Lower Nob Hill indie cinema the Lumiere, which has been a movie theater since 1967 and has been under the operation of Landmark Cinemas since 1991, is shutting its doors Sunday after Landmark lost its lease. They were unable to negotiate with the landlord, they tell the Chron, and so the last film to be screened there will be "The Intouchables" at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

The Lumiere became one of the only places in town to show obscure documentaries, and filled a niche market by doing so. But as the Chron notes, one of their last bookings to really have any "legs" was 1999's American Movie.

It's sad to see it go, especially as new business models are taking shape in which independent cinemas like The Roxie are turning into non-profits. L.A.-based Landmark retains other cinemas showing independent fare, and still operates the Embarcadero, Bridge, Clay, and Opera Plaza Cinemas in S.F.

[Chron]