Santa Barbara Movie Theaters Close

Metropolitan Theatres brass decided on Tuesday to close its cinemas, including those in Santa Barbara and Goleta, as of Wednesday, not many hours before Santa Barbara City Council ordered all nonessential businesses where people congregate to close.

Metro’s marketing vice president Natalie Eig said, “Employee and guest health and safety are a priority” in the decision. They didn’t yet know when the theaters would reopen, “but the City Council said April 7, so we’ll revisit it then.” The MetroTheatres.com website will post any updates, she added.

Up in the Santa Barbara hills, the Riviera Theatre closed on Monday “for the health and safety of our community,” the website of the theater run by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival posted. At the SBIFF social media sites, the staff is giving film recommendations for the hiatus and envisions holding “film-oriented conversations.”