By Andrew D. Jankowski
Who doesn’t love movies, right? Whether what you prefer, movies offer a means for finding common ground and expressing bold ideas. Portland State University has numerous professional theaters within an easy walk from campus, but PSU also houses numerous spaces to see movies on campus. All the listed screening spaces are free for PSU students.
5th Avenue Cinema
The most well-known spot on campus to see movies, 5th Avenue Cinema is a student-operated theater that screens a different movie every weekend in the term, with each term having an overarching theme, like the term where they screened movies directed by women. 5th Avenue Cinema is on the north side of the Ondine building, which, in addition to students, houses numerous resource centers, classrooms and a dining hall. In addition to film classes, I’ve seen everything from Space Jam and Magic Mike XXL to Rabbit’s Moon and White Zombie at 5th Avenue Cinema.
Lincoln Hall
Lincoln Performance Hall occasionally screens movies, sometimes with live scores from orchestra students. These movies are often of historical significance, like Jewish Luck, Hungry Hearts and The Picture of Dorian Gray; or are festivals featuring student works.
Smith Memorial Student Union
SMSU’s basement holds a multi-use space sometimes used as a satellite screening space for PSU film festivals, and the ballroom, along with other rooms on the second and third floors, have been used to screen movies in the past. The first floor’s Parkway North space screens movies in addition to hosting concerts. The movies screened in SMSU range from mainstream movies like Spider-Man, Star Wars and Blade Runner 2049, along with documentaries, foreign films and club-centric movies; I swear I’ve seen the anime club have a viewing party at least once.
Campus Rec Center
PSU’s swimming club has screened movies for people as they swim or float. These are usually popular movies that one can follow along with as people splash and slosh. The Dive-In Movie series has screened movies like Wonder Woman and Finding Dory. Near the Rec Center, along 6th Avenue, is a set of four screens that project curated art films 24/7, and have been featured as part of PSU’s involvement in festivals like Portland Winter Light Festival and Portland State of Mind.
What’s your favorite movie you’ve seen at PSU, and where did you see it? Tell me in the comments.