Filmtheater Kriterion, Independent movie theater near Roeterseiland campus, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Filmtheater Kriterion is a movie theater in Amsterdam's university district featuring multiple screening rooms with red leather seats and contemporary design. The venue includes a café area where visitors can purchase drinks and snacks before or after watching a film.
The theater was founded in 1945 by resistance students in the aftermath of World War II as a student-led cultural initiative. This founding principle of student management has remained the core of the venue's operation ever since.
The theater screens independent films, documentaries, and student works that shape how people in Amsterdam engage with cinema beyond mainstream productions. Visitors appreciate this range of programming that reflects the city's creative communities.
The theater is centrally located and easily accessible, with student discounts available on admission. Knowing that students run the venue is useful information, as this can affect opening hours and operations compared to larger commercial cinemas.
What stands out is that students make all decisions and manage every aspect of the venue, from selecting which films to screen to running the café. This hands-on student management creates a different feeling from professionally run cinemas.
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