Grand Illusion Cinema

The Grand Illusion Cinema is Seattle's longest-running independent cinema, a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit founded in 1970 as the city's first intimate arthouse. After losing its longtime University District home in early 2025, the nonprofit signed a 10-year lease on the historic three-screen Varsity Theatre and is reopening there in late 2026. Known for adventurous programming — foreign films, cult classics, and 35mm revivals — it keeps indie film alive in the U District.