Film Phoenix: Where to Watch Independent Cinema

Phoenix's relationship with independent cinema has been inconsistent — art house theaters have opened and closed with frustrating regularity — but the current landscape provides more options for non-mainstream film viewing than the city has had in years. FilmBar on Roosevelt Row is the most important independent cinema in Phoenix: a forty-seat microcinema that has operated in the arts district since 2012, programming art house releases, classic films, and local film events. The bar program is serious enough that FilmBar functions as a social destination even for visitors whose primary interest is the beer. Harkins Theatres operates an art house programming stream through several Valley locations, most notably the Harkins Camelview at Fashion Square in Scottsdale, which programs independent, foreign, and documentary films alongside mainstream releases. The Phoenix Film Festival, held annually in April, is the most significant film event in the Valley: over 200 films screened across ten days at the Harkins Camelview complex. The festival includes competitive programming, retrospectives, and industry events. ASU Art Museum hosts video art installations that extend the moving image conversation beyond conventional cinema.