Cine Tutu will be the first independent street cinema in Vila Madalena, with an opening scheduled for the second half of 2026. Located in an annex of the Vila Madalena Theater, it will be situated at 555 Girassol Street. The theater has approximately 114 seats and focuses on independent cinema and auteur films.
The project was conceived by producer and exhibitor Paulo Velasco, who is also a partner at Cinesala, a street cinema located in Pinheiros.
According to Velasco, along with Barouche —a bar he also conceived—Cine Tutu is the most important dream of his career. The café-bar will also be part of the venue, providing a space for post-screening gatherings to discuss the films.
“Cine Tutu” arrives at an opportune moment, amid discussions about the closure of theaters in shopping malls. Attention has once again turned to independent cinemas in iconic locations around the city, such as Nu Cine Copan, in the Copan building.
The project, designed by architect Isay Weinfeld, sought to connect the space to the street, reinforcing the idea of a “neighborhood cinema.” It focuses on creating a welcoming interior environment. The building already exists, and with the cinema’s arrival, it will gain new life and purpose.
Cine Tutu and the history of street cinemas in São Paulo
Opened in 1907, the Bijou Theatre was São Paulo’s first street-level cinema . It was located on Avenida São João and started the tradition of downtown theaters. Cinemas in this segment reached their peak between 1930 and 1960. They served as gathering places and hubs of social life, with lines on the sidewalk and packed screenings.
The decline began in 1970. Urban changes and rising violence in the city center caused movie theaters to lose out to competition from TV. In the 1980s and 1990s, the rise of shopping malls, considered safer, only accelerated the process of street-level movie theaters falling into disuse.
The theaters that didn’t close at the time became churches, parking lots, or porn theaters. Traditional movie theaters like Copan, Cinespacial, Art Palácio, and Cine Marabá closed their doors or had their spaces repurposed for other uses.
The debate over reopening street cinemas began between 2010 and 2020. Like the recent revival of Nu Cine Copan, the initiative to reopen Cine Tutu is also part of this movement.