Anthology Film Archives

Love this cinema. It's more than a cinema it's about film preservation too. Become a member and get free tickets for its "Essential Cinema " series. And there are some really awesome Q&As and other events.

I saw Orpheus, a 1950 B&W French picture about a poet who falls in love with a witch that walks through mirrors. After my time at Film Anthology Archive, I briefly considered not moving out of New York City. This place is like a public school for adults and a chapel for the secular

I came to support a friend who was in an independent film. The space is eclectic. Just be ready to climb a few steps to get to the theater, it's on the 3rd floor.

Such a great spot with unique viewings was there for my Mononoaware screening, but excited to come back.

Love this place. Especially a little theater downstairs is so beautiful. Saw Tom Jarmusch’s impressive documentary “sometime city” Left a great charm in the place as well:))

Great place full of life and informative about up and coming premiere movies, some movies already out and up and coming actors and actresses

Incredible selection / rotation of hard-to-find and experimental films on film.

For a completely hassle-free date night with my sister, the experience is absolutely appreciated. It was a brilliant and full movie theater experience! Super cool interior here! I feel very comfortable with the enormous chairs and the good taste of their food. We would never hesitate to suggest this place to my colleagues for sure. Further! Bigger! Superior! Superior!

Love this cinema. It's more than a cinema it's about film preservation too. Become a member and get free tickets for its "Essential Cinema " series. And there are some really awesome Q&As and other events.

I saw Orpheus, a 1950 B&W French picture about a poet who falls in love with a witch that walks through mirrors. After my time at Film Anthology Archive, I briefly considered not moving out of New York City. This place is like a public school for adults and a chapel for the secular

I came to support a friend who was in an independent film. The space is eclectic. Just be ready to climb a few steps to get to the theater, it's on the 3rd floor.

Such a great spot with unique viewings was there for my Mononoaware screening, but excited to come back.

Love this place. Especially a little theater downstairs is so beautiful. Saw Tom Jarmusch’s impressive documentary “sometime city” Left a great charm in the place as well:))

Great place full of life and informative about up and coming premiere movies, some movies already out and up and coming actors and actresses

Incredible selection / rotation of hard-to-find and experimental films on film.

For a completely hassle-free date night with my sister, the experience is absolutely appreciated. It was a brilliant and full movie theater experience! Super cool interior here! I feel very comfortable with the enormous chairs and the good taste of their food. We would never hesitate to suggest this place to my colleagues for sure. Further! Bigger! Superior! Superior!

Film Anthology Archives raised me, cinematically speaking, in a way no other film screening house has. Jonas Mekas and Co. presented an incredible gift to the city and the world at large by presenting and preserving this important space. I met my friend Ken Jacobs and his wife Flo here during a New York-centric short film screening that featured the works of Warhol, Shirley Clarke, Jacobs, Marie Menken and the Kuchar brothers, among others. On another occasion, Clarke's incredible film The Cool World was presented in a rare screening with Hampton Clanton in attendance. I also had the great fortune of catching Jean Vigo's L'Atalante and Taris at the Anthology Film Archives. Such a great place!

legendary place. founded by jonas mekas. go there to feel the energy even if you don't see a film.

Just finished my Shūji Terayama Series in Anthology, which might be the first film screening program that I've followed from beginning to end, and I like it so much. I can't imagine if I would have the same feeling in other theaters because Anthology is so unique. Some ppl don't like the old fashion style in this theater, but I would say that is why I love this place. They have old fashion stub which you can only purchase 30 mins before the screening, they show some rare films you've never heard of, they don't have concessions, they printed a lot of flyers on colorful papers on their own. All they do is trying their best to keep away from the electronic world, they don't have apps, they don't sell tix online, they wrote their calendars as serious as writing a book (just look at the index and all the references. and think about the fact that they plan everything 3-6 months ahead.) I'm not saying that digitalized life is bad, but Anthology gives you another perspective, it lets you think about things in a different way: if you cannot purchase tix online, there won't be occasions that you waste the tix; if you cannot buy drinks and popcorns, then you'll be more concentrated on the film and be extremely quiet. You might ask, why other cinemas don't do that? The reason is simple, most cinemas care more about profit, but I think Anthology care more about the cinema itself, and I feel the respect for cinema here. I feel very glad that the city has such a great place for ppl to enjoy the cinema. In the end, I found that what really attracts me is not just the old fashion vibe, but the seriousness, precision and purity behind that vibe. Let's try our best to cherish that.

I've been to Anthology Film Archives approximately 4 times in my life. First time was for a Japanese film that I really enjoyed and sadly enough, don't remember the name of. My second time was for the NYC premier screening of my filmmaker/director boyfriend's 8th feature length film ("Mark of the Beast") and the last two times were "Found Footage Film Festival"'s NYC tour stops - last year and this year's. All of my visits here have been positive and surpassed my expectations. I love that in the middle of NYC becoming a chain mall with all sorts of character-inducing mom & pop shops, art/music and historical venues being pushed out - a place like Anthology Film Archives still manages to exist and continue to support awesome, independent programming. Hope they manage to exist for years and years to come!

Came here for the Asian American Film Festival's screening of "Go, Grandriders" (which is fantastic and everyone should watch it). We were upstairs on the third floor and the theater was really cozy. However, if you needed to go to the bathroom, it was on the second floor. The staff was very friendly. But, they need to get their shit together. There is a huge buildup at the lobby full of people getting tickets or picking up preordered tickets. And I had to make an effort to find where to go and such because of the rowdy chaos in the lobby. Also, I don't know if it's a frequent occurrence, or if there is any correlation between the AAFF and the subway station, but getting wolf-whistled at with a "Hey Oriental beauty, where you from?" is not okay.

Great programming, but the attitude of the staff sucks. They're still clinging onto the "Hey man, this is NYC deal with it" attitude from 1987. Saw a show there during a snow storm. One employee was gracious enough to let about five people wait in the lobby. Then the manager showed up and kicked everyone out, back to standing on the street in the freezing rain like a bunch idiots because "the lobby doesn't open for another five minutes". Really guy, can't let paying customers escape frost bite for five minutes? It's bad enough that this demon of a human doesn't have a soul, but he completely chastised the other employee, who was a grown man, in some sort of embarrassing power play. It was really awkward to watch. Not for the dude that let us in, but for the manager being so petty. Totally bizzare behavior from someone who obviously doesn't have any self control over how to yield even the most minute amount of power. I know you run on government art grants (everyone's tax dollars) and donations so you really don't give a shit about ticket sales, but loosen up a bit.

I had a wonderful experience at Anthology! I decided to book the smallest theater for a birthday surprise and from beginning to end found the staff to be super helpful and accommodating. I mostly dealt with Kolbe and Bibi- and they were always available to answer questions and were happy to play out my surprise to my specifications. It was a huge hit and I'm very grateful. Highly recommend! :)

I've been here quite a few times. A few things to note: 1. If you are upstairs during the summer, be mindful that it gets VERY hot up there. I have attended film screenings with a number of people and if you have a crowd there, it can get oppressive. 2. The staff I have encountered are polite and friendly, especially one gentleman in particular. 3. The theaters are spacious and clean. They do not allow food in their theaters, which is a sound policy though I'm sure people complain about it. It is also a great space for filmmaker Q&As. Overall, if you are looking for unique indie films you won't see anywhere else, this is a great place to go. Ticket prices for the screenings (particularly for the New Filmmakers Series) are reasonable and you can definitely see some interesting work here. They also have 3 month guides of their upcoming events that you can pick up here as well as at one comic book shop in Williamsburg.

Very well curated programming that brings in old/obscure/foreign films for every taste to make sure they stand a chance. They also support newbie and independent filmmakers in New York City (where that's crucial), so three cheers for that! I was there recently to check out a friend's short films and the theater was perfectly comfortable, with no complaints for the screen/projection.

Best programming of any local cinema by default. The staff, however, are either rude or just dumb. And the projectors in the downstairs theatre have needed new bulbs for at least 5 years. For example, the touching 'paraplegic makes love' scene in Coming Home (neither experimental or independent, by the way...) was barely discernible--even in a 'dark' bedroom scene one should be able to tell the difference between Jane Fonda and Jon Voigt. The bathrooms, though, are quite clean, not a 'horror show' as noted by another reviewer. Of course, most Yelpers seem to have grown up having their asses wiped by the hired help, so... And John Zorn should please quit adding soundtracks to classic SILENT avant-garde films...honestly.

The New York City premiere of THE CURSED MAN movie will screen at 9:30pm on Wednesday, June 14th, 2017 - Tickets are $7 for all shorts starting at 6:00 pm through the feature film. No on-line or advance ticket sales. Box office sales only at Second Street and 2nd Avenue - NewFilmmakers-NY

If you want to know what it feels like to have your skin melted off your skeleton, go here and watch a film. I had to leave early because I almost passed out. June 27, hot and super high humidity. Zero air conditioning. Not eco mode. ZERO AIR CONDITIONING. People were fanning themselves off. I started to feel woozy it was so hot. Avoid if you like comfort.

Finally, finally coming here today after a decade of intentionality was my valentine to myself, and I'm so happy that AFA did not disappoint. I saw Possession, which was fantastically f*cked up in all the right ways. It was a surprisingly full theater, and all but one old guy loudly eating candy was very respectful, something that is super hard to find even at such cinephilic spots like film forum. I'll refrain from kicking myself for not coming here sooner, and instead promise to return often. Love it, and so so happy a place like this still exists despite all the change in the neighborhood and in NYC.

Amazing art house cinema and gathering place. The place to go for really offbeat films and programming.

Keeping films and filmmakers alive. If your in nyc stop in its well worth it to catch a film there.

I love reading the ignorant negative reviews My friend and I recently went to Anothology Film Archives for the first time. Neither of us had any clue about the cinema's history or its importance as a NYC arts institution. We just went there to see a classic monster movie. :) AFA is a must for any film buff or arts lover in general. I love that the building used to be a City Jail. (If you look at the carving pattern in the stone arch above the entrance you'll notice a carved chain (yes, representing shackles) and even cooler - around that is a carving of a dog chasing a fox chasing a dog chasing a fox... Inside are two theaters, a box office and no concessions stand. It's byo (and people definitely seemed to bring their own...) The theater was pretty cold (this is a nonprofit after all) but the people were super cool. Somehow it balanced out the lack of heat. All in all - the place made me feel like I was back in the East Village in the 70s when Patti Smith and Lou Reed were roaming the streets. Even though I wasn't even born then. Can't believe I didn't know this place existed (it's huge!). Love this new discovery!

I really do admire the Anthology Film Archives's programming, but they need to get their act together if they want to keep hosting even mid-sized events. If there are more than 10 people queued up for a screening, as there tend to be during film festivals, you find yourself crowded in the lobby amidst an directionless, leery group of misanthropes who are certain you're angling to beat them to the best seats in the house (I AM!). Note that the sweet spot in this theater is about 2/3 back from the screen, because the screen is pretty big for a rep house and hung fairly high. Also, no concession stand, so hit up your local bodega before entering.

For its spirit and spunk, Anthology Film Archives should earn 4 or 5 stars. They definitely have some great programming, and their ticketing process is extremely democratic (first come, first serve -- day of, starting a couple hours before the screening), but they could really use an awning outside, and there is a serious need for renovations when it comes to restrooms, air conditioning, heating, ventilation, sound, and proper projectionist techniques. This place can be absolutely dreadful at times. On extremely cold days or extremely hot days, I would definitely head elsewhere. Also, for extremely trying (for the general public) films like Bela Tarr's "Satantango" (Hungarian with English subtitles, 450 minutes plus 2 intermissions, shot in Black & White) the complete lack of sufficient amenities really can start to become collectively apparent and very uncomfortable.

Okay, so the lobby resembled my high school gym, the seats were squeaky, the theatre itself was freezing, and the movie itself (1973's The Crazies by the infamous George Romero) was as sketchy as a grindhouse flick. However, I kind of liked all of these aspects. It's one of the more unique theatres in the city, and not many people take advantage of it (there was about 25 people in my 6:45 screening). More people should; the tickets are way cheap, especially for students. My favorite part of the Archives, though, is that people don't take any shit. A rather obese man two rows ahead of me was filming the movie for God knows what reason. After the movie, two men in front of him started cursing him out and got security on his fat ass. The man was clearly a moron; you could get a copy of Crazies for cheap on Amazon. What's the point of bootlegging a movie 37 years old?!

No flashy design, nothing modern, just a straightforward movie theatre that looks like you stepped into a run down building that may have taken inspiration from an elementary school cafeteria (or gym as everyone else says) It's seedy but has its own coziness to it. I went to watch Fellini's "Casanova" and was seated with an audience of some pretty interesting characters (which made my heart chuckle). The theatre itself isn't big and it doesn't try to be - I enjoy the limited screenings and showtimes which I never check. If I just happen to make it to a film that's showing, well, that makes it more of a delight than planning !

Do not get here nearly as often as I would like. Recently attended an event in conjunction with the New Yorker Festival (Miranda July and AM Homes) and was pleased to discover that since the last time I was there the seats in the upstairs auditorium are new-very comfy!! I think Jonas Mekas still has $$ to pay off for the renovation-help a guy out. He really is a living legend.

"Look at you!" [polishes off gin and tonic; grinds ice cubes between back-most molars] "What? Whad' I...?" [hugs couch pillow] "You're DISGUSTING!!" Well, I know that I..." [checks shirt for crumbs] "It's 9:00 O'Clock on a Saturday evening! And you're sitting on that lime green couch from Crate and Barrel, eating Utz potato chips out of the bag and watching episodes of that 1960s show "The Invaders!" [steps on pedal of hands-free trash can, upends glass, drops lime rind in can] "Well, you needn't..." "Whatever happened to the man I met XX years ago in the art department at [major university] who used to sit on the floor of unfinished loft spaces 'till dawn, talking about Bill Viola, Jack Smith, "Portrait of Jason," The Performing Garage, Hal Foster and the Paula Cooper Gallery!?" "That man is..." Here! [tosses copy of the Anthology Film Archive's current schedule] [reading] Hey! There's a Kuchar Brothers festival coming up!!" [gets up, puts on grease-stained raincoat and fedora. Walks to door] Where you going? The Kuchar festival doesn't start until April 10th!?" "To buy another bag of Utz!! What do you think!?"

What a great place -- I finally went for the first time the other night to Raiders of the Lost Ark - The Adaptation. Their policy of not selling advance tickets allows a more democratic approach to securing a seat for a showing -- you wait in line with everyone else. Some screenings (I am told) are less crowded...but last night's Raiders: Adaptation showing was sold out. We waited in line for about 1.5 hours or so -- enough time to run down the street, pick up something to eat, and chow down in the theatre -- which management didn't seem to mind. What made this showing great was that the filmmaker introduced the movie and then finished up with a great Q&A session. This place would definitely be five stars if the seating were more comfortable....apparently they are giving the place a seat lift soon, so when I return I will be able to reward that fifth star.

Anthology is legendary within the history of film for several reasons which I could lecture about but will spare you from here (PM me if you want to know more... ;) I definitely recommend becoming a member so you can attend their Essential Cinema screenings for free; love it or hate it, the roster defines the canon of avant-garde film. My only complaint is not about the facilities, or the location, or amenities, or ticket-selling practices, or anything else noted by other Yelpers...it's about the crowd. What's with the boys club that hangs out after every screening? Where are the girls??

Yeah, it looks like part of a rundown high school, but if you're looking for a great and inexpensive venue to host a private screening, be sure to give Anthology Film Archives a call. Their rates are much better than any of the other "indie" theaters in the area and the whole reservation process was incredibly easy. The theater was clean, seats were comfortable, and, oh yeah, we were able to rent a 180 seat theater in manhattan for only $300 for an hour! If you're an independant filmmaker looking to show off your film to a buttload of folks without laying out a buttload of cash, then get your indie-film making butt down here and show your movie!

If you give two shits about film at all and you live in New York City you will end up here for something at some point - like how if you are even vaguely literate and live here you will end up shopping at the Strand. Anthology is an institution, in the best possible way - you can trust that there will be great stuff on view here, and that the space and people will be welcoming and interesting. Really this place is just the best.

Other repertory theaters - Film Forum, Lincoln Center, MoMA - are like dependable radio stations running loops that you know will give you Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and now, Nirvana, if you were to stay in the car longer than fifteen minutes. Noirs, French New Wave, The Apu Trilogy, Seventies Auteurs prrrrrrrr pheeeew prrrrrrrrrr pheeeeeewwwzzzzzzzz...WhatWhat what did I miss? NYC is not a small college town, and Anthology Film Archive is the theater worthy of being in the modern cultural capital of the world. Just check out the schedule from this month: Fernando Eimbcke's LAKE TAHOE, Robert Kramer's SCENES FROM THE CLASS STRUGGLE IN PORTUGAL, Lee Anne Schmitt's CALIFORNIA COMPANY TOWN, RED DANCE, a previously unknown and un-catalogued color music film by Jim Davis. Go any day, and chances are you will see something you would not see anywhere else. Another plus is that the upstairs theater got renovated a few years ago, and the seats are cineplex-roomy/cushy: possibly for the first time in your life you are not punished for watching art films.

I came here to see a friend's movie premier, so I'm not too sure how the ticketing or regular movie-experience goes. But the building is great to look at, and the theater was okay. It was actually quite warm in the theater, so I don't know if she paid them off to turn it on or what, but I was glad I didn't need my coat. The seats are okay, I wouldn't want to sit in them for more than a couple hours at most. There is very little leg room. Because it was sort of a private event, there was a nice little table of food and they let us eat outside the theater. Overall, it was a great experience coming here and I would come back to see their other films. I would just take care in the seat I chose.

Anthology is one of the loves of my life. So what if the roof has been known to leak.

The Indonesian Film Forum of NYC has always booked this cinema for Indonesian movie showings for quite some time now. It serves the purpose but I felt like the seat cushions can use a little updating. With the huge crowd that attended the Indonesian Film Festival last month, I felt like the festival would soon outgrow this theatre and needs larger space. Lots of international movie showing on regular basis and the tickets are reasonable too

Awesome theater on the Lower East Side. They play lots of independent and classic films that you would otherwise never have the chance to see on the big screen. I went here for a screening of a friend's film and was very happy with the friendly and organized hosting of the venue. I also saw Vertigo and a few other movies here. They do not allow food in the theater (I love that). Sometimes the lobby gets super crowded and a mosh of people stumble around without directions. But I don't mind that.

Going to see a film at Anthology is like seeing it in a college film club. In other words, this is a bare bones experience. No refreshment stand. No marquee. Hardly any seats to wait in lobby. If the first film starts at 6, they don't open earlier than 5 if, say, you wanted to stop by to get some early tickets. The place is painted in institutional gray. No heat until the film is halfway over. Last night I watched a film there wearing my heavy winter jacket. Seats are hard and uncomfortable. No elevator to the second theater. NOW that being said...You sort of have to go to Anthology if you love obscure film. I used to go to the much nicer Two Boots Pioneer Theater for my obscure film needs, but they sadly closed a few years ago. Anthology shows a lot of very boring and very obscure stuff but every once in a while they come through with a gem. The two best films I have ever seen there were Thundercrack and Sitting Target, both very hard to find, very cult films. The joy of Anthology is they get great audiences. They make the experiences great and I laughed so hard because of audience comments during both these films. So my review? Anthology could be a lot better, but they are still a vital theater.

This is probably my favorite cinema in NYC. They show amazing experimental films, historic films, and they introduced me to the brilliance of Stan Brakhage and Maya Deren many years ago. If you're a cinephile, check out Anthology.

This place is a piece of film history; if you're already coming here though, you probably already know that. Most of the stuff that screens here you won't catch anywhere else in the city.

My favorite indie movie theater, or theater in general. They support (not financially of course) local film makers and artists by showing their work and sometimes they have interesting programs. It's a fun place to bring your friends or to see something really out there. I would go more often, but I don't live near there. Otherwise, it's kind of a dump, but it's tolerable.

Came by for a film festival. Small space, cramped seats but it does what it needs to. A larger sign would be helpful I walked right by it!

Truly awful theater. I got a gift membership this year so I've been checking out their listings, but mostly I come up empty. They'll have something I want to see once in a blue moon, but usually their stuff is unwatchable. "Byelorussian Auteurs of the 1970s" and "Mongolian Expressionist Film Classics Without Subtitles" just aren't my idea of a good time, sorry. Not that there haven't been some highlights. I saw The Devils there on Halloween in 2008, and that was truly wonderful, with Ken Russell in attendance. Oh, and Cinekink sucks. I've given up.

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of actually digging through the paper archives at Anthology and it was an unforgettable experience. I'm a fan.

This place is a time capsule. Nothing much has changed since I started going there in the mid-90's. I love everything about this place. The hardcore cinephiles that go there, work there, the curmudgeons that pass their evenings there, even their bathrooms I love. While sitting on the toilet you can overhear people through the window having heated debates about the movies they had just seen. One can only hope they don't also hear my vigorous peeing after holding it in for Satantango or something of similar duration. But the best part has always been their cutting edge programming and near total disregard for adjusting to modern life. I hope they stay this way forever.

My favorite independent movie theater in New York, bar none. Screens films that you won't see anyway else, e.g. the great documentary, August in the Empire State, as well as ones that you can probably see everywhere, e.g. Ichii the Killer. Either way, you're probably going to enjoy yourself.

The anthology itself is dark, mysterious, a bit haunted and beautiful. Sometimes I can hear the walls inhaling as they feast on the latest show. Plays retrospectives and independent films. Not everyone would appreciate the dilapidated building, but to some it will be devastatingly seductive. It reminds me of the New York I knew as a child, plus I am a film geek. As a member you can view, for free, their "essential cinema" programs. The cost of a membership is affordable for a student.

Superb array of films of all sorts.

I've walked by this building so many times but never really knew what it was. Come here for some really diverse and inspired films. I was lucky to catch a screening here with a Q&A session with Lou Reed. Amazing. A must for filmmakers and film-lovers.

It's always exciting to receive my AFA calendar in the mail. As a film lover who still has a lot to learn, Anthology provides access to many films I would not see (or even hear about) elsewhere. I don't get to attend viewings as often as I used to, but it is always a joy when I do.

Just saw a bunch of films at the Underground Film Festival, and the Anthology Film Archives is there headquarters for all screenings. They also have a cool gallery, even a research library. Very cool whether you're into film or not.

This place is cool! I watched a film here on Friday and afterwards, there was a Q&A with the directors. I loved that! If only I lived closer, I'd be coming here all the time.

The go-to NY movie theatre for experimental film and animation. A vital part of the NY film scene. I hope I never live to see them close.

I'm into this place. It's no Arclight but I like what they experiment with showing. If I ever screen in NYC, this is one of the places I'd look into!

Anthology Film Archive has a great selection of movies. The selection alone makes it worth visiting. It tends to draw a young, hip crowd, (compared to say, MoMA). It tends to bring in the crowds, which is pretty surprising considering the location. It is one of the few places that can sell out a silent film like "L'Age d'Or". The downside: when it comes to older films, they don't always have the best prints.