Psst, Intramuros Is Getting Its Own Cinema

(SPOT.ph) Intramuros might be best known for its churches, museums, and walking tours. Soon, it will also be a place to watch films—thanks to a new cinema opening inside the Walled City.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is behind Cinematheque Centre Manila, an 85-seat screening venue with Dolby Atmos sound. You can find it inside the Philippine Film Heritage Building, a new three-storey facility that the FDCP has been developing as a long-term home for Philippine cinema.

Cinematheque will open to the public in March, with inaugural screenings planned to mark the launch. One of the films lined up for the opening is Sisa starring Hilda Koronel. A test run for the new cinema has already taken place earlier this month, hinting that the space is close to being fully operational.

“Your seat awaits,” it said on FDCP’s teaser video of Cinematheque Centre.

Also read: 10 Filipino Films Every Cinephile Should See

So what can we expect from Cinematheque Centre? According to the FDCP, the space is meant to host curated screenings of Filipino films, restored classics, festival titles, and international selections that don’t usually get wide theatrical runs. What the lineup will look like—and how much tickets will cost—is something we’ll have to wait and see once schedules are released.

Beyond screenings, it will also house the Philippine Film Archive, along with other facilities related to film preservation and restoration.

Cinephiles might know that this Intramuros venue isn’t an entirely new Cinematheque, but rather the relocation of its Manila branch. It first opened in 2016 along T.M. Kalaw in Ermita, then closed in 2025 as the FDCP prepared to move operations to a permanent space inside Intramuros. The opening also expands the FDCP’s existing cinema network, which already has branches in Iloilo, Davao, and Negros.

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