The American Cinematheque is an independent, non-profit cultural organization in Los Angeles, California, United States that represents the public presentation of the moving image in all its forms.
Cinematheque also provides a forum where film lovers and students can learn from established filmmakers, actors, writers, editors, cinematographers, and others about their craft.
[3][4] Early board members and trustees included Barry Diller, Robert Fitzpatrick, Wallis Annenberg, Candice Bergen, Allan Carr, Francis Coppola, Jane Fonda, Goldie Hawn, David Hockney, Louis Malle, Barry Manilow, Diana Muldaur, Mike Nichols, Paul Schrader, Martin Scorsese and Robert Wise.
[2][5] Between 1987 and 1998, the Cinematheque presented its programs at a variety of venues, including the Directors Guild of America theater and the Raleigh Studios complex in Hollywood.
[6][7] In 1998, the American Cinematheque completed a major $12.8 million renovation of the Egyptian Theatre that restored the theater's exterior, and added new film, video, and audio technology.
The Cinematheque also hosts a number of regular screening series year-round including: In 2024, American Cinematheque, with the help of community partners including Armenian Film Society and GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society, hosted "Three Homelands: A Sergei Parajanov Retrospective", focusing on the director's films about his three homelands: Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Ukraine), The Color of Pomegranates (Armenia), and The Legend of Suram Fortress and Ashik Kerib (Georgia).
[32] In addition to its year-round programs, the organization presents the prestigious American Cinematheque Award annually to a filmmaker in recognition of contributions to the art form.