Renowned for its programming that showcases American and international independent cinema, just steps away from the Quartier des Spectacles.

1977

Built under the name of Cinéma La Cité, Cinéma du Parc bears several names and identities that have succeeded one another over the years. It was the first cinema complex with more than two screens in Montreal when it opened under the aegis of “Famous Players”, and its existence is intimately linked to the urban development of the Milton-Park district and the construction of the high-rise buildings lining the McGill University campus.

1995

Cinéma du Parc was put up for sale when Viacom bought the Famous Players chain in 1994. Owner and programmer Thierry Martin, head of the highly respected Cinéma de Paris and Cinéma V, acquired it with his brother Éric. They restored the Cinéma du Parc to a mixed programming model, braving the risks of managing an arthouse and repertory cinema until it went bankrupt in the spring of 1999.

1999

Don Lobel, a former film professor and programmer of independent films and rock concerts at the Rialto Theater (1988–1993), negotiated an affordable rent with the owners of Galeries du Parc to take over Cinéma du Parc.

In the first month after reopening, more than 16,000 movie lovers showed up. Box office expectations were exceeded. While the programming took on a more English-language focus, it remained diverse and ambitious, with a strong emphasis on current and classic arthouse films. At that time, Cinéma du Parc established itself as the only English-language repertory cinema in Montreal.

On October 13, 1999, the non-profit organization “la Société de cinéma répertoire de Montréal” was created to manage Cinéma du Parc, affirming the primacy of its cultural vocation and its desire to maintain its surprising, educational, and avant-garde programming.

2001

Well known for founding ExCentris, a state-of-the-art cinema complex dedicated to auteur cinema, Daniel Langlois, a patron of new technologies, is taking over the lease of Cinéma du Parc. Don Lobel remains in charge of programming, and Claude Chamberlan and Marie-Christine Picard will be joining him on an occasional basis.

2006

In July, the Daniel Langlois Group announced that it would be closing Cinéma du Parc. Changes in the Montreal market share, with competitors such as AMC Forum showing independent films on some of its 22 screens, have had an impact on attendance at the three theaters on Avenue du Parc.

Roland Smith, programmer and former general manager of Cinéma Outremont, took over to relaunch the cinema. The gamble paid off, as by organizing retrospectives, thematic cycles, festivals, national weeks, and essential premieres, the cinema has succeeded, and continues to succeed, in reaching many Montreal film lovers, both French-speaking and English-speaking, as well as several cultural communities in the greater Montreal area.

2013

The general management of Cinéma du Parc was entrusted to Mario Fortin, then general manager of Cinéma Beaubien, who had 40 years of experience in the film industry. His team installed DCP digital projectors in the theaters, enlarged the screens, and refurbished the seats.

October 2022

The general management is entrusted to Roxanne Sayegh.

October 2024

Following extensive renovations and a major donation from filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, Cinéma du Parc inaugurates new spaces, including a complete overhaul of the lobby and mezzanine. The team drew on Cinéma du Parc's DNA to design the new spaces, taking inspiration from the work of David Lynch and his hushed and seductive atmospheres.