Beyond Normal

Movie theatres – they just don't make 'em like they used to. So when the residents of Normal, Ill, faced to prospect of seeing one of their old movie houses torn down to make way for a parking lot, the city stepped in and said, "No way!"

After a costly renovation, the Normal Theatre is up and running again, not only providing the community. with an award-winning, neon-lit beacon of art deco in its downtown, but also a venue for innovative, artistic or just plain hard-to-find movies.

Find out more about how this theatre, built in 1937, was transformed from a ramshackle eyesore into a city-run nonprofit that yearly hosts the Beyond Normal Film Fest, a collection of films by amateurs and local cinephiles. All images courtesy of the Town of Normal.

Address

209 North St., Normal, IL 61761

Click here for directions

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In addition to the Beyond Normal Film Festival, Illinois pleases its many cinephiles with the International Children's Film Festival, the Festival for Cinema of the Deaf and the Latino Film Festival, all taking place in Chicago, and the Big Muddy Film Festival. Don't forget the popcorn.