Art houses & film societies / Midtown / Cass Corridor
Cinema Detroit
Closed – archive entry · 2009–2023
Midtown's independent art house from 2009 to 2023: it started in an old school auditorium, then screened films in a converted furniture factory with two screens. Today it lives on as a pop-up series around metro Detroit.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 2009
- Closed
- 2023
- Seats
- 120 (3rd Avenue, 2 screens)
- Screens
- 2
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The story began in 2009 as the Burton Theatre, in the auditorium of the former Burton Elementary School (1924) on Cass Avenue. It closed after a rent dispute in May 2011, then reopened in the same space as Cinema Detroit. In summer 2015 it moved to a converted furniture factory on 3rd Avenue, with two screens and 120 seats. The 3rd Avenue cinema closed in June 2023. The Cinema Detroit team carries on as a pop-up programmer, screening curated films at venues around metro Detroit.
- Started in a 1924 school auditorium
- Two screens in an old furniture factory from 2015
- Lives on as a pop-up film series
Plan your visit
The 3rd Avenue cinema closed in 2023, but Cinema Detroit's pop-up screenings continue around metro Detroit. Check the team's own site for dates and venues.
Cinemas nearby
Back to cinemas ↗
Multiplexes / Detroit
Bel Air Luxury Cinema
The only first-run multiplex inside Detroit's city limits: ten screens on East Eight Mile with luxury rockers, recliners and a giant custom chandelier. No need to drive out to the suburbs for the new releases.
IMAX & giant screens / Detroit
Michigan Science Center – Immersive Dome Theater
Midtown's science museum runs three screens: the giant Immersive Dome Theater, the Penske Planetarium and the 3D Toyota Engineering Theater. The museum calls the dome the largest theatre in Michigan.
Film festivals / Detroit
Detroit Black Film Festival
Independent films directed, written or produced by Black filmmakers, at a Detroit festival Lazar and Marshalle Favors started in 2020. The 7th edition in September 2026 screens 89 films from 30 countries, with the Charles H. Wright Museum as its hub.
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