Small, independent, neighborhood movie houses are of course an endangered species pretty much everywhere besides Los Angeles, but San Francisco's oldest continually operating cinema, The Roxie (3117 16th Street) which also bears the distinction of being the nation's second-oldest, continually operating cinema just got some good news that will keep it running for at least the next three years. As Hoodline is reporting, the non-profit Roxie has reached a verbal agreement with their landlord for a three-year lease
As of a couple years ago, The Roxie and the Balboa Theaters bore the distinction among the country's small (both have only two screens), independent cinemas of being able to stay afloat by switching over to a non-profit model. The Roxie is now run as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a board of directors, and shows a diverse array of indie and documentary programming throughout the year, including festivals like the upcoming Documentary Film Fest, in its 14th edition.
Per Hoodline, the board has not yet seen a written agreement from the landlord, but things look positive.
Having opened in 1909, the Roxie's original auditorium, which seats 238, is thought to be the world's second oldest continually operating movie house.
This news comes shortly after we received an opening timeframe of "fall" for the revamp of the almost equally historic, and long defunct, New Mission Theater, which is becoming Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at the New Mission.
