscure silent films. Many folks who remember coming to Cinecenta as UVic students now bring their children and families to movies here, and some of the current theatre staff even remember coming to screenings at Cinecenta when they were kids!
While 2021 has proved to be an extremely challenging year for theatres everywhere, we’re so thankful that we could reopen Cinecenta’s doors in time to celebrate this landmark birthday. To mark the occasion we’ve prepared as special glossy edition of what will be our first printed guide since the pandemic; and this schedule is boasting a variety of special programming, with a Best of 1971-themed film series and two film premieres (see Nov 14 & Dec 10-12).
Thank you to all the movie fans who have supported Cinecenta over the last 5 decades, and we look forward to another 50 years of Cinemagic ahead!
Please note: online ticket sales are suspended momentarily. Tickets may only be purchased in person at our box office, which opens 40 minutes before every screening. Thank you for your patience and cooperation!
Have a 10 pass or admit one ticket? No worries! We will be accepting them until the end of 2022 at the earliest, so bring em’ on in!
Vaccination Entry Requirements:
| Please note that proof of vaccination is required to enter the theatre. All adults must provide a provincially/territorially recognized proof of vaccination along with an official government issued photo ID.
| Youth aged 12 to 18 are not required to provide a secondary piece of ID and only need to show proof of vaccination.
| International visitors must provide their passport and the proof of vaccination they used to enter Canada.
| To help us keep our lineups moving efficiently, we would appreciate it if you had your photo ID and proof of vaccination ready to present before entering the theatre. Thanks so much and see you at the movies!
We’ve implemented the following Covid 19 protocols to keep everyone at Cinecenta safe:
| Masks are mandatory inside the building, and may only be removed once you’re seated.
|Theatre seats and all other high-touch surfaces will be sanitized regularly.