Alamo Drafthouse Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Free Summer Screening Series (EXCLUSIVE)

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is turning 25 and it’s going on the road to celebrate.

The movie theater chain — which successfully dares to ask “What if multiplexes had personality?” — is planning a Rolling Roadshow tour throughout the summer, with stops in Austin, New York City, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Washington D.C. Most events will be outdoors and free of charge, except for an immersive premiere of Jordan Peele’s mind-bending thriller “Nope,” which opens in theaters on July 22.

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Since Tim and Karrie League opened a one-screen theater in downtown Austin on May 24, 1997, the company has expanded to 36 locations (and counting) across the country, providing cinephiles with a phone-free and snack-filled moviegoing experience. Alamo Drafthouse, known for popularizing in-theater dining, boasts full-service menus with burgers, pizza, buffalo cauliflower, craft beer and cocktails at all of its venues.

The Texas-based Alamo Drafthouse is kicking off its 25th anniversary palooza with a free outdoor screening of “Raising Arizona” at Live Oak Brewing Company in Austin. The movie selection is symbolic because “Raising Arizona,” the Coen brothers crime comedy starring Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter and John Goodman, was the first film to play the night Alamo Drafthouse opened way back when. The complimentary showing, which is set to begin around 8:45 p.m., will be preceded by a performance from Austin band and long-time Alamo Drafthouse collaborators The Octopus Project.

“I remember quite vividly scrambling to finish everything and put on our very first show 25 years ago. We had a brand new staff of 20 people and had never trained or employed anyone before that day, it was tense,” says Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse co-founder and executive chairman. “We’ve learned so much over the years, but the passion remains the same. We love movies and want to share that love with all of you.”

To thank the staffers, who have been keeping the cinema chain going after the pandemic threatened its existence, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema locations will be closed on June 8 for a team appreciation day.

“I feel very lucky to be part of a team with so much history, passion, and dedication to our core mission. That dedication to celebrating film and providing a better theater experience is why we’ve been around so long, and we’re not stopping any time soon,” says Shelli Taylor, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse.

See details for Alamo’s 25th anniversary Rolling Roadshow, described in the company’s own words:

May

Austin, Texas

When: May 20th, 2022 | 6:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Where: Live Oak Brewing Company

Join Alamo Drafthouse for a free outdoor screening of the first movie ever played in an Alamo Drafthouse, Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Raising Arizona.” In addition to the screening, guests will enjoy games, food, surprise guests, live music, and a proclamation from Mayor Steve Adler of Austin. Festivities begin at 6:30 pm, and the screening starts at 8:30 p.m. Admission is free, but guests must RSVP via Eventbrite prior to arriving. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets for a fun and memorable evening under the stars.

June

New York City, NY

28 Liberty Summer Film Series

Every Thursday from June 9 – June 30 at 28 Liberty Plaza

Alamo Drafthouse will host a free outdoor screening series on the plaza in front of their new Lower Manhattan theater, every Thursday from June 9 through June 30. Guests will enjoy an interactive experience where they can hand crank their very own commemorative Alamo25 poster off a vintage 1938 Vandercook letterpress.

July

Chicago

To be announced.

Los Angeles

In partnership with Universal Pictures and Monkeypaw Productions, Alamo Drafthouse will bring a select group of fans to a Rolling Roadshow screening at a horse ranch in Los Angeles where they’ll be the first to see Oscar-winning writer/director Jordan Peele’s new horror epic, “Nope.” The film, in theaters July 22, stars Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Oscar nominee Steven Yeun as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.

Guests will enjoy horseback riding, cowboy lessons and tours of the ranch before the screening.

More details are set to be announced shortly.

August

St. Louis

To be announced

Washington, DC

To be announced

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