As others disappear, this independent theater still thrives in the Bay

"Rialto Cinema is for cinephiles, art film nerds, hopeless romantics, comedy nuts, thrill seekers, and anyone else looking to find entertainment in a dark room surrounded by strangers as a movie is beamed onto the big screen. Special thought is put into what plays at each of the theater group's three locations, the Elmwood Theater in Berkeley, Cerrito Theater in El Cerrito and Rialto Cinemas Sebastopol."

"Boyd has been in the movie theater industry for decades, but his love for the silver screen can be traced to when he first saw the 1970 Disney animated film The Aristocats as a young boy in Montana. In the years that followed, Boyd developed a deep love for independent films, documentaries, foreign language pictures and other interesting works outside the mainstream Hollywood catalog."

"People had their doubts an arthouse would find a following in the area, Boyd said, but the theater went on strong for more than a decade before being forced to close when their lease was up. During the Lakeside Theater's operation, Rialto Cinema acquired the Elmwood Theater in 2007 and the Cerrito Theater in 2009. The Sebastopol location opened in 2012, rounding out the small company's footprint at three."

Rialto Cinema operates three independently owned arthouse theaters: the Elmwood Theater in Berkeley, Cerrito Theater in El Cerrito, and Rialto Cinemas Sebastopol. Ky J. Boyd leads the group and prioritizes carefully selected programming of independent films, documentaries, foreign-language pictures, and other non-mainstream works. Curated programming attracts cinephiles, romantics, comedy and thriller fans, and helps sustain attendance despite rising rents and competition from streaming services. Boyd’s love of the silver screen began in childhood and led to opening Rialto Cinemas Lakeside in Santa Rosa in 2000. Lakeside ran for more than a decade before closing when its lease ended, and the group expanded through acquisitions in 2007, 2009, and a new Sebastopol location in 2012.

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