Fine Arts Theatre

Probably the last of a generation of classic theaters. Perfect for those amazing movies that rarely play in commercial chain theaters.
It’s old, classic, well managed and clean. You won’t find modern reclining stadium seats, but they were comfortable anyway.
You will find beer, wine and some of the best theater popcorn around.
You can also enjoy that being near pack square, there is no shortage of amazing restaurants and bars.

I love that they play foreign and independent films here. This is a perfect place to bring a date.

Favorite place in Asheville to see movies. They bring in the best selection, sell sake, and have $ 5 movie nights. What else could you want?

The Fine Arts Theater is a cool little theater downtown. They’ve got three or so screens and have a good selection of smaller independent films, foreign films, and documentaries.
They’ve got an eclectic mix of snacks and drinks. Good beer, wine, even sake if you’re in a weird mood.
The only knock on such a cool place is that their lineup tends to be a little safe. They lean toward Oscar nominated dramas. It’s rare for a genre film to pop up, unless one is so great it breaks through, like It Follows did recently. You won’t find the off-​beat comedies or violent pictures that Carolina will show in its smaller rooms. But for a two movie at a time lineup, they do a great job.

Not so many years ago, when the entirety of downtown Asheville was a place of ill repute, this theater used to show skin flicks to a darkened auditorium of amorous moviegoers.
Presumably, they’ve reupholstered since then. But the interior of the theater is still kind of barebones, early 80’s. No stadium seating here. The sound is passable (stereo, not mono), but has made no gesture towards technological improvements from the last 20 years.
The last movie I saw here was The Imitation Game. It was a packed theater. I was in a middle seat. It was uncomfortable physically. The couple to my left was on a date. I felt like I was experiencing their date first-​hand. That was uncomfortable, psychologically.
On the whole, though, I love this experience, and I keep going back.
First off, for matinees, you’re likely to have a bit more room to stretch your legs and hog the armrests. That’s a nice feeling.
Second, they show independent movies from small studios, and I like to support movie theaters that do this.
Third, they’re in close proximity to some very good restaurants and night spots, so a Fine Arts movie is a perfect addition to any grand night out.
Fourth, they serve good beer at reasonable prices.
Fifth, the ads they run before the previews are funny! All local. For over a year, some local hand-​thrown pottery studio has been advertising some kind of microwave bacon contraption that probably costs 50 bucks. For reasons I can’t explain, this kills me.
Sixth, interspersed with all this heartfelt and sincere local advertisements are photographs of the movie theater throughout its long history. So, with a sharp eye, you can see for yourself some of the adult fare it used to post on its marquee.
Seventh, I’m old enough to remember when all movie theaters had crappy seats and minimal sound, and there’s something very nostalgic about the experience for me. I actually had a fit when all of the major theater chains started getting stadium seating and huge subwoofers. I felt like a part of history had disappeared. At the Fine arts, that bit of history is alive and well.
In conclusion: There’s plenty of other artsy fartsy theaters in driving distance, but this one is the one I always go to. Because it’s downtown where the action is, and its fun history adds to the charm.

If I could give this place a fifty-​five, I would! You know why? History, it’s a local business, good movie selection, and my personal favorite, THEY DON’T GOUGE FOR CONCESSIONS! I got a beer, a bottle of water, AND a popcorn for less than $ 10!

This place is great. A touch of old time movie charm. Lots of independent shows. They serve beer! Yes it’s small but who cares it’s a small local theater in the middle of downtown that serves beer, has great popcorn, and shows neat movies that don’t play at the other theaters.

The Fine Arts Theater is a great little independent theater where you can catch ‘art house’ films that don’t come to the major corporate theaters. I’ve seen dozens of films here, and I really enjoy their laid back attitude and (relatively) inexpensive pricing on concessions.
The downstairs theater is a little larger, but the upstairs theater has stadium seating. I’d recommend you find out where your film is showing beforehand, in case you’re not a fan of one of those seating types.
My only complaint is that it seems as though their films cycle at a relatively random rate. Sometimes they’ll have the same film for 3 weeks, and other times it will only be there for one week – and I’ve missed a few films I wanted to see because of this.
They have $ 5 movies on Tuesdays, which is wonderful, and they do participate in Go Local. If you have one of these discount cards you can get half off a drink or concessions item with the purchase of a ticket.

My favorite Asheville cinema!
They play movies that you can’t or say won’t see in the mainstream theaters!
The selection is great and it would not be the first time I just read the title of a movie and go see it because I trust the guys that run this place enough to know it’s going to be at least ok!
They have beer and wine here and a selection of local and Lindt chocolates as snacks and hands down just the best popcorn for my taste, not too greasy not too salty, just right.
Parking can be a little challenging although after 6 pm most meters don’t have to be fed anymore and behind the building is paid parking for 3 bucks.
There are two screens.
If you have time whenever then go on Tuesday all tickets are $ 5, when did you pay that for seeing a movie in a theater last?!
They host several little film festivals and are ready to give you all the information you need about them.

I went to see The Grand Budapest Hotel and it was a lot of fun. I showed up right before the movie started, so I had to sit in the back. The screen seemed really small and the sound was a little quiet. Also the bathrooms in the basement are a little creepy and run down. But it’s great overall.

In downtown Asheville, this is a wonderful art house that runs foreign and independent films… it is surrounded by lots of wonderful restaurants and shops too which makes it even more of an attraction for out of towners. The concession stand is only open for a little while but the prices are reasonable. The seating, both upstairs and down, are comfortable and the screening rooms are intimate in size. We’ve had great experiences every time we’ve been to a movie here.

This a great little theater with comfortable seats. The screening room we were in was set up in such a way that no one else’s head gets in your way. The concession and ticket prices seem reasonable/​comparable.

They bring the right stuff to town with the vibe to match. Plus, they have the finest popcorn around. I’m not kidding.

This is a great movie theatre which shows many independent and foreign films. You won’t find the mindless crap that plays at the mega-plexes.There are two movie screens. Seats are comfortable, and they sell the usual movie snacks, drinks, and beer. Although it’s downtown, there is a parking garage right nearby. Beware though– movies don’t usually stay too long. Sign up for their e-​mail newsletter-it’s helpful.

wonderful location! Great film selection!

Ah… Fine Arts, how I love thee… this little art house cinema adds a touch of culture to my hometown and the only gig in town for unique movies that mainstream just doesn’t show.
There are two screens so you’ll have a selection to what is showing. This place is intimate in size which I think adds to the character. This is located in the center of town and has plenty of music, food, and bars within a stones throw and even more within a good tee shot (3 wood of course).
Now what many folks don’t realize is this use to show porn films back in the day (think decades) and Fine Arts meant something entirely different to the folks of Asheville. It was the kind of place you wouldn’t be caught dead near for fear of someone seeing you and the gossip that would follow. But those days are long gone, but still interesting nonetheless.

The Fine Arts Theatre in Asheville is one of the BEST art house cinemas that I have been to. They are the only venue in the city that that gets the foreign and independent films with critical acclaim. I have had my first experience with some of my favorite films at this theater: Amelie, The Motorcycle Diaries… so many films that I never would have seen in a movie theater if it were not for the Fine Arts.
The box office only sells tickets 30 minutes prior to the showtime and they only accept cash. This causes a few problems with hits… the line can sometimes stretch down the street.
There are two screens in the theater. The best and most unique one is downstairs. The one upstairs is like a screening room with stadium seating. Both are small screens, but with a great projector and good sound.
The concessions offered include the obvious theater fare: popcorn, soda and candy… but they also have beer on tap, wine and European sodas like Orangina and Limonata.
There are ample nearby restaurants to enjoy before or after a showing. You can park on the street, the nearby lot or in a garage up the street. There will always be somewhere to park.
Even if a film is showing at the nearby Beaucatcher or Carmike, I would go here first in a heartbeat!

One of the only places you can catch a foreign or indie film in the AVL. Nice selection of snacks and drinks… owned by the same dude who runs Blue Spiral next door!
Alas… it bothers me that the Fine Arts theatre only accepts cash!

Wow, this is the second movie theater I’ve been to in 2 days that serves alcohol. Either Asheville is full of a bunch of alcoholics or the rest of America just needs to catch up to this progressive system (I for one am going with the latter).
The seats are comfy (I hate stadium seating because I like to slouch, which these seats allow for), the beer is reasonably priced ($ 4 for any alcoholic bevvy) and it’s centrally located next to a bunch of good downtown Asheville restaurants and bars. The movie selection is limited, but much better than the megaplex fare.
My single complaint was that the screen was kind of small. But then again, this isn’t a megaplex.
And they have Sno-​Caps (god’s gift to movie goers) for $ 2. Every movie theater in the world should be required by law to carry them.