Film Forum

Stepping into Film Forum feels like stepping back in time to a different version of New York. That’s appropriate, as New York’s premiere independent, nonprofit cinema, the place has been running for half a century and for good reason: It’s a small but mighty operation, with four screens running 365 days per year with an always-interesting mix of American indie premieres, foreign art films, genre works, directors’ retrospectives and special programming (ranging from filmmaker intros to live piano accompaniments of Chaplin classics). 

The vibe is cozy—not in the real estate sense that actually means "claustrophobic," but in the sense that you’ll feel right at home and want to stay for a while. ("I have probably had the most inspiring moviegoing experiences of my adult life at Film Forum’," filmmaker Robert Eggers (Nosferatu) told Time Out.) In many ways, Film Forum is the anti-mega-cineplex: a unique NY institution that’s earned a spot on this list.