Venue & Technology

The ideal place to see—and show—films

 

IU Cinema presents films the way they are meant to be seen: in the highest quality, and in an exhilarating space.

Our classic aesthetics and advanced technology make us one of the best cinemas in the country—and give you the best possible viewing experience.

 

 

Once you have seen a movie at the Indiana University Cinema, you will never be happy seeing a film anywhere else.

Darlene J. Sadlier, IU Cinema donor

A palace for film

Our venue combines the grandeur of a movie palace with the intimacy of an arthouse cinema.

With a grand Austrian drape, high ceilings, elegant design elements, and four panels of Thomas Hart Benton’s remarkable Indiana Murals, the Cinema is a magnificent place to watch films.

Wherever you sit, you are near the screen and the many filmmakers and other guests who speak and attend screenings here.

Learn about the Cinema's accessibility

Our venue by the numbers

260comfortable crimson seats

14surround sound speakers

3projectors

1screen

The technology to show multiple film formats in stunning quality

Our projectors and other equipment can present everything from silent classics to the latest in digital media. In particular, our 16mm and 35mm changeover film projectors and archival booth practices enable us to show prints from archives around the world.

Our technology also makes the Cinema a great teaching and lecture space.

Projectors

  • Kinoton FP-38E 16mm and 35mm studio projectors: reel-to-reel, with variable speed controls for silent frame rates controlled to two-tenths of a frame per second
  • Barco DP2K-32B DCI 2K cinema projector, with Dolby Cat. 960-BAR 3D upgrade kit

Playback

  • Doremi ShowVault/IMB 4RU 4TB screen server
  • QSC Q-Sys Cinema Core 510c sound processor
  • Dolby CP650D film sound processor
  • Yamaha TF-Rack Digital Mixer
  • Dolby Fidelio Hearing Impaired & Visually Impaired Cinema System
  • Blackmagic Design UltraStudio 4K Dual Playback

Orchestra pit

A continuation from the building’s years as the University Theatre, the orchestra pit provides space for live musical performances. Each year, we host silent films with musical accompaniment ranging from solo piano to 15-piece orchestras of musicians from the Jacobs School of Music.

THX® Certified

IU Cinema has been THX® Certified since its opening in 2011. This certification guarantees a high-quality audio and video experience that is as close as possible to the intentions of the film’s creators.