Castro Theatre Will Start Showing Movies Again In June

There’s a huge bit of news buried deep in the San Francisco Chronicle’s report today on independent movie theaters reopening. After the article discusses the scheduled reopening of the Balboa Theater, and the upcoming additional reopenings of the Roxie, the Presidio Theatre, and the Vogue, the Chron drops a bombshell deep in the article — the Castro Theatre will also start showing movies again in June.

AHHH @Castro_Theatre CONFIRMS BOOKINGS FOR JUNE! https://t.co/5GyRkVWIiJ

— Zack Ruskin (@zackruskin) April 28, 2021

This is not a full reopening, and June’s Castro screenings will only be those that are part of the Frameline LGBTQ+ film festival, which overlaps with SF Pride. According to the Chronicle’s report,  Castro Theatre owner Steve Nasser “said that he has not yet decided when to reopen the theater, but he has accepted bookings from Frameline, San Francisco’s international LGBTQ film festival set in June. He also has live, indoor comedy events booked in July and ‘a full slate of bookings in the third and fourth quarter’ of 2021.’”

In other words, it’s likely to be July, August or later when normal Castro showings like we remember them return. Frameline is scheduled to start June 10, though it’s unclear when their Castro screenings would begin.

Steve Nasser’s father actually helped build the Castro, which opened in 1922, shortly after the Spanish Flu pandemic. “I wish my dad were still around. I could talk to him and ask him what the heck happened!,” Nadder told the Chronicle.

When normal shows return at the Castro, there’s a possibility that its elaborate new organ with seven keyboards and thousands of pipes could be installed and ready to play.