our story

4.5 screens, 231 seats, local concessions, beer + wine, and a whole bunch of movies maybe you’ve heard of.  a/perture cinema is a 501c3 non-profit art house cinema whose mission is to entertain and engage the community through the art of film by showcasing informative, educational, thought-provoking, and inspiring films—the films that enrich our lives, engage our minds, promote diversity, and build community.

so why the name?

To a photographer, an aperture is an opening through which light travels. In any given image, the aperture can either add dimension to a singular object or bring the entire world into focus. And that is what cinema does through the films screened and the conversations inspired. The “/” in a/perture is meant to convey an f-stop.

 

a home for art house cinema

In January 2024, a/perture cinema celebrated its 14th anniversary in Downtown Winston-Salem. For the past decade and more, a/perture has been serving the community the art of film and providing a communal cinematic experience. We screen over 250 films and special events annually, with more than 4,000 screenings per year. a/perture is the only dedicated year-round art house cinema in the Piedmont Triad.

our films…

more than 35% are directed by women
50/50 split between US and world cinema releases
50+ countries represented annually
more than 40% are documentaries
more than 30% are made by BIPOC filmmakers

 

january 8, 2010
a/perture opened s/tudio 1 & s/tudio 2, with screenings of An Education,
New York, I Love You & A Town Called Panic
2012: bye bye 35mm film, hello digital cinema projection (aka DCP)
2013: s/tudio 3 & petit a/ added
2015: named a Sundance Art House Project Cinema
2016: became a nonprofit!
2018: launched education programming including girls + screen
2019: launched streetside cinema/
March 2020 – May 2021: closed for COVID19 Pandemic
2021: first season of a/ mobile
January 2022: Sundance Satellite Screenings!
2022: upgraded s/tudio 3 & petit a/
2023: first a/movie prom 🪩

2024 – read more in our strategic plan

download a copy of our digital brochure here