Film buffs who live locally should look into the Cineville pass (Cinevillepas), which allows pass holders unlimited admission to films at selected theaters in Amsterdam and other major Dutch cities for 19 euro per month. The pass is valid for all of the theaters below, except for the Pathé theater chain.
De Balie
Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10
1017 RR Amsterdam
Location: Leidseplein
Located in a majestic former courthouse, De Balie proclaims itself "the venue for free speech, contemporary art, politics and culture on the Leidseplein" - in other words, a lively cultural center that doubles as an art-house theater, whose films touch on the hot-button issues of the day. The convivial Grand Café, open all day, serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Cinecenter
Lijnbaansgracht 236
1017 PH Amsterdam
Location: Leidseplein
Conveniently situated near the popular Leidseplein, Cinecenter specializes in art-house films; its attractive interior includes a bar that serves drinks and casual meals to boot.
EYE Film Institute
IJpromenade 1
1031KT Amsterdam
Location:Amsterdam North
This eye-catcher of a museum on the opposite side of the IJ River is the city's film museum, with temporary exhibits dedicated to seminal filmmakers and special themes in film as well as a lower level filled with interactive exhibits. Multiple films are screened daily; the selection is often tied to the institute's current exhibit, a retrospective or the latest cinematic releases.
Filmhallen
Hannie Dankbaarpassage 12
1053 RT Amsterdam
Location: Oud-West (Old West)
With nine rooms, the Filmhallen is one of the most capacious movie theaters in Amsterdam. Affiliated with the city's oldest theater, The Movies (below), it shows a variety of commercial films from the U.S., Europe and around the world.
Filmhuis Cavia
Van Hallstraat 52
1051 HH Amsterdam
Location: Westerpark
This diminutive art-house theater has only 40 seats - one of the smallest movie theaters in the country - but it also offers the best deals in town, with tickets for only four euro (free for Cinevillepas holders). It's also the first theater in the country that accepts Bitcoins as payment for tickets and refreshments.
Filmtheater De Uitkijk
Prinsengracht 452
1017 KE Amsterdam
Location: Southern Canal Belt (Prinsengracht)
The only movie theater in the Canal Belt, De Uitkijk is another art-house theater affiliated with Kriterion (below), the student-run cinema collective. The one-room theater was founded in a converted warehouse in the late '20s, which makes it the oldest art-house theater in the city.
Ketelhuis
Pazzanistraat 4
1014 BE Amsterdam
Location: Westerpark
Conceived as a temporary cinema back in 1999, the Ketelhuis is now a three-room cinema and cultural center in the city's Westerpark. The theater focuses on Dutch films and European art-house films, with the occasional commercial film in the mix.
Kriterion
Roetersstraat 170
1018WE Amsterdam
Location:The Plantage
This movie theater has an extraordinary history: it was founded by students involved in the Dutch resistance movement in World War II who were forced to stop their studies due to the war. Eventually they resolved to open a commercial movie theater where fellow students could earn the money to finance their own education. Since then, the art-house theater and its bar have been run exclusively by Amsterdam students.
Lab111
Arie Biemondstraat 111
1054 PD Amsterdam
Location: Helmersbuurt (north of the Vondelpark)
I first wrote about Lab111 for Amsterdam Travel as as innovative restaurant tucked into the SMART Project Space; what I didn't mention was that the restaurant also doubles as a cinema. Go for dinner and an (art-house) movie at this cozy space north of the Vondelpark; ticket holders receive a 10% discount on dinner.
The Movies
Haarlemmerdijk 161
1013 KH Amsterdam
Location:Haarlemmerbuurt
The oldest movie theater in Amsterdam, established in 1912, retains an Art Deco interior that speaks to its historicity. The art-house theater, at the tail-end of the Haarlemmerdijk, also has a restaurant where ticket holders can dine at a discount pre-show.
Pathé Tuschinski
Reguliersbreestraat 26-34
1017 CN Amsterdam
Location: Leidseplein
A veritable city landmark, Pathé Tuschinski is a pastiche of the architectural styles that prevailed in early 20th-century Amsterdam: Art Nouveau, Art Deco and the country-specific Amsterdamse School. It was commissioned by businessman Abraham Tuschinski, who had already opened a series of cinemas in Rotterdam before he envisioned the eponymous Tuschinski Theater. Neither the Rotterdam theaters nor Tuschinski, unfortunately, survived the Second World War. The six-room Pathé Tuschinski is now part of the Pathé chain, which specializes in mainstream cinema.
There are three other Pathé cinema locations in Amsterdam:
- Pathé Arena, ArenA Boulevard 600, 1101 DS Amsterdam (near Amsterdam ArenA)
- Pathé City Kleine Gartmanplantsoen 15-19, 017RP Amsterdam (near Leidseplein)
- Pathé de Munt; Vijzelstraat 15, 1017HD Amsterdam (near Rembrandtplein)
Rialto
Ceintuurbaan 338
1072 GN Amsterdam
Location:De Pijp
The Rialto is another art-house theater, one that bills itself as "the movie theater for Amsterdam world citizens"; expect a commensurately broad variety of films on different themes and from diverse countries.
Studio/K
Timorplein 62
1094 CC Amsterdam
Location:Eastern Docklands
Studio/K, connected to the above-mentioned Kriterion theater, is also a student-run business; this location also features a café-restaurant and club in addition to its film screens. The theater screens both independent and commercial films; the restaurant and club double as venues for entertainment, festivals and other events.