For cinephiles in Miami, the Olympia Theater is more than just a movie venue.
Lauren Cohen, programming director of the Miami Film Festival, said the theater was part of her upbringing as a movie buff and as a Miamian.
“I went to the Olympia as part of the film festival, and also my high school graduation was there,” Cohen told WLRN. “I went to MAST Academy so that’s where I graduated, so it holds a special place in my heart. It is so emotional because it really is just the most beautiful theater you’ve ever been to.”
That’s why the Olympia’s return as a major film venue is an important moment in the festival’s history.
After several years in a state of virtual limbo, the historic Olympia Theater in downtown Miami will make its return to Miami Dade College's 42nd annual Miami Film Festival on opening night: Thursday, April 3.
Opened in 1926, the theater was a beacon for Miami arts as it invited orchestras, movies and famous performers like Elvis Presley into its European palace-style interior.
But the years were not kind to the Olympia. The property, which is owned by the City of Miami, was issued a demolition notice by the city’s own building department in 2018. The onset of the pandemic coupled with major structural issues meant the property has been mostly closed for the past five years, save for a few scattered walking events including a “Van Gogh Experience.”
READ MORE: Repair and re-opening still far away for historic Olympia Theater in Miami
As recently as last October, the City of Miami told WLRN that repairs were ongoing to fix several structural issues with the property. But as of next week, the theater will aim for its former glory as the celebratory venue for the Miami Film Festival.
“It has been closed for a couple of years throughout the pandemic including some renovations and we’re really proud that it’s reopened just in time for us to be there in April,” said James Woolley, executive director of the festival.
The festival will host its opening and closing night celebrations at the Olympia, as well as five screenings of new films including the made-in-Miami picture Ethan Bloom by director Herschel Faber and shot throughout Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood.
“I think people are gonna love seeing films there again. Film to me is what should be shown there. We just can’t wait for people to be at that elegant location,” Woolley told WLRN.
The theater has been an important part of the Miami Film Festival for many years. Before its closure, the venue served as the “gala” home for the festival, where organizers would hold special screenings and red carpet events.
A full calendar of film screenings and events is available on the festival’s website, starting with a showing of Meet the Barbarians at the Olympia on opening night.
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