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Only in theaters
One mans mission to save his family’s movie theaters
“..undeniably compelling” – the New York Times
A film by Raphael Sbarge
Featuring:
Allison Anders, Cameron Crowe, Ava DuVernay, Nicole Holofcener, James Ivory, Kenneth Turan, Bruce Joel Rubin, Leaonard Maltin, Michael Renov, Mark Ulano and more.
“Only in Theaters” is heartbreaking and heartening, and its subject is the movies themselves. Can the theaters that show the best of the best survive? It’s the cinematic question of our times.” – Kenneth Turan, film critic
Connectivity: Only in Theaters
When: Tuesday, April 21, 2026 / 7:00 PM – 9:15 PM (PDT)
Where: Pollock Theater, UC Santa Barbara
Come see a screening of Only in Theaters at the Pollock Theater on Tuesday, April 21st at 7PM.
Owner of Laemmle Theaters, Greg Laemmle, and filmmaker Raphael Sbarge will join Ross Melnick (interim Dick Wolf Director of the Carsey-Wolf Center) for a post-screening discussion of Only in Theaters and the future of arthouse cinema.
Film Threat’s Award This! WINNER
Film About Movies or Filmmaking category
We’re thrilled to share that Only in Theaters has won Film Threat’s Award This! award for the best Film About Movies or Filmmaking. A heartfelt thank you to everyone whose passion and hard work made this achievement possible.
Laemmle Theatres – How things are going
In an exclusive interview with director Raphael Sbarge, Greg Laemmle shares how things are going since the completion of the documentary, Only in Theaters.
Check out Inside the Arthouse: A new podcast by Raphael Sbarge and Greg Laemmle that is an “insider’s” perspective on filmmakers & People responsible for films appearing on arthouse screens across USA.
Now Available to Own on DVD
Released by Kino Lorber
DVD includes bonus extras!
Including audio commentary by director Raphael Sbarge, Alternate opening sequence, Only in Theaters Proof of Concept Videom, Outtakes, Theatrical Trailer AND additional interviews with Ava DuVernay, Cameron Crowe, Leonard Maltin, Bruce Joel Rubin, David L. Snyder and more!
ONLY IN THEATERS, a film by actor/director Raphael Sbarge, is an intimate and moving journey taken with the Laemmle family, spanning nearly three years of challenges, losses, and personal triumphs.
“Only in Theaters isn’t just a celebration of the Laemmles and their love of sharing cinema but the American Dream. At a time with much uncertainty in the film business, this film couldn’t be more important”
– LA Daily News
“Essential viewing for every filmgoer.”
– Film Threat
Laemmle Theatres, the beloved 84-year-old arthouse cinema chain in Los Angeles, is facing seismic change and financial pressure. Yet the family behind this multigenerational business – whose sole mission has been to support the art of film – is determined to survive.
“The Story here is beautiful and complicated, one in which the twin weights of legacy and calling bear down on the need to survive in changing times”
– LA TIMES
“…2022’S MOST EMOTIONAL THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE”
-VARIETY MAGAZINE
“Excellent doc about theaters”
-Matt Zoller Seitz, film critic
INTERVIEWS WITH…
DIRECTORS & AWARD WINNERS
Ava DuVernay, Allison Anders, Cameron Crowe, Nicole Holofcener, James Ivory, and more.
CRITICS AND WRITERS
Edward Goldman, Kevin Thomas, Kenneth Turan and Bruce Joel Rubin to name a few.
FILM HISTORIANS AND EXPERTS
Leonard Maltin, Ross Melnick, Michael Renov and Mark Ulano.
“IT’S A BEAUTIFUL FILM, AND A TIMELY ONE.”
-CLAUDIA PUIG, PRESIDENT, LA FILM CRITIC’S ASSOC.
“ONLY IN THEATERS, a compelling documentary about cinema & the legendary Los Angeles Laemmle Theater chain, family owned & operated, now principally by Greg Laemmle, the heir to the business & its CEO. It’s both a mournful, cautionary tale about the possible end of an epoch, yet also a hopeful reminder that movies have incorrectly been declared dead many times before. It recalls the history & vicissitudes of the movie-showing business, in which the Laemmles played an important role in L.A.. Above all it’s an appreciation of the things we take for granted: local book stores, coffee shops, family farms, local theaters & more, & a reminder that they exist because of the ingenuity, guts, & industry of individuals who pour more into their life’s work & legacy than they likely ever get out of it. Director Raphael Sbarge captures a moment in time.” –
Keith Simanton, IMDB REVIEWER
“ONLY IN THEATERS” IS THE STORY OF A FAMILY TRYING TO SURVIVE A SERIES OF SEISMIC SHIFTS IN THEIR INDUSTRY. AUDIENCES WILL FEEL LIKE THEY’RE GOING INTO BATTLE WITH THE LIKEABLE CLAN. – NBC NEWS
“More than just a movie to us…it’s a celebration of people to whom I think we owe an enormous debt locally. There just would not be arthouse cinema in Los Angeles without the Laemmles.” – KPCC’s FilmWeek
AGAINST ALL ODDS…
Four generations of the Laemmle family have dedicated themselves to supporting, encouraging, innovating and elevating the art of filmmaking. Responsible for bringing foreign film to Los Angeles and popularizing countless foreign independent films and their filmmakers, the Laemmle Theatres’ impact on Hollywood and world cinema cannot be overstated.
In a world of growing conglomeration, the Laemmle circuit of theatres has become even more of an anomaly: a family-owned and operated art house theatre chain.
“With appearances from Cameron Crowe, Ava DuVernay, Nicole Holofcener, and Alison Anders, Only in Theatres works as both a state-of-industry insight for those with a professional interest, and an irresistible story of an American dynasty and love letter to cinema for a general audience.” — WF, Galway Film Festival
What the Audience is saying
DIRECTOR
Actor/Director Raphael Sbarge
FILM EDITOR, SOUND DESIGNER
Rick Pratt, Editor, Thomas Cassetta, Sound Designer
APPEARANCES FROM:
Cameron Crowe, Ava DuVernay, James Ivory, Nicole Holofcener, Alison Anders, Roberta Grossman, and more.
(From LEFT): Greg Laemmle, Tish Laemmle, Raphael Sbarge, Jenna DeAngeles