Maysles Cinema

Maysles is magical! This is an art house/​documentary/​social gathering movie theater that’s donation based ($ 10). They show films you won’t see anywhere else, such as riveting documentaries about the Cuban involvement in African freedom movements, the art that accompanied the Black Panthers in their media blitzes, and many other films. The $ 2 freshly popped popcorn and the free snacks and socializing downstairs after the films is a fun way to talk to other movie-​goers.

This joint is IT. Great, often overlooked documentaries, often with someone from the film talking, or discussion. Overflow room downstairs if it’s jammed. GO.

Great spot to check out documentaries in a nice intimate setting. I bought my tickets online so it was about $ 11 per person but I saw that at the cinema there is a suggested donation and if you’re super cheap or broke you can donate less. I went here for a screening of the documentary American Promise and there was a Q&A session afterwards with the directors of the film. The house manager came by and told the audience about all of the programs that the center has for both adults and teens interested in film making.

I’ve been to a number of film screenings here over the years and I’ve always enjoyed the variety and quality of the films that Maysles offers. The staff there have always been friendly, the films priced affordably, and the other movie goers are also always very friendly and fun to be around.

Such a neighborhood gem + so charming = iLive
I live not too far from here so I’m always walking by. It’s great to see what interesting documentaries they’ll be running next (as they advertise on their marquee and fliers you can take).
I first came here a few months ago (after realizing that I don’t take advantage of it enough) to check out a documentary on dancehall music and culture in Jamaica by director Miguel Galofre. The actual theater is small and intimate, and it’s a great place to meet new people (between pre– and post-​film mingling).
Wouldn’t you know it that Miguel actually attened the screening, ended up sitting right next to me lol, and participated in a Q & A session afterwards! (In general, the producers/​directors of films screened here do Q&A session post-​film, also a big draw for me).
Also brought a group of 10 friends here for the screening of «Remembering Black Wall Street: 90 Years Later» and the staff were very accommodating in terms of seating us together in their smaller basement space (used for overflow). I’ll be back as often as I can!

Local. Real. Smart. a Gem
Key Takeaways:
Film Selection: This is not your local megaplex. Film series are eclectic and curated by the staff. Films run the gamut from Black Panther documentaries to a Werner Herzog film about a ski jumper.
Seating: Small theater (30 seats or so) upstairs and single room for about 50? downstairs.
Food: Popcorn, sometimes free wine and cheese.
Extra Credit: Frequent Q&A with filmmakers following screenings. Ticketing is suggested donation. The film I am attending on March 21, 2011 is being introduced by a former New York City Mayor.

Maysles Cinema played host this year to the Black Panther Party Film Festival and I was there to watch the NYC première of Aoki, a documentary about Richard Aoki, a Japanese American who was a founding member of the Black Panther Party, its field marshal and weapons supplier in its early days.
Being that I live in Flushing, I rarely ever go to Harlem. I got off the 2 train, walked a couple of blocks, and there was Maysles Cinema. This theater is probably the smallest theater I’ve ever been to, and I’ve been to plenty of single-​room theaters. After paying the suggested donation of $ 10, I was told to go downstairs to the basement for the film. As it turned out, the space in the basement was basically set up with a projector, the kind of which you might find in a conference room, and movies were played from a DVD via the projector.
I was there about 15 minutes early to the screening of Aoki, and people were watching another film that was finishing up, a documentary about Eldridge Cleaver. The walls of the basement were lined with posters of obscure movies about social and political activism, and the seating consisted of folding chairs. In the back of the basement was a bar where a few trays of food like pretzel crackers and wasabi peas were laid out, but nobody was eating them as everybody was intently watching the film being played. I didn’t know what to expect and nobody told me to wait for this film to finish, so I just sat down and watched the rest of it. It ran about 15 minutes late and during this time, more and more people came and sat down. By then I had figured out that the cinema was basically allowing people to come watch whatever they wish, and at any time. When the documentary on Eldridge Cleaver had finally finished, a fairly big crowd had gathered in proportion to the size of the basement. More folding chairs had to be brought out to accommodate everybody that had arrived.
Barely anybody left after the documentary on Eldridge Cleaver had finished screening; the audience simply remained to watch the Aoki documentary. Ben Wang and Mike Cheng, the two film makers of the documentary, came and discreetly sat down, without anybody knowing that they were the film makers. The film was just as excellent as I had read that it was. It was as much a documentary about the beginnings of the Black Panther Party as it was a portrayal of the kind of man and revolutionary that Richard Aoki was.
After the screening, it was announced that a Q&A would be held upstairs. I did not realise it when I first entered the cinema, but it turned out there was another room upstairs that was also used for movie screenings. I would have stayed for the Q&A had it not been already very crowded and had I not been starving.
Maysles Cinema gave me the sense that it was very much a cinema for the people and the neighbourhood. The staff was very friendly and the space, though small, was warm and welcoming. I hope it stays in operation for many years to come.

Very surprised to see this listing with no reviews before checking it out; I was also apparently foolish in being nervous about not buying tickets online ahead of time. Cozy little joint with a homey neighborhood feel to it (especially the seating area). Friendly staff and well-​kept facilities considering they run on «suggested donations» (please pay as much as you can to help them out). Caught some reggae-​inspired flicks here (two for $ 9, to be specific) and had a great time, even if it was no-​holds barred in the makeshift theater area. Would return for some more esoteric films.
Side note: cash only policy is not conducive to the area or to large donations.