Cinema Is So Back. And Gen Z Is Behind It.
In March 2026, filmmaker Ben Steinberg projected the faces of the Cinerama Dome’s ownership onto the building itself, as part of a campaign to reopen the iconic Hollywood theater. (Ben Steinberg)
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In 2020, movie theaters were on their last legs. Lockdowns and years of declining interest had forced historic cinemas to shutter, including an LA icon, the Cinerama Dome. But recently a new generation of cinema-lovers has been using social media to revitalize the culture of in person movie-watching. Internet culture reporter Candice Lim explores the rise of the Gen Z cinephile movement, and heads to Hollywood to meet the young filmmaker and activist who is fighting to bring the Cinerama Dome back from the dead.
Guests:
- Candice Lim, internet culture reporter
- Ben Steinberg, filmmaker, actor, and founder of Save Your Cinema
- Ezgi Eren, founder of 11am Saturday
Further Reading/Listening:
- Ben, the Man who Saved the Cinerama Dome — Hear in LA Substack
- An Activist Spent Years Pushing for Hollywood’s Cinerama Dome to Reopen. Why Did He Just Stop? — Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter
- Cinerama Dome Advocates Take Rare Chance to Put Public Pressure on Owners to Reopen — Brian Welk, IndieWire
- How 26-Year-Old Ben Steinberg Saved the Cinerama Dome — Ryan Lattanzio & Anne Thompson, IndieWire
- Supporters Rally to Save the Cinerama Dome as Future of Hollywood Theater Complex Remains Uncertain — Pat Saperstein & Jazz Tangcay, Variety
- In praise of Ben Steinberg, the hero who stood up and demanded the Cinerama Dome not be just one more derelict, abandoned Hollywood landmark — Reddit
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Episode Transcript
A full transcript will be available 1–2 workdays after the episode’s publication.