At 474 24th Street in Oakland, The New Parkway Theater is partnering with the ReelVotes project, inviting East Bay residents to vote for the film to be screened on August 18, continuing a successful series of community-chosen events.

At 474 24th Street in Oakland, a new kind of programming is underway at The New Parkway Theater. A community project dubbed ReelVotes is inviting East Bay residents to collectively decide which film screens at the independent cinema on August 18, with the current round of voting now live.

ReelVotes has previously partnered with The New Parkway to screen audience-chosen films, including a sold-out showing of The Matrix which necessitated an additional screening. Other past collaborations include Jurassic Park, Ex Machina, and Serenity, establishing a track record of successful community-led events.

The initiative's website, located at https://reelvotes.com/public/index.html?event=np-2026-08-18-2100, outlines the process: "ReelVotes helps small theaters program movies you not only want to see, but that you will support by buying a ticket if your movie is chosen." This direct audience participation aims to ensure screenings are well-attended. It's worth noting that the "community-driven" model has some curatorial oversight; the ReelVotes platform indicates a "moratorium" on at least one film, The Fifth Element, demonstrating that the audience's choice isn't entirely unfettered.

While the August 18th event remains contingent on sufficient participation to confirm, residents can cast their votes now for films like Parasite, Snowpiercer, The Menu, The Purge, Trading Places, Us, Hustlers, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, They Live, and You're Next. The New Parkway Theater, a long-standing Oakland institution, is the proposed venue for this upcoming screening that aims to bring a fresh, participatory element to local cinema.