The Last Picture Shows

Screens in Bay Area Theaters
September 20-21, 2026 | Balboa Theater, San Francisco,
September 22, 2026 | Rialto Cinemas Sebastopol, Sebastopol
September 23, 2026 | Rialto Cinemas Elmwood, Berkeley
September 24, 2026 | Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael

Directed by
Rustin Thompson

Distributor
Foghorn Features

Synopsis
Ten states. 10,825 miles. 123 theaters. Filmmaker Rustin Thompson journeys into the American West on a search for traces of what was once a center of small-town life: the movie theater. On the trip, he finds long-abandoned and forgotten cinemas; movie houses that have fallen into disrepair; theaters recently closed, theaters struggling to hold on, and theaters that—thanks to their thoughtful caretakers—are not only surviving but thriving. Between the stops along the way, Rustin poetically intersperses excerpts from Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 classic film The Last Picture Shows, as well as reflections on past and present hardships facing the film exhibition industry. The Last Picture Shows is not only a timely portrait of an industry in crisis, one facing the headwinds of consolidation, streaming, and the diminishing theatrical experience, but it also reminds viewers that even in vast cinema deserts, there are oases of community and gathering that remain, where the movie house continues to be a place of wonder, contemplation, and connection.

Of Special Note
Located by the Russian River in the tiny town of Monte Rio, the Monte Rio Theater & Extravaganza, was purchased by Dave Lockhart during the pandemic. Its story is feature in the film: As a single-screen house, it has struggled to stay open and avoid becoming the parking lot it was intended to be before his purchase. It is now the home of the upcoming River + Redwoods Film Festival, taking place September 25-27.

Official site