Southwest Waterfront has a movie theater again, and it is not interested in superheroes. 4EYE Film Center, a nonprofit arthouse cinema, launched in October 2026 inside the new Revada Arts Center, screening films that founder Emily Lenzner says simply are not usually shown on the big screen in that part of the city.
As Axios reports, 4EYE is now Southwest's only dedicated cinema outside the IMAX at the Air and Space Museum, a notable void in a neighborhood that watched several beloved independent cinemas close across D.C. in recent years. The theater sits inside the Revada Arts Center, a new 2026 complex that also houses theater and opera groups, according to 4eyefilmcenter.org, which describes 4EYE as opening “in the heart of the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood.”
A Federally Recognized Nonprofit With a Double-Meaning Name
4EYE is a federally recognized nonprofit, per its own about page, and it occupies the Revada Arts Center alongside a 140-seat black box theater and a cafe. Reports on the cinema's own seat count diverge: 51st.news put the figure at a 58-seat cinema, while Washington City Paper had earlier described plans for a 60-seat proscenium cinema. According to Axios, Lenzner said the center's name carries a double meaning, referencing both its location near the intersection of Fourth and I Streets and the idea of films made for viewers' eyes.
Lenzner founded 4EYE after a career that included stints in Hollywood and at the Motion Picture Association, Axios reports. She previously led an effort to revive the Uptown Theater, bringing a track record in theater preservation to this new Southwest project. Moviegoers can bring wine into the cinema, a touch that underscores the arthouse, come-as-you-are atmosphere she is building.
Indie Films, Documentaries and Food-Paired Screenings
The programming lineup leans heavily toward work that rarely gets multiplex treatment: films by independent and local filmmakers, documentaries, international films and classics, according to Axios. 4EYE's own about page describes the mission as spanning “independent film, world cinema, repertory classics, and new voices.”
The theater opened with “Made in DC,” a series built around well-known and lesser-known feature and documentary films shot in or about the capital, as reported by The Southwester. Lenzner plans to host themed movie series along with Q&As and panels tied to featured films, Axios notes, and one planned series, Reel Food, will pair food-centric movies with post-screening conversations facilitated by food writers. The theater will also offer matinees tailored to people with young children or older adults.
Why Southwest Residents Are Excited
Southwest residents told Lenzner they were excited to finally have a neighborhood movie theater, according to Axios. The Southwester reported that Lenzner, before 4EYE opened, had noted the area still lacked an independent movie theater even as the rest of the city's screen count remained thin — she told the outlet that at the time, D.C. had only nine operating movie theaters with about 52 screens total. Lenzner also said Southwest residents are interested in ideas and storytelling, a sentiment reflected in the center's community-dialogue ambitions; The Southwester reported that 4EYE aims to be a space for post-screening conversations, filmmaker Q&As and community dialogue.
That ambition arrives against a backdrop of real strain for D.C.'s independent theaters. Landmark's E Street Cinema shut its doors on March 6, 2025, done in by what owners described as too few customers and too many costs, according to The Washington Post.
Reported ticket prices for 4EYE also vary between sources. Axios lists prices ranging from $8 to $16. City Cast DC reported that tickets for all films would cost $16, while 51st.news reported that prices would run around $16 for adults and $13 for students and seniors, with some free screenings planned for community groups. 4EYE is located at 340 Maple Drive SW, inside the Revada Arts Center that opened in October.
