Bryn Mawr Film Institute

PROS: Great programming.
CONS: Worst theater I have ever sat in.
They have multiple theaters and perhaps the other one is better, but the ones I sat in was so long and narrow, I felt like I was on an airplane. The screen was also so small it took up only the center part of my field of vision so I had to look at the theater walls and lights the whole time I was looking at the screen. It really takes away from the feeling of being immersed in the picture. I would love to support this place because they seem like a great organization, but I won’t go back.

Love this theater. It shows the latest movies and some great old ones as well. Easily accessible on the mainline and such a quaint space.

Quite a nice little theater. It was clean and the staff was friendly. The regular price tickets were in line with larger theaters though; but I guess when you figure in the cost of parking downtown, it’s actually about the same as heading to the Ritz. I imagine the cost is a steal for members and college students though. Regardless, a good experience all around. I enjoyed the free and accessible parking as well!

The seats were well maintained and comfortable — the place in general was very clean. I was so happy to see they sell Honest Tea! I love this brand of iced tea and I was happy that I didn’t have to get soda. Best part — STUDENT DISCOUNT. I can’t wait to see more movies here.

Our favorite date night spot! So cute and feels like a throwback to an earlier time when cell phones didn’t exist. Love their movie selections, generally!

Love this place. Just saw «The Imitation Game» (which, by the way, is excellent). Doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a big chain, but it’s a great theater, a real movie-​watching theater, if you know what I mean. Highly recommend.

This is my favorite place to see a film. The theater has been expanded to 4 screens and completely updated. The 2 new screening rooms have stadium seating. Great selection of films. I’ve seen a lot of films here that are not offered at other theater. The opera broadcasts form European Opera Houses are not to be missed!

I have been an on and off BMFI member since 2005(mostly on).
What place can throw an Oscar Party where you mingle with other cinema lovers and then view the Oscar telecast on the big screen? I should say these are serious movie goers who come dressed for the occasion! I had that privilege in 2013.
What place would satisfy adult and teen aged film lovers? BMFI
My city dweller daughter is now 22 and looks forward to BMFI visits when home in the burbs as she and her friends enjoyed serious cinema here in their teen years.
Here you can view Indies, artsy and quality first runs. You can take a class or seminar here too.
Parking can be a challenge so visit their websites to see the free available parking that is available after 5pm.
Quite honestly their candy and beverages are more reasonably priced than the chains.
And there are many dining options within walking distance for before or after a show.
Its been recently redone and is a very nice place to see a movie.

This is hands down my favorite movie theater. Whenever I want to see a movie, I always check and see if it’s playing at Bryn Mawr first. They also often have films playing that aren’t playing anywhere else nearby. The theaters themselves aren’t fancy with stadium seating or anything. But, they are clean and well maintained. I’ve also never had to deal with obnoxious clientele in the theater. On top of all this, it is very reasonably priced here, unlike most movie theaters that are now up to $ 11 a ticket. I can get a student priced ticket for $ 8 here. If I become a member, which I probably will at some point, it is only $ 6 a ticket! Even the concession prices here are somewhat reasonable, and they have a wide variety including some healthier options. The employees here have always been very friendly. I would much rather support an independent, local theather like BMFI, then somewhere like amc.

I love the BMFI. I need to state this upfront; however, they have a serious policy issue with their front of house. We bought a set of 5 tickets (2 seniors) 4 hrs prior to the film time. We planned to pick them up at will call as the other option was printing them out and we didn’t have that available. We arrived at least 25 minutes prior to the start of the film which was sold out. Instead of collecting our tickets and finding good seating, we had to wait in a long line of ticket buyers for the other two performances of two other films. Upon entering the theater we were told to hurry and find seats ‘if we could’. We sat up front and luckily they were perfectly fine seats regardless but we were popcorn-​free.

Great movies at a non profit theater. The renovation is great. Best popcorn ever. And toblerone chocolate.

This place is a hipster goldmine! If you love going to battle with the mainstream, and showing off your obsession with indie films, you need to get here as quickly as possible.
I recently saw The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari. It’s a bizarre silent horror film originally released in 1920. What made it so incredible was that a live quintet performed an original score to accompany the movie. Only in Bryn Mawr!
Additionally, they feature a variety of classic, cult, and current blockbuster films as well – really anything you get excited about is probably going to be shown at one point or another. The mix is what makes this place so exciting.
The snacks and drinks here are reasonably priced, which is surprising. My only complaint is that the theaters are abnormally long and skinny, which is totally fine if there aren’t many people. However, I’m blind and it can be tough to see the movie clearly if a big crowd forces me into one of the last rows!
All in all, I am a huge fan of what BMFI has done for the community so far. This is a great spot to gather with friends, family, and fellow film fans! (How’s that for alliteration?)

I have not been here in quite awhile and so I did not see the renovations. I really like this movie theatre. It is for serious movie goers. My experience was great. I could enjoy my drama today without drama ie people talking, people texting, etc. Good to know I have an option when I don’t feel like going downtown to the Ritz to see movies and dealing with the obnoxious el line. Concessions are reasonably priced compared to mainstream cinemas. They serve Coca Cola products. You can also stop by the coffeehouse attached to theatre before or after the show. Yes I will be back. yes, I am considering becoming a member.

Really nice place to watch great indy films. Good area with plenty of food options for before or after showings. They have great old films there. I saw Back to the Future there last summer. A perfect movie to see on the big screen again. My one qualm is that the theaters are long and rectangular so many of the seats are far away from the screen. I prefer a wider theater with more seats closer to the screen.

This is a great place to see a movie. The theaters were just recently renovated. There’s stadium seating with new and comfortable seats. Our theater was very clean. The employees were all very friendly. Our tickets were reasonably priced too: For a 7pm show on a Saturday we paid $ 12 per ticket. We got a large popcorn and Swedish fish for $ 8 total. BTW, the large popcorn is bottomless. I guess if I had to be critical I’d say the women’s bathroom could have used a few more stalls but that’s really no biggie. There’s parking behind the theater (but we didn’t realize this until after the movie). We arrived a little early for our movie so we hung out at the little café in front of the theater and had some hot beverages. I would definitely visit this theater again.

I am so lucky to live less than two miles from this theater! I have noticed that I am seeing indie films more often than «blockbusters.» This place brings great, quality films to the area… and it’s more than just a theater; it’s pretty much an educational, community center!
Don’t worry about spending a little extra for the jumbo popcorn — you get free refills!
The only bad thing I have to say about this place (which is a shame because it was just renovated) is the leg space is so tight; I felt like I was on an AirTran flight!

Delighted to finally experience this treasure with a 7pm showing of «Much Ado About Nothing», everything from the thoughtful choices of first run movies, the future Munch museum tour, and the small coffee house attached to the long corridor leading to the theater serving Counter Culture beans, made this a fresh breath of air bringing hard to see films into this area. Loved being amoung other film lovers and appreciated the personal introduction by the Institute coordinator before the film. Only negative was the relatively small screen, which might be irksome if you had to sit in the back of this long theater.
Hope this makes it. Philly surely needs this.

An independently owned theater that starts every showing with a personal welcome from owners or staff is something you don’t find everywhere. A theater that starts with a recorded message from Ben Kingsley is something you don’t find anywhere.
Bryn Mawr Film Institute keeps up with the latest selection of indie movies so there’s always something new and thought-​provoking to see. They also do filmmaker visits, workshops, Saturday kids matinees (genius idea, and only $ 5 for adults), and one night showings of classic films like upcoming sing alongs of The Sound of Music and West Side Story. That’s the kind of creativity you’re not getting at the megaplex.
Also, you can get drinks from the coffee shop in the same building and they allow you to bring them into the theater. What a cool place.

My parents got memberships to the movie theatre and wanted to go see «The Master.» It was the weirdest 2.5 hours of my life, but we won’t go into that…
The movie theatre itself is directly next to Milk Boy and not too far from a Rite Aid if you wanted to bring in candy or whatever. The concession stand is not over-​priced compared to a movie theatre and I guess buying from them is a good cause.
There are two screens and they aren’t even digital! Honestly, I don’t see much of a difference with the quality, but this theatre really feels kind of old-​fashioned. The two rooms are very narrow which gives a very intimate feel and its unusual compared to movie theatres these days. The seats aren’t bad, but they’re not really like the comfy seats at the movie theatres and if you look up, you might be surprised how ancient the ceilings are. Very narrow rooms, but very tall ceilings. I guess its a different experience…
I give it 4 stars mainly because aside from all its «uniqueness,» I don’t think at this day and age, a movie theatre should only have 2 options… yikes! Although, they did mention wanting to expand by 2 more theatres… I think it would be ideal if they at least had 4 different movies to choose from and they were running constantly throughout the day (especially really late at night)… that would be fun!

The availability of solid coffee options from the adjoined Milkboy and a really nice selection of snacks are just the icing on the cake at Bryn Mawr Film Institute. What really sets the place apart from other theaters is the small, hometown vibe and interesting selections.
Last night, I attended a preview screening of Race to the Bottom of the Earth, which starred Todd Carmichael of La Colombe. The screening was presented by First Person Arts, and after the movie, there was a Q&A with Todd which brought a very personal touch to an intense documentary.
Regarding the aesthetics of the theater itself, everything appeared clean and well-​maintained, but seats were ancient and a bit uncomfortable. A minor detail but one that will sneak up after two plus hours of sitting.
It isn’t often that I get out to the burbs of PA, but I would definitely go out of my way to see a film at Bryn Mawr Film Institute again.