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 A historic movie house, once famous for vaudeville and silent screen villains, finds new
audiences as a cultural center and fi lm institute.
The lights of yesteryear Hollywood are shining bright again on Lancaster Avenue in Bryn
Mawr. The once age-weary Bryn Mawr Theatre has found new life, and some new sparkle,
as The Bryn Mawr Film Institute.
“We are preserving a beautiful structure, showing the best films and contributing to the economic
growth of the community,” says Juliet Goodfriend, the Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s founder and
president. “We’ve taken a three-pronged approach—to show the best in independent, art, and great
classic films.”
At the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, moviegoers can catch first-run main attractions such as An
Inconvenient Truth, Wordplay, A Prairie Home Companion, The Syrian Bride and Friends with
Money. In addition, the institute offers film studies, courses, workshops, guest lecturers, visual
literacy and student screening programs. Since the theater’s magnificent rebirth in March 2005,
several notable actors, writers and filmmakers have visited or spoken to the audiences including Sir
Ben Kingsley, Peter Falk, Garry Marshall and Paul Reiser.
Goodfriend, the founder and former chairman of an international pharmaceutical marketing
firm, worked with many Main Line business and civic leaders to successfully save the 80–year old
historic theatre from turning into a health and fitness club. They formed the Bryn Mawr Film
Institute in 2002 and recently completed the first phase of its restoration project, including the
theater’s newly restored marquee glistening over Lancaster Avenue.
The institute purchased the theater, built in 1926, through private contributions, state grants and
membership dues. Restorations included a refurbished lobby, installation of new projection and
sound equipment, upgraded electrical and heating systems and the refurbished marquee.
The second phase of the building’s renovations includes restoring
four hundred panes of the theater’s stunning atrium
skylight and upgrading the second floor for
use as multi-media classrooms for a
variety of programs.
“We’ve had an
astounding
response from the community. In our first year, we had 5,200 members,” notes Goodfriend. Members
have reciprocal admission benefits at The County Theatre in Doylestown and the Ambler Theatre
in Ambler.
Since opening, the institute has featured over 200 different films in its two 300–seat screening
rooms. It hosted over 1,900 screenings and drew an average of 2,500 people per week. Many cultural,
civic, school and religious groups partnered with the theater to offer special programming and
events. In addition, a vacant retail space adjacent to the theater was converted into Cafe Seville, a
coffee shop serving light snacks and a place for post-screening lectures and monthly film discussion
groups. The old theater was originally called “The Seville” during its heyday.
“It’s a different experience for most people to see a film on the big screen,” says Pat Wesley, the
institute’s communication and development manager. “It gives you a different impression and
allows you to experience the reaction of others.” In addition to the main attractions, the institute
offers children’s matinee programs and midnight showings. During the summer, moviegoers get a
chance to experience film masterpieces on the big screen such as Casablanca and Rear Window or
modern classics such as The Shawshank Redemption and Rocky.
“We are also offering aspiring filmmakers the opportunity to show their films on the big screen
at no charge on the first Monday of every month,” notes Wesley.
For more information about the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, visit www.brynmawrfilm.org or call
610-527-4008. The theater, located on 822-26 West Lancaster Avenue, is open seven days a week.
Main attractions play from Friday through Thursday. For upcoming attractions, call the hotline at
610-527-9898 or sign up to receive weekly e-mail updates.
Maryanna Phinn is a freelance writer who lives in Washington Crossing, PA with her husband, Bob,
and their son, Bobby, Jr.
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