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An outdoor Sandy Film Festival screeningCredit: Danielle DeGrasse-Levi<\/p>\n
Many movies are made to be seen on big silver screens; all movies are made to be seen sitting alongside others. Chicago has long been the midwestern movie mecca for audiences and filmmakers alike, and while there is no shortage of multiplex and independent theaters for folks to visit, many of which have lounges to linger in, there is still a collective longing for spaces dedicated to connecting before and after screenings. Additionally, local filmmakers are in need of stronger systems of support to exhibit their work on large formats in front of audiences. Although some theaters offer rental services, the cost can be inaccessible for small productions or early career artists. A solution? Microcinemas.<\/p>\n
In true underground fashion, microcinemas have an enigmatic origin. There is little evidence documenting their prevalence, but their histories exist across the world and most clearly appear to date back to the 1950s\u20131970s in cities such as Tokyo, San Francisco, and Paris. Microcinemas as a category include various iterations of DIY theaters fueled by their local communities, often involving secondhand projectors, speakers, and screens with mismatched furniture arranged for a laidback viewing experience\u2014storefronts, back rooms, and backyards transformed into miniature cinemas. Despite their technical imperfections, these self-made spaces are a crucial component of the cinematic ecosystem.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the lockdown years of the pandemic, plenty of people found or rediscovered a deep love for the cinematic arts. Social media platforms like Letterboxd and TikTok especially allowed folks to connect over their love of movies, and this translated into a desire to connect in real life. In Chicago, the resurgence of microcinemas has evolved to meet the current moment; there is a clear consensus on the power of movies as a way of bringing people together. Across the city, there are more than 20 microcinemas located in at least 12 different communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An outdoor Sandy Film Festival screening
Credit: Danielle DeGrasse-Levi<\/p>\n
Interestingly, across more than a dozen alternative theaters I surveyed, there are no owners or operators whose sole responsibility is running their microcinema; a great majority are also juggling full-time roles, other creative practices, and personal responsibilities. Logistically and fiscally, most microcinemas and film clubs are in it for the love of movies. To keep operating costs at a minimum, some venues forego proper licensing. And in lieu of ticket sales, almost all spaces have a strongly suggested donation to help cover the costs of snacks, drinks, and rent; oftentimes, organizations subsidize the maintenance and programming with their full-time work and simply hope to break even. However, it is rare for guests to be denied entry for lack of payment, making microcinemas one of the most accessible and affordable forms of nightlife and entertainment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Records of Chicago\u2019s microcinema landscape show a strong presence in the 2010s but date back to 1986. Cinema Borealis (1986\u20132020) was a Wicker Park institution run by projection expert James Bond. The Nightingale Cinema\u2014previously stewarded by the Siskel Film Center\u2019s current associate director of programming, Christy LeMaster\u2014ran strong from 2008 through 2022 in a dedicated West Town space. Like much of the theatrical and film industry, Nightingale evolved toward hosting pop-up programming in partnership with other exhibition spaces, allowing them to maintain their collaborative approach. Jake S. Weisman, an indie filmmaker who got his start in Chicago during the 2010s, operated a unique microcinema until 2020 above the New 400 Theater while also working downstairs in the main cinema. Weisman embodied a hunger to be around movie-minded people as much as possible. \u201cEverything is in service to the [film] community,\u201d he said of his vocation as a filmmaker and steward of exhibition spaces. Inspiringly, Weisman\u2019s whatever-it-takes mindset doubles as a blueprint: \u201cAny room that has a projector, a screen, and preferably seats can be a movie theater.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
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Because many DIY film projects are multifaceted and often shift in scope and location, this map of Chicago\u2019s underground cinemas and movie clubs is likely noncomprehensive.
Credit: Amber Huff<\/p>\n
Each organizer I spoke with for this story has a unique approach to selecting films, but ultimately, all are looking to fill a programmatic void while simultaneously creating casual spaces for connection. Sandy Film Festival founders, producers, and sisters Danielle DeGrasse-Levi and Nicole DeGrasse-Mitchell are thoughtfully expanding what an independent film festival offers to its community and filmmakers. In addition to hosting a two-day shorts festival, Sandy organizes a summer outdoor screening series, Feature Fridays, in partnership with Parkway Social in Bronzeville, making it one of the few places for local residents to accessibly see a movie with others. Both sisters attested to a strong belief that \u201cfilm is a form of art therapy,\u201d and although they consider themselves to run more of an \u201coutdoor pop-up cinema,\u201d they feel a great sense of responsibility in showcasing stories that reflect the neighborhood and underrepresented audiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI would love to be a part of someone\u2019s beginning,\u201d DeGrasse-Mitchell said. \u201cWe are coming from such a grassroots place ourselves that we want to extend that same grace and understanding to filmmakers and audiences.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the neighborhood next door, Bridgeport\u2019s Cinemanita, founded by Eli Ramirez and Reader editor-in-chief Sarah Conway, is equally determined to bring more awareness to arthouse films and DIY cinema. Drawing inspiration from their annual cinematic escapades to Amsterdam, the pair behind Cinemanita offers complimentary mint tea (fresh mint leaves steeped in hot water) and popcorn to attendees. \u201cThe one key thing that Sarah and I share is the notion that movies are a total opportunity to be transported,\u201d Ramirez shared with a passionate tone that underscores the energy of Weisman. The microcinema is currently housed in the Chicago Art Department, but the duo dream of expanding their bimonthly screenings into a permanent physical space. When I attended a showing of Wong Kar-Wai\u2019s Happy Together (1997) on a beautiful summertime Saturday, the audience turnout was so abundant that extra chairs were added to accommodate. Cinemanita seeks to create community with intentionality, building a safe and welcoming experience for solo moviegoers and groups alike.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Similarly, at a Friday night summer screening of The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973) at Mouse Arts and Letters, also located in Bridgeport, there was an eager full house. Although Mouse Arts and Letters hosts a wide variety of other programs in their space, which is a former bank with a funky vault in the back, their partnerships with other organizations strategically bolster their reach and turnout. Because of their expansive offerings as a membership club, they do not particularly claim the \u201cmicrocinema\u201d label. Notably, their programming remains free and open to the public to ensure accessibility, and they do not charge any rental fees to organizations looking to use the space. This is a rare but significant offering for local filmmakers who need a low-cost, turnkey venue to show their movies.<\/p>\n
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A Black Film Club Collective screening of the 2024 short Take 290
Credit: M. Lamourt Studios<\/p>\n
Eyewash Station<\/a>, founded in April 2026, is one of the most prominent names in this new era of Chicago microcinemas. Taylor Dye, Eyewash Station\u2019s founder and creator of Eyewash Video Magazine<\/a>, hosts screenings in a converted Humboldt Park storefront as frequently as possible and recently scaled up to four showings per week. Like Mouse Arts and Letters, Dye welcomes community collaboration; in August, Eyewash hosted a Cuba Past & Present night that was a teach-in and screening. Dye expressed missing minitheaters like Sweet Void Cinema, which closed its Humboldt Park operation at the end of 2024 and hosted more than ten screenings a week at its peak. Jack McCoy<\/a>, the founder of Sweet Void, now hosts a handful of programs annually at Facets, and he spoke highly of Eyewash as a continuation of his mission in filling a geographic void and \u201ctrying to help make part of an infrastructure to truly help sustain Chicago filmmakers.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the more ingenious formats of microcinemas are film clubs. \u201cTroy Martin and Chinyere Achebe, who founded Black Film Club Collective in 2020, claim the classification \u201cmobile cinema house.\u201d Their programming is hosted at various venues, prominently Monday Coffee in North Lawndale and Three Cities Social in River North. What began as close-knit movie nights at Martin\u2019s apartment have grown exponentially; Martin and Achebe are also tapped by studios and festivals, such as Chicago Critics Film Festival and Black Harvest Film Festival, to support audience attendance. As they wrap up a residency on Chicago\u2019s west side, where they focused on capturing oral histories, they have their eyes set on expanding their practice as cinematic gatherers.\u00a0<\/p>\n On the city\u2019s northwest side, Logan Square Film Club has only burgeoned since its inception in May 2025. The original founder of the club was inspired by a Reddit thread<\/a>, and more than 30 people attended their first meeting. In addition to their strong digital presence on Instagram and Discord, the current organizers, Sue Cardenas-Soto and Aurora Belloso, expanded the club\u2019s convenings through monthly double features at Podlasie Club. \u201cIt\u2019s a dream come true,\u201d Cardenas-Soto said about the opportunity to program movies in a public space, which also led to a guest program at Eyewash Station in June 2026. \u201cThis has fulfilled something I\u2019ve longed to do for a long time,\u201d they added. Belloso, who runs the club\u2019s social media accounts, shared that \u201cthe community aspect is front and center for me,\u201d and that it simultaneously deepens the duo\u2019s personal relationship to film.<\/p>\n Logan Square is also home to Tough Luck Cinema, founded and produced by Jackie Baker, with support from venue owner Brit Piller. \u201cIt gets real weird,\u201d Piller said with a smile. \u201cI always acknowledge in my introductions how much it means that these people left their house to come see a movie.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Baker added, \u201cA big part of my coming of age in Chicago was living in a DIY venue [the Dollhouse], so when I think of community, that type of space means everything.\u201d Tough Luck began as a horror niche but has since expanded its programmatic lens to creatively consider how that genre manifests. Like her peers in the microcinema scene, Baker is keen on evolving the space and screenings to respond to the community while weaving in cultural relevancy.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAny room that has a projector, a screen, and preferably seats can be a movie theater.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n As a regular patron of all forms of Chicago\u2019s cinematic venues, from AMCs to drive-ins to indie arthouses, I have never experienced audiences as respectful and engaged as those surrounding me at microcinemas. Even without the standard prescreening disclaimer one might see at a larger cinema, there is no phone usage and no unnecessary mid-movie chatter.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another common thread among DIY theaters is their emphasis on letting folks linger after the credits roll. \u201cWe really understand our audience and the importance of speaking to the lifestyle and community, and they are able to trust us to provide a diverse experience that allows them to engage in storytelling and the conversations it creates,\u201d said Achebe of Black Film Club Collective.\u00a0<\/p>\n The best way to find a majority of Chicagoland\u2019s microcinemas is via Instagram, meaning there is an ephemerality to their nature driven by the digital age\u2014we\u2019re all at the mercy of the algorithm. However, online platforms permit operating flexibility, quick communication, and limitless reach; both Sandy Film Festival and Black Film Club Collective noted to me their national and international followings. Social media also presents opportunities for mutual education and collaboration between venues in Chicago and around the world.<\/p>\n For some organizations, including Tough Luck Cinema, Mouse Arts and Letters, and Cinemanita, a weekly or monthly newsletter is another means of communication to reach those who may not have a strong presence on social media. Cinemanita\u2019s Ramirez shared how the microcinema\u2019s newsletter is simply another extension of his and Sarah\u2019s passion for the DIY cinema scene; it aggregates upcoming screenings across the city at spaces such as Bedsheet Cinema, an outdoor microcinema. Regardless of their means of outreach, it is inspiring to know that\u2014in a post\u2013pandemic lockdown era\u2014each microcinema\u2019s digital presence transmutes into in-person connection.<\/p>\n As more organizations wield the wonder of cinema, the classification of microcinema, or DIY theater, or film club, evolves and expands. Any limitations in a space\u2019s technical ability are outshone by the courage they exhibit in curating and hosting folks to collectively enjoy a movie.<\/p>\n Correction (9\/2\/26, 9 AM):<\/strong> The print version of this story includes both mention and mapping of DIY venue Big Foggy. 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