In the heart of downtown Fort Worth, on the top of the Worthington Renaissance Hotel, is a movie experience that brings with it a little bit of magic.
That’s thanks to founder and CEO of Rooftop Cinema Club, Gerry Cottle Jr., who comes from a circus background and grew up in the entertainment business. From a young age, he saw the power and beauty of entertainment.
In 2011, nearly 5,000 miles away in London, Cottle had an idea. He wanted to watch a movie with a cold beer in his hand, in a great environment. He found a rooftop and played his old DVDs for his guests. It marked the first iteration of Rooftop Cinema Club.
Cottle still has the London location, and Rooftop Cinema Club has grown to include nine venues, primarily focused in major U.S. cities, such as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. There’s another Texas cinema in Houston, as well.
“At Rooftop, we take all the magic of cinema,” says Cottle, “and we’ve kind of annotated it with great food, great cocktails and the fact that it’s outdoors.”
Cottle says what makes the Fort Worth rooftop unique from other theaters is the sense of community.
Attendees can arrive early to take in views of downtown Fort Worth, while playing games with fellow moviegoers and indulging in drinks and snacks.
Once the sun goes down, moviegoers walk to their comfy lawn chairs, put on their personal headphones and watch films on the big screen.
“When you come to watch a movie, especially if it’s outdoors, it’s like you’re exiting the day and you say goodbye to reality and come to switch off and forget whatever is going on in life,” said Cottle.
The chosen movies are meant to give moviegoers a sense of nostalgia. Movies like Dirty Dancing, Pretty Women, Scream and other classics are played, plus recent releases.
Throughout the year, the rooftop also hosts fun events like a “wooftop” dog-friendly screening, Pure Barre Movie, which includes a workout and a movie, TV marathons, singles night and more.
Details: Multiple showings at the Worthington Renaissance Hotel, 200 Main St., Fort Worth. Standard seats are $19 to $26; premium seats are $21 to $28.
The Go See DFW calendar is a partnership between KERA and The Dallas Morning News.
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, Communities Foundation of Texas, The University of Texas at Dallas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.
