SIFF Cinema Uptown
SIFF logo
The Uptown Theater marquee in April 2025
Map
Former namesUptown Theater
Address511 Queen Anne Ave N
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates47°37′25″N 122°21′35″W / 47.62352°N 122.3597372°W / 47.62352; -122.3597372
OwnerSeattle International Film Festival
Construction
Opened1926
Renovated1930, 1939, 1947, 1953, 2011
Expanded1984
Website
SIFF.net

The SIFF Cinema Uptown, originally known as the Uptown Theater, is a movie theater in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. It is owned and operated by the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF).

Pre-SIFF history

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Advert for The Sea Beast at the Uptown Theater

Theater entrepreneur John Hamrick opened the Uptown Theater on May 25, 1926 as a single screen movie theater capable of seating 800.[1] It was designed by architect Victor W. Voorhees.[2] Capable of only showing silent films, it opened with The Sea Beast accompanied by an orchestra.[1]

On May 28, 1930, the Uptown Theater reopened with a Western Electric sound system with a double bill of Officer O'Brien and Three Live Ghosts.[3] In November 1936, realtor Henry Broderick's firm leased the theater for ten years.[4] In April 1939, the remodeled theater reopened with a policy of "showing first-run foreign films," beginning with The Lady Vanishes.[5]

Sometime in the 1940s the flat marquee was replace with a neon sign on a triangular marquee. B. Marcus Priteca oversaw renovations in 1947 and 1953.[6]

In 1984, an adjacent building next door was demolished. An expansion to the Uptown Theater on that site added two new theaters. Renovations to original theater expanded the lobby and the refreshment counter, added adjacent rest rooms, and reduced the seating capacity of the original theater.[2]

In 2005, SIFF began using the Uptown Theater as one of the five venues for its 2005 festival.[7] However, in November 2010, AMC Theatres, the owner at the time, closed the theater.[8][9]

SIFF era

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In August 2011, SIFF announced that it had taken over AMC's lease for the Uptown Theater as part of a $2.8 million capital campaign.[10][11] The renovated venue reopened that October in conjunction with the SIFF Film Center, a new nearby venue at the Seattle Center.[12][13]

In 2013, there was a possibility that the property would be sold and redeveloped. Instead, SIFF began to make an off-market purchase with the help of a phlanthropic supporter.[14] At its 2014 festival, SIFF announced that it had purchased the Uptown Cinema for $2.6 million, two years before its lease was to expire.[15][16]

In March 2020, SIFF closed all its venues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Uptown.[17] It reopened for Thanksgiving in 2021.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b "John Hamrick Opens New Uptown Theater in Queen Anne District". The Seattle Star. Vol. 23, no. 74. Seattle, WA: The Star Publishing Co. May 22, 1926. p. 14. Retrieved May 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b Herschensohn, Michael (November 10, 2011). "Queen Anne's Uptown Theater has always been a marquee location". Queen Anne & Magnolia News. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021.
  3. ^ "On New Talker". The Seattle Star. Vol. 32, no. 78. Seattle, WA: The Star Publishing Co. May 27, 1930. p. 19. Retrieved May 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Theater, Freight Terminal Leased". The Seattle Star. Vol. 38, no. 237. Seattle, WA: The Star Publishing Co. November 30, 1936. p. 9. Retrieved May 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Brown, Gilbert (April 18, 1939). "The Show Shops". The Seattle Star. Vol. 41, no. 44. Seattle, WA: The Star Publishing Co. p. 5. Retrieved May 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Department of Neighborhoods (DON)". Seattle Historical Sites Search Result. November 10, 2001. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  7. ^ "Uptown definitely dots the 'I' in SIFF". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. June 2, 2005. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  8. ^ Blethen, Ryan (November 26, 2010). "The Uptown theater on Lower Queen Anne will be missed". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  9. ^ Rolph, Amy (November 29, 2010). "Seattle's small movie theaters facing tough times". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  10. ^ Dannen, Laura (August 8, 2011). "Queen Anne’s Uptown Theater to Reopen in October". Seattle Met. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  11. ^ Macdonald, Moira (August 6, 2011). "SIFF to reopen Uptown as art-house theater". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  12. ^ Dannen, Laura (October 18, 2011). "SIFF Reopens Uptown Cinema on October 20". Seattle Met. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  13. ^ Macdonald, Moira (October 19, 2011). "SIFF expands to four screens, opens new film center". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  14. ^ "SIFF Uptown". FAUL. October 7, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  15. ^ "SIFF opened its 40th festival last night at McCaw Hall". Seattle Weekly. May 16, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  16. ^ "SIFF buys Uptown Theatre, becomes permanent Queen Anne resident". queenanneview.com. May 15, 2014. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  17. ^ EverOut Staff (March 16, 2020). "Coronavirus Updates: Here's Everything We Know About Seattle Event Cancellations and Temporary Venue Closures". The Stranger. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  18. ^ "SIFF kicks off the holiday season with opening of the Uptown". SIFF. November 16, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
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