By: Shayne Benowitz
Sometimes the best way to wind down while on vacation is to spend a few hours taking in a movie.
Film buffs are in luck because Miami Beach is home to unique independent cinemas offering a one-of-a-kind theater-going experience coupled with critically acclaimed films. From a historic venue that’s been the bedrock of local film culture for years to cutting-edge cinema under the stars, you can always find a great film flickering on a screen in Miami Beach.
O Cinema South Beach
O Cinema South Beach operates the Miami Beach Cinematheque, an HD art house built in 1927 by Carl Fisher. The Miami Beach Film Society worked to preserve this Art Deco gem and opened the cinematheque with the mission of offering an alternative to the commercial cinema experience. The intimate cinema has stadium seating with black-and-white photographs of classic movie stars decorating the space. The environment feels almost as comfy and cozy as curling up to watch a movie in your living room. In addition to the screening room, there’s also a gallery, bookstore/library and café where you can purchase high-end snacks, wine and beer to enjoy during the movie. It screens critically acclaimed, first-run independent films, documentaries and foreign films. A premier venue during Miami’s many film festivals, including the Miami Film Festival, it also works to bring limited-release films from prestigious international film festivals like Cannes to Miami Beach’s silver screen.
New World Symphony Wallcasts are a perfect way to see a performance for free
Soundscape Cinema at New World Center
Just north of Lincoln Road, you’ll find the beautifully landscaped SoundScape Park occupying an entire city block in front of the New World Center. The facility, designed by star architect Frank Gehry, is home to the New World Symphony, America’s orchestral academy. To bring the symphony to a broader audience, the center was built with an exterior 7,000-square-foot projection wall to simulcast symphony performances and screen movies for free. It’s easily one of the most unique ways to catch a flick and enjoy a picnic with a group of friends under the palm trees. The setting is absolutely enchanting. The SoundScape Cinema Series runs from October through May, typically on Wednesday evenings starting at 8 p.m. Films include recent releases, classics and those with epic visual effects, like “The Great Gatsby” or “The Perfect Storm,” that play well on such a large “screen.” Movies are also planned thematically throughout the year, with “Little Shop of Horrors” playing around Halloween and “Mother’s Day” playing in May.
Whether it's inside an indie art house cinema or outside under the stars in South Beach, make time for a movie on your next trip to Miami.