Vancouver may now have the smallest movie theatre in the world.
The term theatre may be grand for the East Van Vodville Cinema. It’s a tiny model movie theatre hiding out on the side of an East Vancouver building, screening film scenes for free with the push of a button.
The unique project was created by Janet Mader and David Bynoe.
“It makes so much sense as an object that it’s hard to believe it’s the only one, but it’s the only one we know of,” Mader tells V.I.A.
What is the little free cinema?
Just off of Venables Street, on the side of the Vancouver Hack Space at 1601 Venables St., sits a tiny theatre facade, with detailed features, blinking lights, and a sign that reads East Van Vodville Cinema.
But it’s more than a facade.
It’s a full cinema, sitting where a window used to be. And if you step up, press the button, and look through one of the tiny windows you can watch notable scenes from famous movies like The Great Dictator, Casablanca, or Canadian Bacon.
It’s not just a wee screen, but a full theatre, with tiny seats, a balcony, curtains, and a few other patrons (like Waldorf and Statler).
A functional marquee out front announces what’s playing and occasionally a theme. For example, right now the theme is “Good Neighbours”.
The little free cinema is a tiny model inspired by the historic Pantages Theatre in Vancouver. Brendan Kergin/V.I.A.
Inspired by history and the hack space
The inspiration for the tiny cinema comes from two places: The Pantages Theatre and the Vancouver Hack Space.
Mader and Bynoe are both practical special effects technicians on film sets around Vancouver. Essentially, they make practical special effects work.
They’re also involved with the Vancouver Hack Space, a not-for-profit that acts as a workshop and community centre for people who like making things, from little light-up badges to homemade drones and more.
“If you’re working on a project that’s outside your comfort zone, you’re in a community that you can ask for advice,” says Mader. “You’ll get ideas and potential sources for things. It’s just generally a great, supportive environment to work in.”
There’s a tradition, Mader says, of creating little pieces of art in random places to “bring joy to whoever finds it.” During a series of little pieces inspired by that idea, Bynoe made a musical chicken dance fridge creation that included a video screen. That idea morphed into making a tiny movie theatre.
When deciding on how to design the theatre, they came upon Vancouver’s own Pantages Theatre. Built in 1907 at 152 East Hastings St, it lasted for more than a century and hosted countless films and more.
It inspired much of the Vodville theatre’s interior and some of its facade.
“We took a bit more artistic license with the outside facade,” says Mader. “I’m acutely aware of the difference.”
Building a tiny theatre
They designed the model theatre on a computer, printed many pieces on a 3D printer, and had to hand-finish pieces to get things looking just right.
“Everything that you see on that was custom built by us except the video screen and the button,” Mader explains.
Even the glass people look through was custom-made.
It took the pair a year to put together, and in June 2024 they had a soft launch to see how things worked.
In November, a grand opening was held with a small crowd gathered around the theatre with free popcorn.
As far as they can tell, they built something unique; Mader says they found the Peephole Cinema in San Francisco, where people can look through a tiny hole to see a loop of films, but nothing like their full theatre.
Wee screen, big community
“It’s so precious to have your artwork received this well by the community,” says Mader.
The response to the little cinema has been “overwhelmingly positive.”
“We have so many people who say such kind things about it,” she adds.
One kind of audience they didn’t anticipate being excited was children, but kids have been bolting over to it when they see it.
“It’s been funny; I wasn’t expecting the kids to be into the stuff we show,” she says, noting the children stay and watch the full clips one by one.
While most of what shows up on the wee screen are well-known films, Mader says they’re open to much more.
“It’s such a blank slate from a curator’s perspective that we’re open to seeing what we can put on it,” she says.
That includes getting local independent filmmakers up on the tiny marquee.
Mader says the little theatre has shown how important community is.
“If there’s a big takeaway from the Vodville, I think it’s in the importance of looking around for ways to connect in your community,” she says.
She says her and Bynoe’s art, the little cinema, is now a way to give back to the community (both at the hack space and to Vancouver in general) that allowed them to create the little cinema in the first place.
“If you can find something that does that, it can snowball,” she says. “It connects with community in a way that’s real, that’s in the meat space, not online.”
Watch out, Cineplex
The East Van Vodville Cinema won’t necessarily remain unique.
“We’re very open to making more of these,” says Mader.
However, they’ll need someone to join in on it.
“We definitely have ideas for more of these that we’d like to create around town,” she explains. “But if we’re taking it outside the hack space, we’d want to partner with another organization.”
