Picture house, movie theater, cinema, movie house, and cineplex. There are countless names for the dark rooms where projectors flicker media to plunge us into an alternate reality.
But when you walk beneath the glowing marquee on hectic Lancaster Avenue, you aren’t just entering another movie theater, you are stepping into a true institute.
October 1, 2026 marked the hundredth anniversary of the Bryn Mawr Film Institute (BMFI) as a cinematic cornerstone of the Mine Line.
Before it was a non-profit institute, BMFI was known as The Seville Theatre.
According to a 1926 edition of The College News, Bryn Mawr College’s student newspaper, “The Seville Theatre, the new movie house in Bryn Mawr, will open on Thursday night. September 30, with The Family Upstairs.”
On that opening night a century ago, audiences sat in a sprawling 700-seat auditorium, mesmerized by a silent comedy-drama accompanied by a live, resounding theater organist.
The Seville was (and still is) a masterpiece of architecture, designed by the well-regarded Philadelphia architect William H. Lee, who renovated the Walnut Street and Royal Theaters. It was built with a staggering $350,000 budget—over $3.5 million today—boasting a classical facade, two-story glass-vaulted arcade, and an ornate Beaux-Arts interior that brought “Broadway high society” to the growing village of Bryn Mawr.
But why is it called an institute? After decades of operation as a single-screen theater and later being subdivided into a twin theater in 1978, the historic building faced an uncertain future as the industry shifted towards colossal multiplexes like AMCs and Regal.
In December 2004, The Seville was purchased by the newly formed Bryn Mawr Film Institute. However, the organization didn’t just save the building to show the constant reel of low-brow movies. It has transformed the space into a non-profit center for media, educational programs for all ages, and the preservation of independent, documentary, and vintage films. It is an institute because it treats cinema not merely as a commercial consumerist product but as a cultural landmark.
“It’s like the first time ever that we’re shutting down our operations for the day . . . just to really celebrate and meet with members and our community.”
Erica Cutaia
To understand what it takes to keep this heritage alive, I sat down with BMFI theater manager Erica Cutaia. Cutaia oversees the daily operations that make the moviegoing experience feel seamless to the viewer. To mark this centennial milestone, BMFI hosted a Centennial Soiree gala on its anniversary. To BMFI, the event represents a rare pause for the bustling theater.
“It’s like the first time ever that we’re shutting down our operations for the day . . . just to really celebrate and meet with members and our community,” Cutaia said.
To honor their vast history, the staff even compiled a comprehensive Letterboxd list documenting every single movie they have shown over the past century.
Cutaia’s own journey with BMFI echoes the theater’s focus on growth and community. Starting in 2023 as a floor-staff member making popcorn, she is now training as a projectionist. Over the past few years, she has seen a resurgence in cinema, even in an age of endless scrolling and glowing phone screens. A major draw has been the installation of refurbished, vintage projectors capable of running both 35mm and 70mm film.
Recently, the theater screened Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film The Odyssey. This was BMFI’s first time running a new release on 70mm analog film in the modern era (one of fifty theaters in the world & their highest-grossing run of all time).
“That’s just been very exciting to see that coming back,” Cutaia said.
For her, running physical film offers an avenue for connection that many viewers don’t perceive with digital files. While she believes any trip to the theater is a valuable communal experience, the analog process is far more involved.
“As a projectionist, you’re the last line of production for that movie,” she said. “You’re switching from projector to projector, and it’s like a magic trick [for the audience] . . . feeling that the energy of the live show with the audience on the film side is much different than a digital screening.”
“Instead of throwing away the old, we are trying to create a little museum space to honor our history.”
Erica Cutaia
This commitment to the holistic cinematic experience extends to the theater’s programming and preservation efforts. BMFI works closely with external organizations, one such being Be Real Cinema, to curate diverse lineups that ensure everyone in the community is represented. To preserve its own local history, the staff recently constructed a “secret” archives room directly behind the screen of Theater One.
“Instead of throwing away the old, we are trying to create a little museum space to honor our history,” Cutia said.
She hopes it will soon become a physical gathering space for community conversations about the institute’s founding and ongoing mission.
Looking beyond 100 years, BMFI aims to expand with potential outdoor screenings and the perpetual goal of adding yet another set of analog projectors for Theater Three. Yet, the institute is still dedicated to the simple joy of sharing movies. Cutaia, whose own love for films stems from childhood viewings of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on VHS, still finds joy in projecting classics for children’s birthday parties.
“Whenever I can project one of my childhood favorite movies for the next generation,” she said, “that just makes me so happy.”
This legacy of sharing cinema is connected more closely to us at Haverford than many of us realise. While taking a backstage tour of the rooms of the institute, I stumbled upon a golden plaque adorning BMFI’s film studies library.
The plaque proudly dedicates the space as the “George Rehrauer Collection: a gift of The Haverford School.” It was a pleasant surprise to stand in this historical building and realize that our own school played a direct role in BMFI’s educational mission.
Where do we as Haverford students fit into the next century of BMFI’s history? It’s simple: show up. In an era dominated by algorithms dictating our reels, streaming, and purchases, we need to break free from our devices and enter into a shared experience of simply watching a movie. Whether it’s attending a screening of a classic on 70mm, using the Rehrauer library for a research project, or just choosing BMFI over an AMC the next time you are craving a blockbuster, we can keep this cultural media center going.
The next time you’re looking for an escape, take a walk down Lancaster Avenue towards Bryn Mawr, step beneath that glowing marquee, and get comfortable in your seat as the lights fade to darkness.
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