The 5th Avenue Cinema is Oregon's only operating college cinema. All of our main features are shown on 35mm film.
History of the cinema
The cinema was originally part of the Moyer theater chain and, according to patrons that have come to the cinema since the 70s when it opened, was one of Portland's major art house cinemas along with Cinema 21 back in the 70s and 80s.
In the 90s the theater was shut down and bought by Portland State University. A group of students formed the PSU Film Committee and re-opened the 5th Avenue in the mid-90s. It was rough going, the students had to learn how to use the 35mm projector as well as the cinema business with no prior knowledge of the industry.
Nowadays
Today the PSU Film Committee is still made up entirely of students: two projectionists, one promotions director, and one cinema coordinator. We choose all of our own programming, and oversee all operations at the cinema. We are located on campus and provide a mix of obscure, critically acclaimed, and modern independent films.
Our goal is to serve PSU students and our community through supporting education about and love of good film. At the moment our projects include:
- Gaining 16mm and digital capability
- Updating our facility to give our patrons a more comfortable viewing experience
- Strengthening ties to the upcoming PSU Film Department and major program, other PSU student groups, and to the Portland film community
- Forming Portland State University's only film appreciation club to provide an outlet for students to come together to talk about films, attend screenings at the 5th Avenue Cinema as well as other local theaters, and to promote the exchange and discussion of student work relating to film (e.g. films, writing about film, screenplays)
Thoughts and suggestions? Please email us at film@pdx.edu to let us know what would make you visit the 5th Avenue Cinema more often. Give us your support in seeking funding to renovate our cinema! Email us at film@pdx.edu with your stories about what the 5th Avenue Cinema means to you and why you think the cinema deserves a makeover.