Update: The Mayfair has added more dates for you to check out Empire Strikes Back! You can check it out on August 21, 22 and 24-27! 

With Stage 3 in effect in Ontario, Ottawa’s staple Mayfair Theatre opened its doors once again last Friday, July 17th! While you can expect some of the screenings on the docket, there’s a lot of surprise films lined up too. 

What can you watch:

The summer lineup includes Do the Right Thing, Karate Kid, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster and The Thing among many others.

For new releases, First Cow, Abe, The Guest of Honour and The Trip to Greece have their Ottawa debuts at the Mayfair.

And to likely everyone’s surprise, The Empire Strikes Back will play on the week of August 7th for the first time since 1997. If you’ve ever wanted to catch a classic Star Wars film on the big screen, here’s your chance.

They’re even bringing back Saturday Night Sinema, which is a late night movie marathon that only includes restricted films.

Your movie experience will change a bit:

With physical distancing measures in place, the theatre can only hold 50 people. It also means certain film experiences are off the program for a little while, including The Room and Rocky Horror Picture Show which both involve a lot of yelling (or talking moistly?) and throwing things like plastic spoons. 

You won’t need a mask when you watch the film. That said, your mask needs to be on going in and out of the theatre and when you get your buttery popcorn, drinks and snacks from the concessions stand.  

You can check out the full lineup and what to expect going into your movie watching experience here.

Image Credits: Mayfair Theatre