The Robert Redford fronted Sundance Group, the organization behind the Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance Nature Preserve and the Sundance TV Channel which the popular ‘The Green’ Tv program, opened their second cinema this month, in San Francisco’s Japantown.

The eight screen Kabuki Theatre, originally an AMC cinema, has been given a $6 million remodelling, complete with several eco-friendly features, and like the TV channel and film festival, the cinema states it will screen ‘the finest art, independent, world and documentary film available.”

The Kabuki doesn’t have a LEED rating, but it is greener than typical munlti-screen cinemas. The seating in the auditoriums is made of recycled plastic, the lobby features plenty of reclaimed timber and bamboo plants to give it a natural feel, and all take-away food is served in compostable corn-based containers and eaten with "spudware" utensils made from potatoes.

As well as offering a bar and fine-dining restaurant, the cinema also has an art gallery, where it showcases local artists and sells local handmade crafts.The ticket prices are slightly higher than other cinemas in the area, as the price includes an amenity fee, which helps the cinema operate without resorting to pre-movie advertising, and helps the cinema maintain its green approach. As the only cinema in San Francisco with a liqor licence, however, it is the only place in the city where movie-goers will be able to enjoy a drink while watching a movie on special over 21 nights.

One other Sundance Theater is currently in operation in Madison, Wisconsin, and the Sundance group also has plans to open cinemas in Denver and Chicago in the next couple of years, before expanding the chain nationwide.