Located in one of the hubs of the Main Line, Bryn Mawr Film Institute (BMFI) is a non-profit movie theater. It originally opened in 1926 as the Seville Theater but reopened in 2005 as the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, thanks to help from the community. We have been frequent visitors of this theater for almost a year now and have seen many of the movies they have screened, including Wicked (x3), Challengers, Flow, Saturday Night (x3), and Twister, to name a few.
The thing that originally drew us to this place was the price of the tickets; a traditional movie ticket can be close to $30 today but at BMFI, tickets are much more reasonably priced with tickets for students with IDs priced at $13.75 and adult tickets priced at $16.25. These prices make it easier for people like us to be able to experience these films in the theater without draining our bank accounts. Concessions are very reasonably priced as well; a large popcorn costs $7.00, a large drink is $5.00, and an entire combo meal is anywhere from $11-$14.
In addition, the extremely friendly and accommodating staff do an amazing job with customer service. They always greet us with smiles and a happy attitude. One thing we really enjoy about their staff is their love for movies. It shows through their work ethic that they truly like being there and they also like the people they work with. The environment is exceptionally welcoming for customers and makes our experience better than other movie theaters.
In addition to the reasonably priced snacks and welcoming staff, the building in itself is a wonderful part of the experience. When entering, one is greeted with a long, expansive hallway and columns with elegant trim and gold accents. The cylindrical ceiling is decked out with windows, acting almost as a skylight. The ambience of the entrance is visually noticeable, as the lighting is dim and many calming plants are scattered throughout. This part of the theater is also used as a way to display what movies are playing. During Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, iconic props and costumes were hung from the ceiling. When Wicked was showing, the candle-like lights on the wall were pink and green to pay homage to Glinda and Elphaba. Our personal favorite display had to be the SNL wall for Saturday Night which had guests write some of their favorite hosts, cast members, sketches, etc.
BMFI has four main theaters, with theater 1 located right by the concession stand and theaters 2,3, and 4 situated towards the back. Theaters 1 and 2 are built relatively the same, having long rows that face the screen. These theaters are mainly used for more popular films as they have close to 300 and 250 seats, respectively. Theaters 3 and 4, like 1 and 2, are built the same but are smaller and have stacked rows that are seen at any typical theater. Three and four have closer to 170 seats so it can feel a bit cramped in there if there is a large crowd.
Although it is not directly under their control, one other amazing quality about the movie experience there are the people. Every time we have gone to the movies, the atmosphere has been very relaxed and respectful. We have never experienced anyone acting loud or reckless during the movies, which is something that has become more common in more popular theaters like Regal or AMC. It is a great place to go if you are not a fan of high volume areas when it comes to seeing movies. There are no bright neon lights, screaming children, or rambunctious groups causing trouble.
One of the reasons we are so drawn to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute is how student friendly it is, no matter what level you are. Both high school and college students are able to buy discounted tickets as long as they show a school ID. This can also be applied with their memberships as well; a standard membership costs $72, but if you are a student it only costs $40. Discounts like these are incredibly meaningful to the teen and young adult communities because they allow us to still enjoy different types of media without having to worry as much about the cost. And don’t fret, they didn’t forget about the senior community, who also get a discount of $55 on memberships and discounted tickets.
Not only is the movie theater student friendly, but it has a bunch of accommodations for a large spectrum of accessibility needs. Some examples are hearing assist devices, sensory friendly movies, braille signage, and every exit as well as public areas are fully accessible. If someone in your family is a wheelchair user, don’t stress because they have special seating, an elevator, and loaner wheelchairs. Lastly, service animals are welcome at BMFI and care assistants get in free, so you don’t have to worry about their ticket!
While BMFI offers 6-7 main attractions at once, many film studies programs are also offered. Currently, they have Cinema Classic Seminars that show a classic film every week and also Film History Discussion Series: 1945-Present, a 10 week long course, that covers films like The Birds, Breaking Away, and The Social Network. These programs are great as they are led by highly educated instructors and give everyone the opportunity to learn about and analyze cinematography. The only downside to these programs is that they are on week days which isn’t always the best with our busy schedules. They also have Cinema Select features that are shown a few times instead of being a full-on main attraction.
Overall, Bryn Mawr Film Institute is an amazing non-profit movie theater for anyone, young or old. Instead of paying twenty dollars for a ticket and thirty for concessions, come support the local community for a significantly cheaper amount! We absolutely recommend considering this establishment when you want to go see a movie!
