New York City’s iconic arthouse cinema, Angelika Film Center & Cafe (the “Angelika”),  owned and operated by Reading International, Inc. (NASDAQ:RDI), will welcome back film lovers on Friday, March 5 at its flagship location in Soho. The Angelika will open with extensive sanitization and safety measures creating an environment carefully designed to address COVID-19 concerns.

In alignment with the reopening, two Manhattan theaters – Village East Cinema at 189 2nd Avenue and Cinema 123 at 1001 Third Avenue in Manhattan – have joined the Angelika Film Center circuit and will now be known as  Village East by Angelika (“Village East”) and Cinema 123 by Angelika (“Cinema 123”), respectively.

The Village East is known by Manhattan moviegoers for its landmark auditorium, formerly home to the Jaffe Art Theater. In more recent years, the Village East has delighted cinephiles with stunning 70 mm and 35 mm programming, alongside curated repertory series and an eclectic mix of indie hits and arthouse gems.

Cinema 123 has been a neighborhood staple since 1962, and now features luxury recliner seats in its three auditoriums. This Midtown spot always provides audiences with a signature blend of high caliber blockbusters with the industry’s latest awards-worthy arthouse films, alongside its Intelligentsia coffee and café treats.

We are so thrilled to finally welcome back movie lovers and are proud to maintain the integrity of these two Manhattan staples while bringing them the Angelika’s standard for best-in-class arthouse, independent and international film,” said Kelley Anderson, the Angelika’s director of marketing.

On Friday, March 5, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, the movie which reopened movie theaters during COVID in late August, will finally play in New York City. To celebrate the return of the cinema experience, New York City cinephiles will be able to watch Tenet at the Village East in one of cinema’s most glorious formats – 70 mm film. Also on March 5, Neon’s Quo Vadis, Aida? will open exclusively at the flagship Angelika Film Center. Director Jasmila Zbanic’s acclaimed film has a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Official Submission, and on the 93rd Academy Awards short list, for Best International Film.

Additionally, all three theaters are honored to showcase some of the latest and greatest in arthouse cinema, including A24’s Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Language Film Minari, a tender and sweeping story of family and resilience from director Lee Isaac Chung;  Sony Classics’ critically acclaimed Golden Globe nominee The Father, a heartbreaking and uncompromisingly poignant story from director Florian Zeller, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman; and Searchlight Pictures’ Nomadland starring Frances McDormand as a woman who packs her van and sets off on the road to explore a life outside conventional society as a modern-day nomad. This 2021 Golden Globe winner for Best Motion Picture – Drama has also received two Best Director wins for Chloé Zhao from both the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and 2021 Golden Globes.

The Angelika Film Centers will also provide guests the opportunity to host a private watch party of these new releases by booking Private Buyouts at angelikafilmcenter.com.

The Angelika is committed to meet or exceed all CDC, state and local regulations, as well as expert-backed suggestions from the National Association of Theater Owners’ CinemaSafe. Each cinema will reopen with extensive sanitation and safety measures in place, and per the State’s regulations, auditorium capacity will be limited to 25%, with no more than 50 guests per screen.

“The Angelika has been working hard throughout the past several months to develop a plan for health and safety that touches all areas of our operation,” said the Angelika’s Division Manager, Scott Rosemann. “From the box office to the concession stand to the auditoriums, each and every aspect has been reevaluated to prioritize health and safety for both our guests and our staff.”

Each cinema in the Angelika circuit has implemented the following policies and procedures for health and safety:

• Masks are required to be worn by all guests and staff.
• Guests will be encouraged to skip the box office and buy tickets in advance, either online or through the Angelika Film Center mobile app in order to decrease physical contact.
• Only credit, debit, or gift cards will be accepted to limit monetary exchanges. A designated transactional space will be available on site at each location where cash amounts can be transferred onto a gift card.
• Guests should arrive no earlier than 30 minutes before their showtimes in order to decrease building traffic and allow for increased sanitization.
• To keep a safe distance from others, guests will be required to sit in their assigned seats, and ticket purchases for each party will automatically account for six feet of social distancing between parties, by blocking off the seats surrounding each group. The Angelika further encourages parties to be made up of immediate household members where possible.
• Increased cleaning and sanitation will take place regularly, with extra sanitation at high-touch point areas. Auditorium seating and armrests will be disinfected after each use.
• To improve air quality, each cinema has upgraded all HVAC filters and increased maintenance frequency.
• Floor decals and signage have been placed throughout the theaters to help guests maintain a safe distance from others.
• Hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the theaters. Guests will be encouraged to wash their hands before and after consuming food and drinks.

Guests may also reserve an auditorium for a Private Screening, a complete package allowing guests to select from a variety of over 60 movie options and pre-pay concessions. Guests also have the option to view their own content on the big screen by booking a Private Rental Event. Private Screenings start at $350 and Private Rental Events start at $175 per hour, with a 2-hour/$350 minimum. Both are for groups of up to 10 guests, require a $50 concession minimum and can be booked at angelikablog.com/vip.

For film lovers staying at home, the Angelika team is pleased to allow audiences access to the Angelika experience on the new streaming platform Angelika Anywhere, as well as popcorn to go. In addition to carefully curated programming, Angelika Anywhere also offers exclusive Q&A content with filmmakers and talent from live events at the Angelika Film Centers. Popcorn to go can be ordered at the theaters.

For more information, visit angelikafilmcenter.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About Reading International, Inc.

Reading International, Inc. (NASDAQ: RDI), an internationally diversified cinema and real estate company, is a leading entertainment and real estate company, engaged in the development, ownership and operation of cinemas and retail and commercial real estate in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

The family of Reading brands includes cinema brands: Reading Cinemas, Angelika Film Centers, Consolidated Theatres, and the State Cinema in Tasmania; live theatres operated by Liberty Theatres in the United States; signature property developments, including Newmarket Village, Auburn Redyard, Cannon Park, and The Belmont Common in Australia, Courtenay Central in New Zealand, and 44 Union Square in New York City; and a streaming platform, Angelika Anywhere.

Additional information about Reading International, Inc can be obtained from the Company’s website: https://www.readingrdi.com.