The Belcourt in 2016
On March 15 of last year, longtime local arthouse the Belcourt Theatre announced that it would be closing its doors in response to concerns regarding COVID-19. The initial plan, the Belcourt team stated, was to reopen on April 7, 2020.
Well. We all know that the pesky novel coronavirus had other plans. While the Hillsboro Village theater did ultimately reopen for a brief stretch with a variety of safety precautions in place — not to mention opening its parking lot for drive-in screenings — for the most part, the independent cinema center has kept its doors closed over the past year. But with vaccinations on the rise, that changes this month.
Today, the Belcourt announced that it will reopen for indoor screenings beginning Friday, April 23. Theater reps note that seating capacity will be limited, masks will be required, and films will show only in the Belcourt's 1966 and 1925 halls — "the second floor and its screening room will remain closed to the public," says a release. You can read more about the safety precautions at the Belcourt's site.
The Belcourt will kick off its reopening with screenings of two films: action-packed Japanese anime Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, and the brand-new Sesame Street documentary Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street. The former — first released in Japan in October — is the highest-grossing feature in Japanese history. Tickets for both go on sale tomorrow, April 9, at 10 a.m. via this link.
Even with the theater reopening in limited capacity, the Belcourt will nevertheless keep its Red Carpet Evening Oscar celebration virtual on April 25. Tickets for that are still available.
