Camera 3 undergoing renovation, changing name to "3 Below"

San Jose's first indie movie theater and currently the only movie theater in Downtown San Jose is going to temporarily shut down for major renovations. Camera 3 will be closed for the remainder of 2017 and hopefully reopen in January with a new name: "3 Below."

The lobby, restrooms, and theaters themselves will be gutted and extensively renovated. The largest theater will be used for live performances like concerts, opera, and musical theater. Independent films will still be played in the other two screens along with some new additions like singalong movies, repertory films, documentaries, and retro movies. The 2018 Cinequest Film and VR Festival will also completely take over all 3 auditoriums from Feb. 27th to March 11th.

One bit of sad news is that Psycho Donuts will be permanently shut down and replaced with a mainstream cafe that can sell beer and wine. They are looking for another San Jose location (hopefully Downtown).

Source: SVBJ (subscription required)

Two great options in play for the Camera 12 Cinemas site

Change is always an opportunity to improve, even when the change initially seems bleak. When Camera 12 closed last September, it was a shock to the Downtown community--especially given how much livelier Downtown has become over the past several years. Now, there are two options on the table that actually would be a significant improvement to the area.

Option #1 - Luxury Movie Theater

This is exactly what Downtown needs, a destination theater that does not exist elsewhere in San Jose to draw more visitors to the area as well as provide a great local amenity for residents. It sounds like something similar to an Alamo Drafthouse is being floated as a possible suitor for the space. The theater would have luxury seating, food, and alcohol. This was the first thought that came to mind when we first heard Camera 12 was closing.

Option #2 - SJSU Student Housing Tower

San Jose State is interested in building a 20-story student housing project on the site. The building would be a mixed-use as it gets with 14 floors of housing, 4 floors of offices, a Sky Terrace, retail/restaurant space on the ground floor, and underground parking. This would bring a large number of students into the Downtown San Jose core and further intertwine the University with the community.

There is also a 3rd option, and that is to do both Option #1 and Option #2. Based on the first rendering, the tower can accommodate a luxury theater on the ground floor, which can even be used for SJSU events and classes during off-peak hours. If it comes together, it will not only fill the hole left by Camera 12's departure, but be a new amenity for all San Joseans to enjoy.

Source: The Merc, hat tip to Josh Russell for sending this in

Camera 12 - (Part II)

Sorry to end on a cliffhanger, but I want to start the post today with a different tone. So what is the positive spin on Camera 12 shutting down? The opportunity to create something even better.

Over the past few years the theater did seem like it was being poorly maintained. While the ticket cost to see a movie at Camera 12 was less than most other movie theaters, it does take effort for people outside of Downtown to drive in, park, and go see a movie. To make matters even worse, the home movie experience today has become exceptional. For people to go out and see a movie, there needs to be a more compelling reason than 10 years ago--something you cannot get at home.

What Downtown really needs right now is a destination movie theater that will appeal to local residents and pull people from around Silicon Valley. It can't just be another Cinemark or AMC, it should be something that goes above and beyond. I think the Camera 12 space would be perfect for a premium movie theater with fewer seats, food, and alcohol. A great example is the Alamo Drafthouse. Even better is iPic Theaters where you get reserved leather recliners, blankets, and service in the theater.

The multi-level setup allows for even more opportunity to turn this into a premium experience that can cater to multiple audiences. The bottom floor can have nice reserved seats with no food or drink and costs similar to a normal theater. The upper floors can be 21 and over with a full bar and food served at your seat. Fewer seats that are more expensive would make the theater easier to fill, especially with a concept not found anywhere else in Silicon Valley.

Right now there are only two premium theaters planned for the area, one in Valley Fair and another all the way in San Mateo. Both are half-measures in malls that won't be of the same caliber as the iPic Theater pictured below.

Downtown is the perfect location for a destination movie house that will bring more people to the area instead of solely rely on nearby residents. We need to step up our entertainment game, and the Camera 12 spot is the ultimate anchor location that can help take us to the next level.

Camera 12 - Rest in Peace (Part I)

Unfortunately, the largest movie theater in Downtown San Jose has shut its doors. Camera 12 was one of my favorite movie theaters for a long time. I still remember when they first opened and hired actors to entertain crowds during premiers. My personal favorite was the Borat impersonator that hung out with crowds in line and introduced the film.

Camera 12 was also known for its central role in the Cinequest Film Festival. The 2017 festival will be a bit more complicated now. It was one of the few theaters eager to experiment with new technology, like the Barco Escape three-screen experience (image below).

Architecturally, it was also very unique. There are not very many three-story theaters in the US, let alone the Bay Area. I always enjoyed the view coming down from the top floor and the openness in the lobby.

Even though it seems like more and more people were patronizing the theater this year, revenue was outpaced by increasing rents and maintenance costs. Fortunately, Camera 3 and Camera 7 will not be impacted by the closure.

As sad as I am about this closure, there is a positive spin... (stay tuned for Part II tomorrow).

Source: The Merc, Andrew Rivlin

Cinequest Film Festival starts tomorrow!

One of the highest-rated film festivals in the world will be transforming Downtown San Jose from March 1st to March 13th. 700 artists, innovators, and film-makers will be at the event and overall attendance is expected to top 100,000. Here are some of the highlights to look out for this year:

• Cinequest's Future of Film Showcase
• "My. Invincible" - the world's first film entirely show in Barco Escape, an immersive three screen format where the movie literally wraps around you [Josh: I saw the Maze Runner with this setup and it was a really neat experience].
• Virtual Reality Experiences - there will be a Virtual Reality Lounge where attendees can test out the latest VR film experiences.
• Opening Night Screening and Celebration
• Tomorrow at 7:15pm, Galvin Hood will present his new thriller called "Eye in the Sky" staring Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Iain Glen, Barkhad Adbi, and Aaron Paul. The event will be at California Theater and includes both pre and post-show festivities.
• Maverick Spirit Awards
• These award bold, visionary, and creative forces. Previous recipients include J.J. Abrams, Kevin Spacey, Rosario Dawson, Harrison Ford, William H. Macy, Gus Van Sant, Spike Lee, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sir Ian McKellen, Neil Gaiman, Alec Baldwin, and Sir Ben Kingsley.
• This year's recipients are James Franco, Rita Moreno, and Robert Hawk.
• Notable Premiers and Star Performances (Cinequest features 129 World and US premiers)
• Helen Mirren (The Queen, Trumbo), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter, Die Hard), Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey), Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) in Eye in the Sky (Opening Night)
• Geoffrey Rush (Shine), Ewen Leslie (Sleeping Beauty), Paul Schneider (Lars and the Real Girl), Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings), Anna Torv (Fringe), Odessa Young (Wonderland), and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) in The Daughter (Closing Night)
• Alyson Stoner (Step Up), Bill Engvall (The Bill Engvall Show) in Mr. Invincible
• Kevin Smith (Clerks), Edward Burns (The Brothers McMullen), Ira Sachs (Love Is Strange), and Rob Epstein (Howl) in Film Hawk
• Rita Moreno (West Side Story) in Remember Me
• Gordon Getty (Composer and Subject) in Gordon Getty: There Will Be Music
• Clea Duvall (Argo, American Horror Story) in Heaven’s Floor
• Emma Watson (Harry Potter, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower) and Daniel Bruhl (Inglourious Basterds, Rush) in Colonia
• Jason Ritter (Parenthood) in Embers
• Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men), Emma Roberts (American Horror Story), and Lucy Boynton (Miss Potter) in February
• Annette O’Toole (Smallville) and John Glover (The Good Wife) in We Go On
• Comedians Dana Carvey, Bob Saget, Paula Poundstone, Ellen DeGeneres, Bobcat Goldthwait, Bill Maher, and Robin Williams in The Comedy Club
• Sally Field (Forrest Gump), Max Greenfield (New Girl) and Michael Showalter (Wet Hot American Summer) in Hello, My Name Is Doris
• Daphne Zuniga (Spaceballs), Joely Fisher (Ellen), Michelle Hurd (90210), Natasha Gregson Wagner (Two Girls and a Guy), Nick Court (The Last Ship), Barry Watson (7th Heaven), Jonathan Slavin (Better Off Ted), Devon Graye (Dexter), and singing legend Connie Stevens in Search Engines
• Grant Rosenmeyer (The Royal Tenenbaums) and Lindsey Shaw (Pretty Little Liars) in Temps
• Aly Michalka (iZombie), AJ Michalka (The Goldbergs), and Mimi Rogers (Austin Powers) in Weepah Way for Now
• James Franco (127 Hours), Ed Harris (Pollack), Amber Heard (The Danish Girl), Jim Parrack (True Blood), Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), and Christian Slater (Mr. Robot) in The Adderall Diaries
• Matthew Modine (Full Metal Jacket, Fluke) producer on The Brainwashing of My Dad
• Penelope Cruz (Volver) in Ma Ma
• Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter, Hairspray) and Amber Heard (The Danish Girl, Hidden Palms) in One More Time
• Terence Davies (The Deep Blue Sea, The House of Mirth) director of Sunset Song
• Briana Evigan (Step Up 2: The Streets), Tyler Blackburn (Pretty Little Liars), Emily Osment (Cyberbully), Kyla Kennedy (The Walking Dead), Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty), Elisabeth Röhm (The Client List), and Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) in Love Is All You Need?
• Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski), Rachel McAdams (Spotlight), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Marion Cotillard (Inception), James Franco (127 Hours), Ricky Gervais (The Office), Paul Giamatti (Straight Outta Compton), Bud Cort (Pollack), Benicio Del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Albert Brooks (Finding Nemo) in The Little Prince
• Briana Evigan (Step Up 2: The Streets) and Kerry Norton (Battlestar Galactica) in ToY
• Closing Night Screening and Celebration
• At 6pm on March 13th the film festival will culminate with the US premier of Simon Ston'es "The Daughter" featuring Geoffrey Rush, Wewn Leslie, Paul Schneider, Miranda Otto, Anna Torv, Odessa Young, and Sam Neill.

For more information, schedules, and tickets, head over to the Cinequest website.

"The Brainwashing of My Dad" World Premiere - March 5 Cinequest Film Festival, San Jose, CA

THE BRAINWASHING OF MY DAD - Trailer from Jen Senko on Vimeo.

The widely anticipated political documentary feature film The Brainwashing of My Dad will enjoy its World Premiere at the prestigious Cinequest Film Festival on Saturday March 5, 2016 at 7:00 PM at Camera 12 Cinemas, 201 S. 2nd St., San Jose.

Filmmaker Jen Senko examines the rise of right-wing media through the lens of her father, whose immersion in it radicalized him and rocked the foundation of their family. She discovers this political phenomenon recurring in living rooms everywhere, and reveals the consequences conservative media has had on families and a nation.

Says Senko, "What I mean by brainwashing is that people like my dad have become so taken over by right-wing media and its disinformation campaign, that they speak, vote and even act against their own interests - even against the very core of who they are. It is my hope that by lifting the curtain on what the right-wing media is doing to the very fabric of our country, by shedding light on both its tactics and agenda, families and the nation can begin to heal."

Beyond the emotional impact of the film, Senko historically underpins The Brainwashing of My Dad with exceptional expert interviews with Noam Chomsky, Eric Boehlert, David Brock, Jeff Cohen, George Lackoff, Reese Schonfeld and others. Acclaimed actor Matthew Modine (“Full Metal Jacket”) narrates, and Academy Award nominee Bill Plympton, with Maryam Hajouni, provides special animated sequences.

The Brainwashing of My Dad, from JSenko Productions and Cinco Dedos Peliculas, is the recipient of two distinguished film grants by Roy W. Dean and the Bertha Foundation. The film’s non-profit fiscal sponsor is Women Make Movies.

The feature length film touches such a nerve it has already won the Award of Excellence from IMPACT DOCS, and Cinequest is hosting two additional screenings, Sunday, March 6 at 11:30 AM and Wednesday, March 9 at 4:30 PM.

Please visit The Brainwashing of My Dad website at www.thebrainwashingofmydad.com

Camera 12 Cinemas Getting 3-Screen Barco Escape Technology

Barco Escape is an immersive movie experience that uses three separate screens to wrap a film around the audience. It was used to highlight a few a few shorts during the last Cinequest Film Festival, but is now making its way into the mainstream.

Last week, Camera 12 was one of only 20 theaters in the country to use the technology for a full-length film: Maze Runner 2: The Scorch Trials. During the movie there are almost 23 minutes of footage that make full use of all three screens. The rest of the time, the screens are used for effects that help keep the audience immersed (such as dust storms). Camera 12 is the only theater in Silicon Valley with Barco Escape. You can get your tickets to see the film over here!

The technology will also be featured on two independent films during the 2016 Cinequest Film Festival.

Source: SVBJ

The CineBrew Mart 2015!

Tomorrow is the second annual CineBrew Mart hosted by Camera Cinemas, Hermitage Brewing, and SJMADE. The event is a mixture of local craft beer tasting, unlimited movie watching, and hyperlocal shopping. I attended last year and this was one of my favorite new events for 2014! Some of the beer vendors even had snacks to compliment the beers such as bacon flavored cotton candy. New to the event this year will be a theater dedicated to showing local films from a variety of filmmakers and organization.

The event is a steal at $25 per person ($15 per person for designated drivers and $12 for kids). That includes both unlimited beer tasting from 1-5pm and unlimited movie watching from 11am to 11pm. There are also lots of great snacks and crafts to peruse through in the SJMADE vendor section.

Get your tickets before they are all gone over here!

The CineBrew Mart

Camera 12 Cinemas

201 South Second Street

Downtown San Jose

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Access to Movies: 11a - 11p

Local Beer and Treats: 1p - 5p

The CineBrew Mart 2014 on Sat, July 26th!

SJMADE, Camera Cinemas, and San Jose's own Hermitage Brewing have come together for an amazing event next week. How does all-you-can-watch movies and unlimited beer tastings for $25 sound?

The beer selections should be fantastic. You can sample from from Hermitage (San Jose), Strike (San Jose), Santa Clara Valley Brewing (San Jose), Tied House (Mountain View), Faultline (Sunnyvale), and Uncommon Brewers (Santa Cruz). The tastings run from 1pm to 4pm.

After the tastings you can head over to the theater to watch Transformers, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Hercules, Lucy, Sex Tape, or The Purge. The movies included in your pass run from 11am to 11pm.

Last but definitely not least, SJMADE will be representing local shopping along Paseo de San Antoio and the first floor of Camera 12 from 11am-7pm. Admission is not required to shop and they always have a great selection of everything. This is well worth checking out everyone!

You can buy tickets and get more information at the CineBrew Mart 2014 Website.

Camera 12 is Dramatically REDUCING Prices for the Summer!

This is a big announcement for Downtown San Jose residents and visitors. While most theaters are continuing to increase prices at an alarming rate, Camera Cinemas is slashing them at my favorite movie theater, Camera 12. The price for all movies including brand new blockbusters will be $5.50 during the day and $8.50 at night, all summer long.

To top it off, they will also introduce D-BOX premium seats that can sway and jolt along with the movie. The motion seats will debut in the largest auditorium on May 29th with Disney's Maleficent. These seats are already available at Camera 7 in the Pruneyard and you will be able to preview them in the Camera 12 lobby with trailers of new movies.

I think this will have a big impact in bringing even more people to Downtown San Jose. Camera 12 is the only theater that is steps away from a Light Rail Station, it's the only 3-story theater in Silicon Valley, and it's the only theater playing mainstream movies Downtown. The price cut makes it a no-brainer to patronize and support! Press release below.


CAMERA CINEMAS INTRODUCES BUCKBUSTER SAVINGS IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – May 18th, 2014

If you don’t go to the movies very often due to the expense, then you have an unlikely ally in Camera 12 Cinemas. The Silicon Valley theater chain’s co-founder and president Jack Nyblom is willing to stare down the elephant in the room: ever-increasing admission prices. Looking at the blockbuster summer ahead, Nyblom had thoughts about making it affordable to patrons who like to go to the movies once a week or more.

"At Camera 12, we looked at how it can be a challenge for a lot of folks to see all of the exciting first-run films coming up.” Nyblom says. “Why should a family or a struggling student or a couple on date have to pay a small fortune to go to the movies? In thanks for all of the support we’ve received from our loyal patrons, we thought this summer we wanted to give them something back.”

It’s called the Summer Buckbuster and it starts on May 23rd with the superhero epic X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST and the Adam Sandler comedy BLENDED. While other theater chains are charging as much as $13 per ticket, movies at Camera 12 will cost $5.50 during the day and $8.50 in the evening.

Another upgrade at Camera 12 this summer is D-BOX, premium-priced seats that move with the action on screen—the audience sways with a dangerous helicopter maneuver or feels a jolt when a character on screen takes a punch. The D-BOX kiosk is already in the Camera 12 lobby so patrons can try out the motion seats with trailers for GODZILLA and TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION. The motion seats will debut in the largest auditorium at Camera 12 on May 29th with the release of Disney’s MALEFICENT.

Best known for bringing sophisticated international films to the South Bay since 1975, Camera Cinemas now operates three locations in San Jose and Campbell, providing a hub for the most prominent film festivals in the Silicon Valley area as well as the latest major studio releases, all exhibited on state-of-the-art Sony 4K digital projectors.

Camera 12 Cinemas, located at 201 S. 2nd Street in downtown San Jose, provides parking validation for three hours.

Licks Screening at Camera 12 Tomorrow

LICKS is filmed on location in the Bay Area with a cast and crew that was born and raised here. It was a first time experience for everyone involved, yet the movie has received quite a bit of attention after its premiere last year at SXSW. It is coming to San Jose for a one night screening at Camera 12 tomorrow. You can find out more about the movie over here.

LICKS follows the story of a young man, D, as he returns to his Oakland neighborhood after serving two years in prison for a robbery gone wrong. In the days after his release, we are taken into D’s world while he navigates the harsh realities that plague his inner city community. His judgment is tested by the insidious influences around him, forcing D to decide what direction to take his life.

The Cinequest Film Festival Starts Today!

One of the largest and most prominent film festivals in the world is kicking off in San Jose today, and it will bring over 100,000 people Downtown over the next two weeks. The 24th Cinequest Film Festival will run from March 4th through March 16th and feature 84 World and US premiers, daily soirees and parties, and the Maverick Awards. Films will be screened at Camera 12, the California Theater, and The Rep.

For info and to buy tickets or passes, visit the Cinequest portal over here.

DOSE OF REALITY Premiering at Cinequest

Cinequest is well underway in San Jose with an insane array of movies to chose from. I tend to prioritize the premieres since you get the very rare opportunity of watching a film before anyone else. DOSE OF REALITY is one the films kicking off their world premiere at Cinequest, and the very first showing is tomorrow. More info below!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can you solve the mystery at  CINEQUEST film festival?

Get your tickets for DOSE OF REALITY the movie and give it a shot.

We're proud to World Premiere at Cinequest.

DOSE OF REALITY movie

Intriguing keeps you guessing mystery thriller with dramatic performances at:

CINEQUEST Film Festival

San Jose, CA

Camera 12  theaters
201 S 2nd St, San Jose, CA 95113

2-28-13 at 7:00 p.m
3-2-13 at 9:30 p.m.

3-5-13 at 4:00 p.m.

Read more about it

When the bar doors closed one evening, the night was far from over. After Matt, a handsome, young bartender, discovers an attractive, bloodied woman passed out on the bathroom floor, the descent into utter chaos begins. He and his arrogant manager, Tony, frantically argue about what to do when she wakes up and hysterically accuses them of attacking her. Taking matters into her own hands with irresistible charm and manipulative mind games, she discovers their deepest, innermost weaknesses. What started out as a quest to uncover the identity of her attacker quickly evolves into a scheme to reveal the secrets of everyone involved. But some secrets will remain hidden, others will identify a new victim, but one will turn everything you thought you knew upside down – Sharon Gonzales  - CINEQUEST

Film stars: Fairuza Balk award winning actress (Gas Food and lodging and The Craft), Rick Ravanello (The Cave), Ryan Merriman (Final Destination and soon to be released "42" starring Harrison Ford).

Order Tickets here:

http://payments.cinequest.org/WebSales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=6913~78899376-35a9-4153-8303-e1557be2dc32&epguid=70d8e056-fa45-4221-9cc7-b6dc88f62c98&

Phantom Galleries + Cinequest "Art Unleashed"

from Phantom Galleries by PG

Phantom Galleries is proud to be partnering with Cinequest again this year for their Cinequest 23 Film Festival! This is the 4th year that PG & CQ has worked together to bring this live painting event to the amazing audiences of this maverick film festival.


This year's artists are: André Hart, Melanie Sharr and Jeff Hemming. All three artists are highly imaginative in their concepts and excellent in their painting practice. We look forward to their interpretations of the festival's theme "UNLEASH."

Festival attendees will have the ability to observe each artist put their talent to work and thereafter vote for their favorite artist via Facebook. All sponsors, artists and paintings will be presented at the closing ceremony before announcing the winner of the "Live Art Contest!"

Stop by often to see our artists' progress. Artists will be on view in the Camera Cinemas 12 windows along the Paseo de San Antonio walk between S. 1st and S. 2nd streets during the festival February 26–March 29, 2013.

Cinequest schedule & ticket information available at www.cinequest.org

Screening of Marty's Magnificent Day-Glo Dream-a-Thon @ Camera 3 Tomorrow

Tomorrow a feature lengh Sci-Fi / Rock Musical partially shot by SJSU students (as both cast and crew) is premiering at Camera 3. You can check out a trailer right over here: http://vimeo.com/23776687 as well as an animated sequence from the film here: http://vimeo.com/34714726. More info below!

Cinequest Begins Today!

The largest film festival in Northern California is kicking off their 22nd season today in Downtown San Jose. Hundreds of independent movies from all around the world will be screened to an estimated total audience of 90,000 over a two week period. The screenings will be accompanies by soirees and parties with the film makers and actors, all sorts of interviews, and the Maverick spirit awards ceremony.

If you have never attended the festival, you have to check it out for at least a screening or two. If you have attended, then I'm sure you don't need much convincing to go again. My quick recommendation for newcomers is to try out the "Shorts." These are collections of 2min-15min micro-movies that let you experience multiple works in a limited amount of time. My favorites each year are usually the comedies.

For all of the Cinequest information you could ever imagine, just head on over here or download the brochure.

International Asian American Film Festival

While Cinequest draws to a close, another film festival is right around the corner. The Center for Asian American media is presenting the International Asian American Film Festival in the Bay Area, and it's coming to San Jose for the 10th time. Camera 12 will host the closing weekend of the festival on March 19th and 20th. For more information on the films and festivities, just click the image below to enlarge or click this link.