Downtown Independent

Fantastic independent theater. I’ve come here a few times and each even is so intimate.
Came this last time for Riot L.A. Gilbert Gottfried was the headliner for the evening. The show was great.
A small booth area in the front sells Beer and Wine and a few snacks. Worth checking out if you catch a show you like.

PARKING: The parking situation in L.A. has risen from $ 12 to $ 15 in 2016, or I was there on Saturday night which was also the same time the RIOT LA comedy fest was going on and that caused the increase in price. Just make sure to carry a standard $ 20 because there could be a number of events going on in L. A that night and depending on what time you park (our event was at 11 p.m., we arrived around 10:30 p.m. and was charged $ 15, but when we were let out at 1 a.m. prices dropped to $ 10). We ended up parking off fifth and Los Angeles st. after circling for 20 minutes.
THEATER: I discovered this place on We Love LA’s website and checked out their schedule and discovered they had a Roast Battle going on with guest judges The Sklar brothers. In my mind I thought it was going to be a comedic rap battle similar to this one:
. Instead, this was a roast battle amongst (dare I say) the cream of the crop down at the Laugh Factory. The judges ended up being Jason Sklar and Moshe Kashe and one other guy. Anyway, great event and there were a lot of crazy antics that went down that night that you would have to go and experience that’s so L.A.
There are other cool and eclectic events going on at the theater that are worth checking out and they’re for a decent price. Definitely something to check out if you’re looking for something to do in L.A.

I had the opportunity to see Boruto here. Interesting theater — it’s falling apart a bit, but the concessions were super cheap, and the film choices are great. The surround sound did well here on my visit, despite the other reviews.
Pros and cons time!
Pros:
1. interesting and obscure movies played here as well as foreign films
2. cheap concessions! and they have beer! nomz!
Cons:
1. few showings available for the movies
2. seats are falling apart
3. can only order online and they do not answer their phones in the office
4. no parking, and in a seedy area of town
5. the theater smelled funky — not sure if it was the BO of all the overweight otaku watching the movie, or the overall smell from the old cushions, but it was pretty gross.
6. expensive
I’ll most def come back and see movies here, but this place needs a major overhaul if it wants to be a successful theater.

Purchased tickets to an event about two months ahead of time. About three weeks before the screening, life happened, some family stuff came up and it was clear that my husband and I would not be able to attend. I then spent the next three weeks emailing and calling the Independent to ask about refunds/​transfers/​etc, and they NEVER even dignified me with a response.
Needless to say, some of the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve now been swindled out of 33 dollars for two measly movie tickets. Literally any other theater would have simply offered a refund, or at least picked up the dang phone.
(Edit) resolved. Thanks.

First things first: thank you so much for showing animé films!!! THANK YOU. Been coming here since Evangelion 2.0 was shown.
Now for my review:
If you are going to watch a really popular animé movie you better get here early! I just got back from watching Boruto: Naruto the movie and the line was crazy! Wrapped around the outside and into the parking lot! Which I think was a little longer than the Last: Naruto the movie. So I got here 30 mins early to find a line. I aware I thought I wouldn’t find a seat, but I did! I got my soda, which was $ 3 for a large (?). Not bad honestly. And found my seat. Since I came alone this time it was super easy to find one. Unfortunately I saw people who cousins find seats :(
Anyways: I hate to say this but you guys need to work on your sound system! I don’t know if it’s only me, but my eyes always hurt whenever I come out of this theater. This theater is great, but the sound system need to be worked on. Especially for those with sensitive hearing.
Oh and there was this annoying buzzing noise during the movie. Weird.
Definitely coming back though! Support small theaters like this one to keep animé films showing! :p

Great staff! Concessions are fairly priced! Great beer and wine selections! Lots of seats!

I came here for the Sleepaway Camp comedy show. The show starts at 9 and I got to the venue at 8:30. Way too early. You can show up at 9 and still get a seat. The theater is large and accommodated everyone that showed up. There was quite a turnout on a Tuesday night! The staff (like 2 people working the concessions) was really friendly! Good deals on drinks too! $ 3 – 12 beer/​wine, depending on how fancy you wanna get. I had a great time! Parking is located next door ($ 5). I didn’t wanna pay so i parked one street over. It was SCARY to say the least. My car was still there at the end of the night though.

Its a great venue.

Great screening room with eclectic programming… but they gotta be kidding on their draft beers. I ordered a Dogfish Head beer on draft for $ 8, which is what you expect to pay for a pint of a good craft beer… but they handed me a tiny plastic cup that was basically a quarter of a pint. Uncool, guys. Especially for an otherwise really cool spot.

I’m a huge fan of Indie films, nostalgic locations and most of all H.R. Giger! In celebration of our 22 (first date anniversary) I was surprised with tickets to watch Dark Star here at the Downtown Independent. The location of the theatre is great, a downtown art walk hop, skip and jump away and parking is not too bad in comparison to most LA spots. Perfect, perfect date spot! Tickets are $ 10 (for this film anyway) and if you know anything about H.R. Giger you need to see this film! Mainstream knows Giger for his work on Alien however, in the more cultured art community, he IS THE MAN! Inspirational to those intrigued with human form and macabre, this film is a must see! This theatre is a must visit!

Great little theatre in downtown LA. I was here for an independent film release. Great spot!

First time coming here for The Walking Dead finale. Place is pretty nice and staff is quite friendly. Small concession stand that offers beer. Parking lot is next door where u self park and pay. Several eateries nearby.

Watched the The Last; Naruto movie here last week with my Home boy Abraham.
Small little theater but did the deed.
Cozy friendly staff.
Coming back to see the DBZ movie yeaaaah

Went here with my girlfriend to watch The Last: Naruto the Movie. It is the only theatre in Los Angeles screening this movie. Being the only place screening this Animé, and being just a couple blocks from the Little Tokyo district is an Otaku super combo! Needless to say the theatre was packed with Naruto fans, the line to pick up your will call tickets was long, but once the line got moving we were inside and found seats within 15 minutes!
It was such an awesome experience to watch your favorite animé with so many like minded individuals who also love animé! A rambunctious crowd clapping, cheering, crying, and laughing along side you all movie long just made this experience so much more fun! Thank you Downtown Independent for making this possible! I’ll be back for more some time soon!
I almost forgot to mention how friendly and nice the staff is here. After the movie a staff member let me tour the projection room upstairs, being a former theatre projectionist myself in my more formative years in the 90’s, I was really excited and happy for that extra touch of customer service! Nice set up, platter system, digital projection, updated sound system, all in place for a modern presentation just as good as you will get at a large theatre chain house such as AMC or Reagal Cinemas! Didn’t get there early enough to snag one of the handful of love seats in the theatre, next time I hope!

There are very few places you can go to enjoy independent movies at a reasonable price. The Downtown Independent offers films from art house to limited release.
Tonight I got the chance to see The Last: Naruto the movie. This is the only theatre to show this piece.
The staff is really nice and knowledgeable. They took the time to answer my questions. I would recommend that people support the Downtown Independent by attending screenings of great independent film.

A great small independent (obviously) fairly inexpensive theater that shows a wide array of special interest (animé, indie, foreign, Etc…) They have a front section of normal seats, then a middle section (two rows) of doubled up seats that look really comfy, but aren’t really that much more so, except perhaps having more leg room and room between the next set of two seats. Pictures attached…

A very simple setup, and not in a bad way.
I went to the Filmage debut here, and was lucky enough to enjoy a Descendents Q & A afterwards. And it was really the perfect setup for the event.
The theatre is decently sized (and well kept for an Indy theatre, which is a nice change). It also retains a very intimate atmosphere, which makes it ideal for Q & A’s and presentations. The bathrooms and lobby are also very clean, and the staff is extremely friendly.
There’s not much for free parking around here, so you’ll probably have to pay to use one of the surrounding pay-​to-​park lots. I only recommend searching for street parking if you know the area and know which areas you can trust at night.

Great venue. Saw an indie movie there for a cast and crew screening. Totally modern and clean. It’s like IKEA built a movie theatre!

Came here for a première. Cute little space, very industrial looking. The bathroom looks very nice! The theater is small so i sat at the front roll i think 4^th or 5^th and it’s great. Food is a little on the pricey end but i guess that’s where they make the money?
parking lot right next to it but they closed it. there’s a bunch of parking lots across the street and down the street but they are all $ 7 and above. So best spots are the back of the theater, it’s $ 5!

The first movie premier I’ve been to was here last night. Came to see a friend of mine’s coworker who wrote and directed, It’s not you, it’s me.
The theater itself is very quaint and has an art gallery feel as you first walk in. Open space to converse and then there’s a little snack bar area where they actually serve some pretty good craft beers. Had the Woot Stout. 13%. Was pretty good and made it tolerable to sit through this movie. Was a too often rehashed chick flick. Am not here to comment on that though lol. If it was funny then it’d be ok but it t wasn’t.
Anyway, the theater itself is kinda cool. Has cityscape scenes from all over the world on the upper walls and is very cozy. All and all it was a pretty good experience. Met some of the actors and some other interesting people. I would come again for certain.
Pay lots nearby. Perhaps could find street parking.