Cineplex International Village

Cineplex International Village is a 12-screen movie theatre on the third floor of International Village Mall, at 88 West Pender Street on the edge of Vancouver's Chinatown. It shows new Hollywood releases alongside international and independent films. It is also one of the city's main film festival venues, hosting screenings for the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF).

Many locals still call the building "Tinseltown". The theatre opened in December 1999 as Cinemark Tinseltown, and the nickname stuck to the whole mall. Cineplex Odeon took it over in November 2010, and it now runs under the Cineplex brand.

What to expect

The cinema takes up the mall's top floor, where you'll find the box office and lobby seating. Seating in each auditorium rises in tiers, with an accessible row at the entrance level. Expect the usual Cineplex concession stand, plus a second-floor food court and nearby Chinatown restaurants if you want a meal before the movie.

Because it sits a short walk from Rogers Arena and BC Place, the area gets busy on game and concert nights. Leave extra time if your showing lines up with a Canucks game.

Film festivals at International Village

Each fall, VIFF uses several of the auditoriums for festival screenings, and festival line-ups usually form on the second floor near the food court. VAFF has also held its in-theatre screenings here in November. During festival season, check your ticket for the cinema number and arrive early, since lines are organized by screening. For year-round art-house programming, the VIFF Centre on Seymour Street is about a 15-minute walk away.

Getting there

• SkyTrain: Stadium–Chinatown Station on the Expo Line is about half a block away.
• Bus: Routes 4, 7, 19, 22, 209, 210 and 214 stop at West Pender and Abbott Street.
• Driving: The mall has underground parking, and there is metered street parking nearby. Ask at the box office about parking validation.
• Accessibility: The main entrance is at street level, with elevators to the second and third floors. Each auditorium has wheelchair spaces with companion seats, and hearing assistance is available.

Nearby things to do

Make an afternoon of it in Chinatown. The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and the Chinese Canadian Museum are both within a few blocks, and Gastown is a 10-minute walk north. A movie here is also an easy pick from our rainy day guide.

Good to know

• Address: 3rd floor, International Village Mall, 88 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 6N9
• Screens: 12
• Showtimes and tickets: Book on the Cineplex website or app, or at the box office.
• Also known as: Tinseltown, Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas

New to local place names? See the Vancouver glossary.

Photo: Mike from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons