Pacific Film Archive
2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
Open · verified by Lumina November 2026
The film program of the Berkeley Art Museum, with retrospectives, restored classics and international cinema on a university-run schedule. Members get half-price tickets, and the 232-seat theater sits in a 2016 building on Center Street.
Quick facts
- Type
- Art house, Repertory, Museum / campus, Single screen
- Address
- 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
- Phone
- (510) 642-0808
- Screens
- 1
- Seats
- 232
- Opened
- 2016
- Hours
- Screenings most evenings, with weekend matinees
- Tickets via
- Eventbrite
What to expect
On screen
- Classics and revivals
- International film
- Documentaries
- Special events
The story
The Pacific Film Archive began in 1967 under founder Sheldon Renan, growing out of film screenings he had started on the UC Berkeley campus a year earlier. The archive first shared a 1970 building designed by Mario Ciampi with the university art museum, then moved to a temporary space across the street in 1999. The current home at 2155 Center Street was designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, with construction starting in 2013 and the doors opening on January 31, 2016. It contains a 232-seat theater. Wikipedia credits the collection with around 18,000 films and videos, including what it describes as the largest holding of Japanese cinema outside Japan, which shows in a program that regularly pairs director retrospectives with archival prints.
Good to know
- How big is the BAMPFA theater?
- The theater in the Center Street building has 232 seats, according to Wikipedia.
- Are there ticket discounts?
- Members get presale access and half-price film tickets; membership starts at $40 a year.
- What is showing in November 2026?
- Series include a Scorsese retrospective, Lubitsch's Hollywood films and a Jan Troell series.
- Where is Pacific Film Archive?
- Pacific Film Archive is at 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704. Phone: (510) 642-0808.
- Is Pacific Film Archive open?
- Yes. Lumina verified Pacific Film Archive as open in November 2026. Check the theater's showtimes for today's schedule.
- How do I buy tickets for Pacific Film Archive?
- Buy tickets directly from the theater (it sells through Eventbrite) using the Showtimes & tickets button on this page. You can also call (510) 642-0808.
- What independent theaters are near Pacific Film Archive?
- Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland (4.2 mi), Alameda Theatre & Cineplex in Alameda (7.4 mi), and Marina Theater in San Francisco (11 mi).
- Grand Lake TheatreAlameda Theatre & CineplexMarina Theater
Getting there
2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 · Get directions · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
Independent cinemas near Pacific Film Archive
Grand Lake Theatre
Oakland, CA · 4.2 mi
A 1926 Oakland movie palace with four auditoriums, no pre-show commercials and a Wurlitzer organ that rises before select weekend evening shows. It runs current releases in 3-D and 70mm, and Tuesday tickets are $6.
Alameda Theatre & Cineplex
Alameda, CA · 7.4 mi
A restored 1932 Art Deco movie palace on Alameda's main street, now the centerpiece of an eight-screen complex. It shows current releases plus film series and live events, with recliner seating marked on the schedule.
Marina Theater
San Francisco, CA · 11 mi
A Chestnut Street neighborhood theater in the Marina, run by Lee Neighborhood Theatres, showing a small rotating selection of current films and occasional special screenings with Q&As.
Presidio Theatre
San Francisco, CA · 11 mi
A Chestnut Street neighborhood theater in the Marina District, run by Lee Neighborhood Theatres. It shows a rotating slate of independent films, a documentary and the occasional classic alongside bigger releases.
Artists' Television Access
San Francisco, CA · 11 mi
An artist-run nonprofit screening room and gallery on Valencia Street in the Mission, showing experimental and underground work, open screenings and a Saturday-night series hosted by an artist in residence.
Contra Costa Stadium Cinemas
Martinez, CA · 12 mi
A stadium-seat multiplex in Martinez showing current Hollywood releases with luxury recliners, audio description, assistive listening and captioning listed on its schedule page.
More art house cinemas in California
Lumiere Cinema
Beverly Hills, CA
A Beverly Hills art-house cinema on Wilshire Boulevard that bills itself as the city's only one. It plays independent films with filmmaker Q&As and hosts a monthly open screen for short films.
Laemmle Town Center 5
Encino, CA
A five-screen Encino cinema run by the family-owned Laemmle chain, which has operated in Los Angeles since 1938. It plays new independent, foreign and documentary releases.
Laemmle Glendale
Glendale, CA
A five-screen Glendale cinema in the Laemmle chain, a Los Angeles name since 1938. It shows new independent, foreign and documentary releases.
Hours
Screenings most evenings, with weekend matinees
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