The Violet Crown is an oasis for Charlottesville film lovers

Ines Caillaux Diaz and Olivia Baradaran / V Mag at UVA

Nestled within the historic brick-paved Downtown Mall sits Charlottesville’s premier independent cinema, the Violet Crown. As one of only four locations across the United States, the theater prides itself on celebrating community, local filmmakers and art. The Violet Crown’s journey began when it opened its doors in 2015, replacing the long-standing Regal Downtown Mall. Since then, the theater has become a Charlottesville cultural landmark.

According to its website, the Violet Crown's mission is simple: to elevate the “magic of cinema” and connect to the Charlottesville community. General Manager Cameron Polson explained that the theater showcases diverse forms of media, including art films, independent movies and documentaries.

“We catch that Downtown Charlottesville audience who values art films, not just independent films, but also documentaries that are politically sensitive and art films that are hard to find on the big screen elsewhere,” Polson said.

The Violet Crown also offers various events rarely offered in larger theaters. For example, Polson said their monthly series of silent movies with live music has become incredibly popular. In recent years, the cinema also screened reruns of David Lynch films in honor of the late legendary filmmaker and restarted their retro film series.

As a community art house theater, The Violet Crown centers itself on strengthening the local arts community. Polson explained that the Violet Crown frequently donates to local community organizations, hosts events with schools and participates in film festivals year-round. Famously, the theater is a major partner of the “Virginia Film Festival,” one of the leading regional film festivals in America, and shows the most movies out of six VAFF venues. 

A March 2025 partnership with the Vinegar Hill Theater, Common House, Vault Virginia and the Bradbury to host the “Indie Short Film Festival” featured over 100 short films, numerous panel discussions, table reads and a screenplay competition. In 2018, The Violet Crown partnered with the Fralin Museum of Art through a monthly film program curated by the museum’s supporters. They held seats for relevant University classes and brought students into the program.

Recently, the future of the Violet Crown has been a subject of discussion in the media. The Daily Progress published a report in November 2024 claiming that the Violet Crown was closing down. However, the cinema released a statement on Facebook denying the claims and stating that they were “not going anywhere.” Polson said that while there are real-estate politics concerning the owner of the building, The Violet Crown has no plans to shut down. He said the cinema has several years left on its lease.

“What’s important is that the Violet Crown fully intends to renew any lease that we can, and we spent a lot of money with the intent to keep the doors open,” Polson said.

The cinema’s management is also taking steps to improve the facilities. Polson emphasized the venue’s recent renovations, including stadium-style seats, a new cocktail bar installation and plans to introduce a new menu. He said the theater is focused on “building up rather than scaling down.”

“We love the support of anyone who values art — independent and blockbusters — on the big screen,” Polson said. “We’re open every day of the week, and we love people’s ideas.”

As an independent cinema, one of the Violet Crown’s features involves having a direct line from the community to programmers. Polson welcomes community members who are interested in programming or have questions about movies to reach out to programming staff and give suggestions. 

The cinema will again play host to VAFF films in late October of this year. In the meantime, community members can stop by the Violet Crown for a movie — or two — at 200 W. Main Street to support one of Charlottesville’s vibrant cultural centers.