Ojai PlayhouseClient Information
15 October, 2025Print
Historic Ojai Playhouse Celebrates One-Year Anniversary as a Cultural Pillar for the Community and Film Industry
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October 15, 2025 — This November, the 111-year-old Ojai Playhouse celebrates its first anniversary since reopening in November 2024, marking a year of cinematic excellence, community engagement, and world-class programming. Nestled in scenic Ojai amid the striking Topatopa Mountains, the Playhouse embodies Southern California’s artistic spirit and natural beauty. Over the past year, the newly restored single-screen theater has screened over 500 films, from first-run releases and indie arthouse titles to repertory classics and family favorites, becoming a beloved hub for both locals and visiting filmmakers.
Originally opened in 1914, the theater closed in 2014 after flooding from a water main break. Under current owner David Berger’s direction, it underwent more than $10 million in renovations led by principal architect Bob Kupiec, local builder Kerry Miller, and Holwick Constructors. The revamped 5,500-square-foot Playhouse reopened to a packed 200-seat house on November 22, 2024, with a screening of Heat, unveiling modern design that blends historic elegance with cutting-edge technology. The property boasts a Meyer Sound cinema system, Nexo live PA, Yamaha Active Field Control (AFC) Immersive audio system, Dolby Atmos, 35mm and 4K projection, immersive ceiling lighting inspired by James Turrell and a completely sound designed room including over one hundred light changing quadratic diffusers to shape the acoustics and heighten the room’s immersive sensory experience.
The venue also features a lobby bar offering local beer and wine, cocktails, concessions, organic popcorn, slushies, and specialty sodas. A new box office with a micro cinema, bar/café, and garden is currently under construction and set to open early next year at 107 S. Signal Street.
“I wanted to create something larger than life that reconnects the community and celebrates the art of film,” David Berger shares. “The Ojai Playhouse has truly become a gathering place where people can experience the magic of cinema together.”
Since reopening, the theater has become a hub where art, film, and community converge. Alongside its regular Wednesday thru Sunday screenings of about 14 films each week, the Playhouse champions local filmmakers, student film events and hosts community gatherings and nonprofit initiatives. The Ojai Playhouse also offers free screenings (more than 50 the past year) and a robust For Your Consideration (FYC) lineup, strengthening its ties to the filmmaking community. Last year the Playhouse hosted more than 20 FYC films including Anora (NEON), The Brutalist (A24), Wicked (Universal), A Complete Unknown (Searchlight), Emilia Perez (Netflix), Challengers (Amazon/MGM), Flow(Variance/Mubi), Conclave (Focus Features), Sing Sing (A24), and Dune 2 (Warner Bros).
This year’s FYC screenings include: One Battle After Another (WB), Weapons (WB), Sinners (WB), Springsteen: Deliver me from Nowhere (Searchlight), Is This Thing On?(Searchlight), Rental Family (Searchlight), It Was Just an Accident (NEON), After the Hunt(Amazon), F1: The Movie (WB), Christy (Black Bear), Hedda (Amazon), Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics), The Presidents Cake (Sony Picture Classics), Wicked: For Good(Universal), Highest 2 Lowest (A24), A Useful Ghost (Cineverse), The Smashing Machine (A24), Marty Supreme (A24), If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24), A Useful Ghost (Cineverse), and more to be announced.
The Ojai Playhouse has also welcomed many notable directors and stars for special screenings, including:
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*It Was Just An Accident – Q&A with director Jafar Pahani *Wild at Heart – Introduction with actress Laura Dern *A Real Pain – Q&A with director and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Jesse Eisenberg *I Know Catherine, The Log Lady – Q&A with Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost *Mulholland Drive – Q&A with actor Richard Green *I’m Still Here – Q&A with director Walter Salles and actress Fernanda Torres *The Room – Q&A with actor Greg Sestero *East of Wall – Q&A with director Kate Beecroft *The Wedding Banquet – Q&A with director Andrew Agn and actress Joan Che *If.... – Q&A with actor Malcolm McDowell *It’s Never Over: Jeff Buckley – Q&A with director Amy Berg *F1: The Movie – Q&A with director Joseph Kosinski *Anvil: The Story of Anvil – Q&A with director Sacha Gervasi, Rob Reiner (Anvil) and *Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow (Anvil) *Cape Fear – Q&A with actress Juliette Lewis *Thank You Very Much – Q&A with director Alex Braverman *Dog Man – Q&A with director Peter Hastings *A Complete Unknown – Q&A with sound engineer Paul Massey *Wayne’s Word – Q&A with actress Tia Carrere and producer Hawk Koch *Bob Trevino Likes It – Q&A with director Tracie Laymon *Twin Peaks: The Return – introduction by co-creator and writer Mark Frost |
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As Ojai Playhouse enters its second year, it continues to offer exciting screenings, free films, and FYC programming, solidifying its status as a must-visit destination for film lovers, industry professionals, and the Ojai community. This fall, highlights include Halloween-season pictures such as Guillermo del Toro’s new Frankenstein, plus classics Casper (30th anniversary), Ari Astor’s Hereditary, Hitchcock’s Psycho, It Follows, Scream and The Nightmare Before Christmas. On October 30, the theater presents Natural Born Killers with a special Q&A featuring Juliette Lewis, followed by the return of KPop Demon Hunters sing-alongs on November 1–2. The inaugural Ojai Playhouse Film Festival runs November 11–16, featuring a curated selection of internationally acclaimed films. Films include festival favorites How To Shoot A Ghost, The Testament of Ann Lee, Cover-Up, The Secret Agent, Mirrors No. 3, Nouvelle Vague, No Other Choice, Seeds, Hamnet, Sirat, Arco, A Poet, Ghost Elephants, The Chronology of Water, F**ktoys, Monk in Pieces, Mad Bills To Pay, Silent Friend and Sentimental Value. Full festival lineup details, along with additional fall, winter, and holiday programming are available on the Ojai Playhouse website: www.ojaiplayhouse.com. Fans can also look forward to the opening weekend of Wicked: For Good, November 20–23. Plus many international, arthouse and award contending films.
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ABOUT THE OJAI PLAYHOUSE
Located in the heart of Ojai, California, the Ojai Playhouse, built in 1914, stands strong as one of the first single cinema screens in California. Cutting edge for its day, the Playhouse’s cinema technology set a standard for the growing film industry, serving California as it grew to lead global entertainment. Reopening in 2024, the Ojai Playhouse will offer an intimate and immersive experience for film and art enthusiasts locally and beyond.
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For more information on the Ojai Playhouse, contact
Shore Fire Media at ojaiplayhousepr@shorefire.com.