The theater, named after Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, is located in the 4th Street Market shopping district of the East End neighborhood in Downtown Santa Ana.

In February 2013, the facility was leased by Logan Crow, a cinema proprietor with previous arthouse operations in Long Beach.

[1][2] The Fiesta Twin Theatre remained in operation for a year under Crow's lease until it was reopened as the Frida Cinema on February 21, 2014.

[6] On February 21, 2023, the Frida Cinema celebrated its ninth anniversary with a screening of the 1998 Coen brothers comedy The Big Lebowski and an associated themed party.

Moviegoers wore costumes of characters from the film and were served White Russian cocktails, a drink popularized by the movie.