Cine

Really good coffee and really nice people… I just had a regular cup of Iowans it was only $ 3 but it was so good I had to have two. If you are in downtown Athens and need a little caffeine in ya, don’t be an idiot and check it out.

I love this place. They show a lot of cool, indie movies, and also have a lot of cool events. The staff is incredibly friendly, and this is a great date nite spot.

This place is fantastic! Great date night destination. They show movies you might not get to see otherwise. Prices are comparable to other theaters but the popcorn is inexpensive and tastes so much better than other movie theaters’ popcorn. The atmosphere is great. I just cannot say enough good about it. The people are very friendly and helpful. Everything is clean.

Great space with good snacks and atmosphere. Good place to see both studio and less known movies. Also has the lab space that’s available for other events. A great part of the community.

I like Cine. They show movies that are otherwise hard to find screenings of, and do so at non-​exorbitant prices. Parking can be a pain. The theaters themselves are pretty basic but functional.

Cine is the best place to see a movie in Athens, hands down. And you’ll probably be seeing the best movies playing in Athens!
The concessions are reasonable ($ 1 popcorn!) and include a full bar (yes!).
When I retire, I hope to get the «all the movies you care to see» membership.

Fantastic arts theatre. A great venue and a classic slot in Athens! I’ve been here multiple times and never had a bad experience.

great architecture, events space, art house movies plus full bar – what’s not to love?

Great local theater! Good mix of films and film festivals, and great Tuesday night dinner + movie special with The National next door.

Love the space from the moment you walk in. Love that they have a café from where you can take food and drinks into the theater. Had the house coffee, 1000 faces, which was strong without being bitter — it is rare to find coffee so well made in the USA. The staff was very friendly.
The restroom is so stylish and feels like an European film set.

WHAT an excellent place.
We saw a movie in the lab and it was a little weird at first, but in the end I really liked it. Awesome concessions and seating in the lobby, but kind of weird seating in the lab «theater» (still doable). I rather wish that we could have seen the screen theater rooms so my review could be more helpful…
My husband and my friends and I came all the way from Nashville, TN (307 miles, or six hours, one-​way) in an un-​airconditioned conversion van for Bad Movie Night. They did not disappoint. The venue was quirky and fun and the movie was horrible. I loved that they had intermission! The staff were friendly and efficient.
I would go back, even in the heat, again!

I am a HUGE fan of Cine. It is SO wonderful to have an alternative, thoughtful cinema in Athens. This is how movie-​going use to be (in my mind) before video. We went to the movies! Together! And then talked about it (over drinks) afterward. Moreover the price of popcorn is extremely reasonable, at $ 1 a bag. I wait for movies to appear at Cine so that I can enjoy being at my favorite place in life.
UPDATE: It is three years later and I still feel the same way!

Great film selection. Friendly staff. Comfortable, clean screening rooms. Cool design in the lobby area. You can get anything from softdrinks to wine to coffee to beer to mixed drinks to satisfy your thirst during the movie. I suggest «double fisting» so you don’t have to get up in the middle of the film to get a refill. The selection of snacks is small but diverse.
You can rent the screening rooms or the «Lab» for special events. The National will cater!

If Cine were nothing more than our very own art house, it would have my vote. The two screens are comfy and cozy, the films are first-​rate, and you can grab a glass of beer or wine from the bar to enjoy with your film. What makes Cine especially attractive for me is the Monday night jazz jam session in the Cine Lab across the lobby from the screens. House band Sonny Got Blue sets up at around 6 pm, and the session lasts until about 8:30 pm. You can sit in. It’s all very informal. Or you can grab something from the bar and enjoy the music. No cover.

I was driving down the road one night with my boyfriend and saw «Let the Right One In» listed on the marquee I literally made him stop the car & put it in reverse so we could go back and check the showtimes. I have been long awaiting this movies première in the U.S. and was delighted that Cine was showing it! The next night we showed up around 7pm the doorman whisked us in without a wait. Artwork plastered the walls and the smell of fresh popcorn & hot coffee greeted us as we came in from the cold. I ordered a glass of wine & my boyfriend got a beer. Alcohol in hand, we settled into the moderately sized theater and enjoyed our movie (which was absolutely wonderful might I add… go see it!) Anyway, I will definitely be returning to this venue soon! If you haven’t already you should stop by too and catch a movie.

At long last, Athens has its own art house theatre! Cine is wonderful. A converted tire recap plant, the building is a wonderful example of how historical restoration can transform those monolithic, empty, seemingly useless buildings downtown into thriving centers of activity. Much of the recap plant’s original look is there, which makes Cine quite unlike any movie theatre you’re used to. The owner of the theatre and her staff are all well versed in film studies and make sure that every film screened is high in artistic merit and entertainment value – this makes for a thoughtful selection of films that change each week.
The lobby is really quite charming. A long booth – or «banquette,» as creator/​artist Didi Dunphe would have you call it, runs along one side of the bar/​café in the lobby. The warm turquoise of the banquette invites you to sit down and snack on the typical and not-​so-​typical movie theatre snacks. There’s the requisite candy, of course, but also offerings from local eateries. (Wasabi peas and cashews while I watch my movie? Don’t mind if I do!) You can also order beer, coffee, or wine instead of a soda if you so choose – that’s a fun way to mix it up. And the seats inside the small-​to-​medium-​sized theatres (there are two) have cup holders just the right size for any drink you might purchase!
The seats themselves aren’t as plush and magnificent as I’d hoped. That’s the venue’s one downfall – I feel like they came from a late-​80s movie theatre, before the companies realized that people wanted to sit in luxury and style. But that’s a minor complaint that sits up against an army of praises.
Congratulations to Cine and its staff for having such a vision! See
to find out what they’re up to next.