Like A Phoenix, Uptown Cinema Rises From The Ashes

It has been with some excitement that we have followed SIFF's progress as the organization creates a more visible, physical presence in the Seattle Center. Now that sense of joy has been tripled with the announcement that, along with the new SIFF Film Center, they are moving selected film screenings to the recently abandoned Uptown Cinema.

This bit of news couldn't be more welcome to those of us who bemoaned the loss of one of the city's best kept movie watching secrets. Even though the location in lower Queen Anne couldn't be more visible, foot traffic became sporadic as the last owners of the theaters programmed it with 2nd run movies, before realizing -- too late -- that it could be a great venue for arthouse and selected offbeat fare. No such worries with SIFF at the helm, who intend to use the Uptown to program the special screenings they've been holding inside the Center's McCaw Hall.

Plus, with three screens (none of which feel like the shoebox theaters found at the Metro, Pacific Place or the Meridian), we could be looking at more series like Noir City and selected works from individual filmmakers running at once. With a modicum of renovations, The Uptown could be a cinematic jewel once again.