The most technologically sophisticated cinema in North America — it must be in Los Angeles, right? Wrong. In fact, it isn’t located anywhere near the nucleus of the film industry. It’s to be found in downtown Silver Spring, Md., an affluent suburb of Washington: an unlikely location, perhaps, for a movie buff’s mini-Mecca.

It’s called the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Operated by the American Film Institute (a non-profit organization dedicated to film history and education, and the folks responsible for those Top 100 films lists), the AFI Silver is actually a reincarnation of the old Silver Theatre, a well-known movie palace built by architect John Eberson in 1938.

The renovations, completed in the spring of 2003, restored the Silver Theatre to its original state — with a few state-of-the-art additions, of course. Today, the AFI Silver can project film in 16-, 35-, and 70-millimeter formats, as well as video in HDCAM, Betacam, DVD and VHS. The center also has high-definition digital video projection capabilities, as well as broadcast-quality video recording equipment. D.C. local Ryan Dougherty (COL ’11) attests, “The picture quality and sound is excellent; there’s a noticeable difference.”

As for facilities, the AFI Silver boasts three theaters, which seat 400, 200 and 75 people respectively (all of which are available for rental); a café and obligatory concession stand; office and meeting spaces, including a “world-class” conference room; and extensive reception and exhibit areas. Says Dougherty, “It’s an impressive place: it’s got two different levels, flat-screen TVs in the lobby, and nice snack bar.”

But what exactly goes on at the AFI Silver, besides world-class conferences? In a way, it’s a typical movie theater: on any given day, the AFI Silver is usually showing at least one new American or foreign film. Right now, for instance, visitors can catch Hamlet 2 every day through September 25.

But the Center’s main focus is its film series — collections of older films that are being projected in a cinema often for the first time in years. So if you’re wondering why the AFI Silver is showing decades-old films like Jaws and Amadeus this week, it’s because they are part of the ongoing Steven Spielberg and Milos Forman retrospectives. This coming week, the “Three by Antonioni” series will reintroduce late Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni’s films Blow-Up, Zabriskie Point and The Passenger.

Silver Spring resident Rosemary Yogiaveetil (COL ’11) says, “There’s something special about watching one of your favorite old movies in a real movie theater. I think it’s the best part of what the AFI Silver does.”

The AFI Silver also hosts a multitude of lectures, panels and exhibits. One of the center’s most exciting traditions is the annual Silverdocs festival, a co-production with the Discovery Channel (based in Silver Spring), which showcases documentaries from all over the world. Last year, the festival featured 100 films from more than 40 countries, including Spike Lee’s Oscar-nominated 4 Little Girls and HBO’s Hard Times at Douglass High.

Particularly for those with a passion for film, the AFI Silver is definitely worth the Metro ride. Says Yogiaveetil, “It’s just one of many great recent developments in downtown Silver Spring.” Dougherty notes that “Silver Spring has copied what Bethesda has done to improve its downtown area, with new restaurants and movie theaters like the AFI Silver.”

It’s also an important new addition to the D.C. metropolitan area’s cultural scene. The AFI has brought an outstanding new resource for students of film and casual cinemagoers alike to within just a few blocks of the city limits. Whether you’re dying to see a new release or you want to watch a longtime favorite the way it was meant to be seen, the AFI Silver is an opportunity not to be passed up.