Waiting for your next flight can be a bore. PDX and Hollywood Theatre feature free indie films on Concourse C.

Airline passengers often spend more time hanging around airports than they do in the sky. 

That’s because of mandates to arrive two to three hours before your flight takes off, or excruciating delays and cancellations, or illogical scheduling between flights, or all of the former.

At Portland International Airport ticketed passengers can entertain themselves by watching free movies. The Hollywood Theatre on Concourse C showcases short, high quality films created by independent regional filmmakers. (Just one of the reasons Travel + Leisure magazine continually names PDX as one of the country’s top airports.) 

The theater is an outpost of the original and historic Hollywood Theatre, renowned for innovative film programming and a Portland landmark. Opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville and silent movies, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The airport micro-cinema opened in 2017.

Film flows through the cultural DNA of Oregon, which hosts several acclaimed film festivals throughout the year. Of course, we can’t forget the much-lauded television comedy spoof, “Portlandia,” which was set in and around the city of Portland.

At PDX, after passing through security, head for Gate C-13. You’re in the right place when you see the marquee-style entrance with bold neon lighting. Step inside the micro-cinema, as they call it, and plop yourself into one of the 22 comfy cushioned seats. There’s plenty of space to set aside your luggage and shopping bags.

Most films are under 10 minutes in length, and they run on a continuous loop. Among them are a diverse mix of documentaries, animation, comedies and music videos–all for a general audience. Subject matters vary but generally promote the arts, culture, history, people or issues of the Pacific Northwest. Programs are updated quarterly.

I had a couple of hours to kill between flights, so I took in an entire rotation of films. Here’s a sampling: A discussion of how natural wildfire is essential for promoting healthy forests. A Black female who performs as a clown to celebrate and advocate for Portland’s displaced African American community. A neon hedgehog steals tea, falls in love with caffeine and suffers the consequences. The work of a since-deceased avalanche-forecaster whose mission was to keep skiers safe.

One thing: You’ll have to bring your own movie snacks, but that’s no problem at PDX. You’ve got lots of prepared and grab-and-go food choices along the concourse.

Portland International Airport serves 16 million passengers annually, but getting around is easy. It has a single passenger terminal with four concourses, roughly shaped in an “H” pattern. In the center are the security area and Oregon Market, a hub of shops and eateries.

The Hollywood Theatre micro-cinema is on Concourse C, near Gate C-13. ###