Verified 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

Rehoboth Beach Film Society and Cinema Art Theater

Organization Mission:

The Rehoboth Beach Film Society’s mission is to celebrate independent film, support emerging filmmakers, and engages the community through meaningful cinematic experiences that inform, inspire, and connect. Our vision is to be a premier destination where the community, audiences, and filmmakers come together to celebrate the art of cinema—fostering education, creative collaboration, and cultural connection through the power of independent film.

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About Rehoboth Beach Film Society and Cinema Art Theater

In 1997, a like-minded group of Sussex Countians came together around their shared interest in cinema. Not content with the standard fare offered by the multiplex, they decided to bring in the kinds of films and artistic experiences that are all too often lacking in smaller, rural communities. They founded the Rehoboth Beach Film Society (RBFS) in February 1998 to attract people from the Mid-Atlantic region during the offseason while supporting the local community of year-round residents, producing the first Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival (RBIFF) that November. For over 27 years, the festival has brought the world of cinema to over 3,000 attendees annually in coastal Delaware. 
 
In recognition of its extraordinary growth, the RBIFF was renamed the Rehoboth Beach International Film Festival in 2025, bringing 3,838 ticketholders, 76 filmmakers, and 59 film blocks—including seven international Oscar® submissions—to the region between November 3 and 9, 2025. The festival also included a Spotlight Event featuring U.S. Representative Sarah McBride and “State of Firsts,” the documentary film about her congressional campaign.
 
To meet the community’s year-round demand for content, the RBFS opened the Cinema Art Theater (CAT) in 2016. Five days a week, the CAT offers the best in independent, art house, foreign, documentary, and classic/historic films, as well as serving as the home of the RBIFF. According to one of our patrons, “When I lived in DC, I used to go to the E Street Cinema all the time to see movies like you show here. I can’t believe I live in Lewes and found a place where I can still see these kinds of movies.”
 
The CAT’s 104-seat main theater and 36-seat "JEMS" theater also host live performances; special art and musical programs; the National Theatre Live from London; and the Metropolitan Opera. Additionally, we work with local organizations to produce smaller festivals focused on the region’s varied populations, including the annual Black American, Jewish, and Pride Film Fests.

The Rehoboth Beach Film Society (RBFS) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 registered in the state of Delaware.

Organization Details

Organization Logo

Name:
Rehoboth Beach Film Society and Cinema Art Theater

EIN: 311587363

Street Address:
17701 Dartmouth Drive

Dartmouth Plaza

City: Lewes

State: DE Zip: 19968

Social Media:

Website:
https://www.rehobothfilm.com

Counties Served: New Castle, Kent, Sussex

Office Locations: Lewes, Rehoboth Beach

Sectors: Arts & Culture, Education, DDOA Grantee

Recent Donations

  • Leslie Johnson Ilaw $50
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    (in honor of To welcome Dave Bever!!)     $100
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    (in honor of Honor of Amy Tootlr)     ---
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