Columbia’s independent cinema brings science to the movies with expert-led film events The Nickelodeon Theater has been selected as one of 41 independent cinemas, museums, and community film organizations across the country to receive a 2025–26 Science on Screen® grant, an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Now […]
News
Announcement, Education, Events
The Nickelodeon Theater Awarded National Science on Screen® Grant
October 8, 2025
Announcement, Education, Events
Perilous Parents and Problem Children: The Nickelodeon’s October Series Unveils Freakishness of Family Life
October 8, 2025
By Elliott Catoe-Griffis, Kaitlyn Rivers, and Madison Wyatt How frightening can being a parent truly be? In October 2025, The Nickelodeon will explore this question with Spooky Spawn: Reproductive Body Horror and Perverse Parenthood, a three-film series that presents reproduction and parenthood in their most grotesque and haunting forms. Each film exhibits a uniquely terrifying […]
Announcement, Leadership
The Nick Welcomes Chelsey Malloy as New Membership & Development Manager
August 14, 2025
The Nickelodeon Theater is proud to announce the addition of Chelsey Malloy as its new Membership & Development Manager. Malloy will lead efforts to grow The Nick’s membership program, cultivate donor relationships, and strengthen community support for the theater’s mission to champion independent film and enrich the cultural life of the Midlands. Originally from Bluffton, […]
Programming, Leadership
The Nickelodeon Today: Balancing Mission and Survival in a Changing Industry
June 16, 2025
By Sumner Bender, Executive Director As I reach my three-year anniversary leading The Nickelodeon, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on where we are today and how much has changed. In the years before 2020, independent cinemas like The Nick thrived as homes for independent, international, and documentary films, offering a unique cultural experience […]
Events
The Brutalist meets brutalism in Columbia
February 19, 2025
For our special screening of The Brutalist, we were honored to feature a video essay from Tom Savory, FAIA—Clemson University Architecture Professor and Founding Principal of Watson Tate Savory Architects (1996-2021). In this short presentation, Tom explores the history of the Brutalist Movement and its lasting influence on modern architecture in Columbia and beyond. The Brutalist, directed by Brady […]
Leadership, Local News
Drawing on experience: Journalism alumna builds career in Columbia’s arts scene
February 10, 2025
Article by Page Ivey, from the University of South Carolina website. Sumner Bender credits a movie with inspiring her first true career choice. The film? Sliding Doors, starring Gwyneth Paltrow. The career? Public relations — just like Paltrow’s character in the movie. “I had taken a gap year and was working full-time in different places,” she […]
Announcement, Leadership
Introducing Tiffany Adams: The Nick’s New Board President
November 27, 2024
We’re thrilled to announce that Tiffany Adams has been elected as the new President of The Nickelodeon Theater’s Board of Directors. A dedicated advocate, accomplished leader, and passionate member of The Nick’s community, Tiffany is poised to guide us into an exciting new chapter. A Proven Leader in Advocacy and Community Engagement Tiffany brings a […]
Announcement
The Nickelodeon Launches Year-End Giving Campaign to Support Local Cinema and Community Programming
November 11, 2024
The Nickelodeon Theater, Columbia’s only nonprofit theater and a beloved fixture in the local arts community, is excited to announce the launch of its annual Year-End Giving Campaign. Running from November 3 through December 31, 2024, this campaign invites the community to join in supporting the theater’s mission to provide diverse film programming, engaging community […]
Events, Programming
Her Body, Their Vessel: The Nickelodeon’s Upcoming Trilogy Explores Possession and the Monstrous-Feminine
September 26, 2024
by Ava Triano, Pranesh Rajesh Kannan, and Nicole Craft (USC Honors College students in Gender and Monstrosity in Horror) Are you ready to get possessed, movie lovers? The Nick presents its newest thrilling attraction: Possession: Contested Bodies and the Monstrous-Feminine. A daring exploration of gender, identity, and power, this series features a terrifying trilogy of […]
Announcement
The Nickelodeon Theater Receives Major Gift in memory of Dr. Suzan Boyd
August 21, 2024
Columbia, SC – The Nickelodeon Theater is honored to announce a major donation from Ed Sellers in memory of his late wife, Dr. Suzan Boyd. The $75,000 contribution comes at a crucial time as The Nick continues to navigate the challenges faced by movie theaters nationwide in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Boyd […]