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All Film Genres
First Run Films, Independent, Classics, Family, Documentaries, Film Series.
MOVIE NIGHT IS COMING… TO THE VALLEY.
Cinema as it was meant to be. The Valley lost its cinema in 2020. We are bringing it back permanently, are you with us?
First-run movies · Arthouse · Classics · Outdoor screenings · Youth Film camp · Community eventsFirst-run movies · Arthouse · Classics · Outdoor screenings · Youth Film camp · Community events
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Mission, Vision & Identity
Who We Are:
Solvang Cinema Arts
Solvang Cinema Arts is a nonprofit Cinema organization rooted in the Santa Ynez Valley — meant to close the gap created when the single available movie theater serving the community was closed.
A community institution — modeled after the most durable and beloved nonprofit cinemas in the country — built on the conviction that the Valley deserves film programming that belongs to it.
Our North Star · Mission Statement
The Valley has been without a cinema for over five years…Solvang Cinema Arts exists to create a permanent home for film, community, and creative education in the Santa Ynez Valley — a gathering place where every generation connects through the art of cinema. Built around the community from Buellton to Los Olivos, and every neighbor in between.
Chapter 01
The Vision
A Multi Screen, Intimate Theater House
The VisionSolvang Cinema Arts as a nonprofit, membership-driven, community-rooted organization is deliberately liberated from the for-profit, venue-driven models that have made small-market cinema unviable. By bringing curated cinema to intimate screening rooms, landmark cultural spaces, outdoor parks, and wine-country venues across the Valley, Solvang Cinema Arts creates something a mega theater never can: a cinema experience that feels like it belongs to this place, these people, and this moment.
The programming spans the full arc of film — From first run Blockbusters and Oscar contenders, Indie and Arthouse, Documentary and Foreign, Animation, Classics and Family, Sci-Fi, and Short Film. Special events at Solvang Cinema Arts go beyond the screen — from filmmaker Q&As and opening night celebrations to themed series and guest panels that turn a night at the movies into a genuine gathering of the valley. Planned special series alongside our local cherished cultural partners like the Chumash Tribe, the Elverhoj Danish Museum, the Santa Ynez Valley Children's Museum and the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum, where seasonal and dedicated programming carries local, cultural context that streaming will never replicate.
What Makes Us Distinctive
Six Pillars of Intent
Pillar 01
Membership nonprofit
Modeled after proven small theater peers of self-sustaining, membership-driven commitment.
Pillar 02
Venue intimacy & mix
Intimate, styled screening rooms seating 50-75 showing first-run features to classics, documentaries, and family favorites.
Pillar 03
Cultural rootedness
Wine country meets world cinema — outdoor screenings with Wineries, Doc nights with the Chumash, Danish film classics with Elverhøj and culinary features show off Valley talents.
Pillar 04
Modern Technology
True Theatrical experience with 4K laser projection, Dolby 7.1 audio, quality seating, intimate design
Pillar 05
Full-spectrum programming
Every genre, every audience, every generation.
Pillar 06
SOCIAL CONNECTION
Building social ritual and connection through a communal gathering place
03 · Programming
What we'll bring to the marquee.
Six things on the program. From first-run features to filmmaker camps — cinema as a year-round, all-ages art form.
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Youth Screenings
Free and low-cost screenings curated for and by young people.
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Private Events & Outdoor Screenings
Imagine a warm evening. An outdoor screen. A great film. We can make it happen.
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Film Series
Recurring curated series — themes, retrospectives, and seasonal programs across the Valley.
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Education & Camps
The Valley's next filmmakers are already here. We're building their stage.
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Panels & Workshops
Filmmaker Q&As, craft talks, and community conversations for select screenings.
04 · Your voice
Take Our Community Survey — Help us build something worth seeing
Short, mobile friendly. Tell us what gets you in a seat… for real
05 · Join the crew
Get involved.
Whether you're a film fan, a winemaker, a parent, or a local business — there's a seat with your name on it. Two ways in — stay in the loop, or roll up your sleeves on opening night.
Track A · Once-a-Month Email
One email. Once a month. That's it.
Drop your email and we'll send one monthly dispatch — showtimes, festival drops, and opening-night invites. No spam, no resale, unsubscribe in one click.
01Admit One
Track B · Volunteer
Give a Saturday.
Ushers, projectionists, festival crew, education helpers. Pick a shift, meet the neighborhood.
UsherProjectionFestival crewEducation
02Crew Pass
Leadership
Board of Directors
Solvang Cinema Arts is guided by a dedicated board committed to bringing cinema back to the Santa Ynez Valley.
EO
Elizabeth Orona
Founding Director
Liz Orona brings over three decades of experience in the Information Technology industry as a leader in Business Development and establishing lasting partnerships and relationships in the Telecom, Media and Entertainment Sector. She brings a track record of helping clients like Disney, ESPN, AT&T, Comcast, and ABC transform their businesses into platform-led digital services, integrating telecom, media, and entertainment technologies under unified digital ecosystems. Currently, Liz is serving as an elected official as Council Member for the City of Solvang, and Chair for the SYV EMA Groundwater Sustainability Agency.
BC
Brooke Christian
Founding Director
Brooke Christian is the Founder and Director of the Key West Film Festival. Named one of the coolest festivals in the world by Moviemaker, the fest is in its 15th year. Brooke has also been the Executive Producer or Producer on 5 feature films and documentaries. In the corporate world, he was the chief architect and builder of the world’s largest language and technology company, TransPerfect. He and his wife, Lindsey, are also the proprietors at Longoria Wines in Santa Barbara County.
GY
Geoff Yarema
Founding Director
Geoff Yarema by profession is an Infrastructure attorney and Founder and former chairman of Nossaman's Infrastructure Group for Nossaman, LLP. He has dedicated over 3 decades to developing national best-practices for innovative procurement, contracting and financing structures that successfully move large transportation and infrastructure projects from concept to reality. Geoff also serves as Chair for the Solvang RMOC Committee, and as an Advisor to SYV Aquatics Foundation.
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Ryland Schaffer
Youth Advisor
As a Student at Dunn School and Allegiant Jiu Jitsu Coach, Ryland serves as outreach and advisor for SYV Youth and education organizations to promote alignment with Solvang Cinema Arts' mission. Ryland is also participating in the pre-college Film Studies program at Duke University in their Humanities, Arts, and Media/Communication track.
06 · Support
Help us OPEN THE DOORS.
Every great community has places that connect it together — a library, a park, a gathering space where we become something more. A cinema can be a beloved one of those places. Solvang Cinema Arts is committed to build it, as a community institution. Your donation is the first brick.
Santa Barbara Foundation as Fiscal Sponsor
Donations to Solvang Cinema Arts are made through our fiscal sponsor, the Santa Barbara Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — making every gift fully tax-deductible.
How donations make a difference
In our founding year, there is no building yet - exactly why this moment matters. Donations fund the work making everything possible: organizational and operational structure, support grant writing for civic funding, sponsor outreach where every dollar donated is for essential work of making opening day possible.
NAMING PROGRAMS
Founding Donors and Sponsors are building and joining a community institution and joining the story. If you believe the Valley is a better place when its cultural life is vibrant and permanent, we want you at the table and your contribution permanently displayed.