One of North America’s Top Movie Fan Bases
Utah: A Movie-Loving State

This plaque at the state capitol building at the Utah. America’s Film Set. temporary set up memorializing the first 100 years of film in Utah.

From its early days, Utahns have demonstrated a passion for the silver screen with impressive audience numbers that resonate nationwide. Films are still showing in 81 of the original 326 historic Utah cinemas. About half are small town independent movie houses located outside the Provo-to-Ogden corridor.

Utah is not only a great place to make movies, it’s a great place to see movies.

Ogden’s Peery’s Egyptian Theater is one of the last remaining Egyptian theatres in the country. Built in 1924, it hosted silent films and vaudeville acts. In 1978, it was included in the National Register of Historic Places.

Utah’s Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theatres started with a single location at Jordan Commons in 1999 and has grown to fourteen locations from Logan to St. George. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in November 2024, it has become a top 25 US. exhibitor.

Gunnison’s Casino Star Theatre
Built in 1912, it is the longest running theatre in Utah. Throughout its history, the Casino Star Theatre played a pivotal role in bringing films, live performances, and cultural events to the residents of Gunnison and nearby regions.

The Colonial Theater opened in 1908 and was renamed the Victory Theater in 1926. During that time, showings like Frankenstein and Dracula only cost audiences 25-cents, Fire destroyed the Victory Theater
in 1943.

The Tower Theatre opened in 1928 and is the oldest movie theater in Salt Lake City that still operates today. The Salt Lake Film Society founded in 2001 now operates the Tower Theatre, as well as the Broadway Centre Cinemas, which occupies the site of the historic art deco theatre. The nonprofit provides independent, foreign and documentary films to audiences all year round.

Both the LHM Megaplex Theatres and the Salt Lake Film Society advocate for the Utah filmmaking community and both host locally produced student and independent film productions. as well as a variety of film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival.

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