hidden toronto

6 hidden places to watch a movie in Toronto

Hidden places to watch a movie in Toronto aren't visible from the street. Rather, these theatres and screening rooms can be found inside cultural centres like the AGO or educational institutions like Alliance Francaise.

Here's a round-up of hidden places to watch a movie in Toronto.

See also: 10 under the radar places to watch a movie in Toronto

Viewing stations at Film Reference Library at TIFF
The FRL houses over 11,000 film titles, which you can watch from one of their four viewing stations located on the fourth floor of the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The library is also a great resource for those interested in learning about film history; it has a vast collection of primary documents including scripts and marketing materials.

Spadina Theatre at Alliance Francaise
This theatre is located in the downtown Toronto outpost of Alliance Francaise, a French-language school with five campuses in the GTA. Every Thursday, there's a free screening on a first-come, first-serve basis. All the films are in French with English subtitles.

Library at the Goethe-Institut Toronto
The library at the Goethe-Institut, which offers German-language courses, has more than 700 DVDs of German films with English subtitles. The films are free only for students; others have to pay a membership fee. But the cost is reasonable. $20 gets you access for a year.

Al Green Theatre at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre
The Al Green Theatre inside the JCC is home to the annual film series organized by the Toronto Jewish Film Society. The theatre also has a Talks on Film program that screens films grouped around specific themes followed by discussions with film critics.

Beeton Auditorium, Toronto Reference Library
Every summer, the Toronto Reference Library hosts its Summer Afternoons at the Movies series. The program usually consists of Hollywood films that have either won or been nominated for an award. Past titles include Still Alice, Birdman and The Imitation Game, all of which received Oscars.

AGO, Centre for Contemporary Art
On the fifth floor of the AGO you can watch an avant-garde film as part of the contemporary art exhibit. Films are typically silent and play on a loop, and are usually 30 to 45 minutes long. The AGO switches them up 2-3 times a year. Access is included with the admittance cost.

What did I miss? Add your suggestions for the best hidden places to watch a movie in the comments.

Photo of the screening room at the AGO.


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