Austin’s AFS Cinema Is Opening a Third Screen This Month
The new 169-seat theater will debut with “Paper Tiger” and 4K restorations of “The Color of Money” and “Marie Antoinette"
AFS Cinema will expand from two theaters to three on Oct. 24 with the opening of the John H. McCall Theater, a 169-seat auditorium that will allow the nonprofit arthouse to show more films and offer more showtimes.
The new space will feature 4K digital laser projection, 7.1 surround sound and upgraded seating. More than 430 donors contributed to a fundraising campaign for the third screen, raising $305,000 and exceeding its $250,000 goal.
“The McCall Theater will allow us to expand our programming and better serve the filmmakers, festivals, and audiences who have made the theater their home,” said Richard Linklater, Austin Film Society’s founder and artistic director.
SHOP
Opening celebrations include an Oct. 27 premiere screening of “Paper Tiger,” followed by a discussion with writer, director and producer James Gray and Linklater. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16. Other opening selections include new 4K restorations of “The Color of Money,” “Unzipped” and “Marie Antoinette.”
Honoring a champion of Texas film
The auditorium is named for the late John McCall through a donation from his wife, Amy McCall. The couple helped establish AFS Cinema with a 2016 gift that allowed the organization to renovate the shuttered Marchesa Theater. John McCall supported AFS and Texas filmmakers for decades and was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in 2018.
The expansion builds on a cinema that sells more than 84,000 tickets annually, according to AFS. Its programming spans independent releases, international films, documentaries and repertory classics, alongside filmmaker Q&As and special events. The organization also works with more than 50 curatorial partners each year.
“With this new screen, we’ll be able to create more opportunities for Austinites to gather and connect around meaningful films,” said Holly Herrick, AFS’ Head of Film and Creative Media.
AFS Cinema is at The Linc, 6259 Middle Fiskville Road. Screening schedules and ticket information are available at austinfilm.org.