In addition to the annual Miami Film Festival in February and other, smaller film events, Miami has nearly as many multiplex cinemas as it does palm trees. And for good reason. When it rains in Miami, what else is there to do besides go to the movies, a museum, or the mall? But if 40 screens of Jurassic Park III aren't your idea of a day at the movies, consider the following artsy theaters, known for showing lots of subtitled, foreign films as well as those that get bumped off the big screen by the Jurassic Parks of the celluloid world.
Bill Cosford Cinema, at the University of Miami, is located on the second floor of the memorial building off Campo Sano Avenue (tel. 305/284-4861). This well-endowed little theater was recently revamped and boasts high-tech projectors, air-conditioning, and a new decor. It sponsors independent films as well as lectures by visiting filmmakers and movie stars. Andy Garcia and Antonio Banderas are a few of the big names this theater has attracted. It also hosts the African American Film Festival, a Student Film Festival, and collaborations with the Fort Lauderdale Festival (a very small film festival). Admission is $6; seniors pay $3.
Miami Beach Cinematheque, 508 Española Way (tel. 305/673-4567; www.mbcinema.com), is the kind of place where people who call movies "films" like to hang out, with comfy couches and very arty, foreign, domestic, and classic flicks. Admission ranges from $8 to $10.
