Sun-Ray Cinema Archives - Creative Loafing Tampa

A high-angle production still showing a male performer lying in a pool of water in a short film from 'Squirter' which screened as part of the touring 2026 'Hump!' Film Festival. Lying face-down in a shallow pink-tarped pool filled with water, a man with light skin wearing black swim trunks rests his upper torso and chin near the edge of the enclosure. Wet ripples fold around his waist and legs against a textured, crushed-pink background under soft indoor lighting.

Arts & Entertainment

Dan Savage’s ‘Hump’ adult movie festival comes to Tampa this weekend

Clutch pearls at Sun-Ray Cinema.

by Ray Roa September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

‘Hump!’ a long-running adult film festival, comes to Tampa’s Sun-Ray Cinema on Oct. 3.

A film production still from "Manok." Captured inside a open-air vehicle against a bright blue sky, two figures sit side by side on blue seats wearing sunglasses. On the left, a person reclines backward with their head tilted up, wearing a wide-brimmed black hat with a feather accent and a vibrant, multicolored geometric jacket over floral patterned trousers while holding a peace sign. On the right, a person with shoulder-length dark hair rests their arm along the seat back, wearing a black leather jacket, dark top, and jeans while looking toward the right.

Arts & Entertainment

TIGLFF’s 37th annual queer film festival takes over St. Pete and Tampa this month

Green Light Cinema and Sun-Ray Cinema play host.

by Ray Roa September 1, 2026September 1, 2026

Drag performer wearing a long nose sticks their face through a hole in a patterned board outside Sun-Ray Cinema in Tampa.

Arts & Entertainment

Drag performers debut campy film series in Tampa next week

‘I have a right to show my colors, darling.’

by Selene San Felice July 21, 2026July 21, 2026

‘These are sanctuaries of dissent’: Before Tampa visit, Amy Goodman talks independent media, hope, and more

Goodman and filmmaker Tia Lessin bring ‘Democracy Now!’ documentary to Sun-Ray Cinema on June 5.

by Ray Roa May 26, 2026May 26, 2026

Investigative journalist Amy Goodman crouches in the street to interview a protester during a rally in Milwaukee. Goodman, wearing a navy blue long-sleeve shirt and a black baseball cap, holds a microphone up toward a person in a black t-shirt and jeans who is shouting through a blue megaphone. In the background, a diverse crowd of protesters holds signs, including one that reads 'No Justice, No Peace.' Other members of the media, including a camera operator in a lime green shirt, are visible in the busy urban setting.

Amy Goodman is bringing ‘Democracy Now!’ documentary to Tampa this summer

The new, approximately 100-minute, film explores the life and career of Goodman, her countless stints on the frontlines of history, and a tenacious pursuit of truth-telling still unrivaled in mainstream journalism.

by Ray Roa March 26, 2026March 27, 2026

Members of the Tampa band Right On Time performing live on a dark stage with red and blue lighting. In the foreground, a person sings passionately while playing a black bass guitar. A drummer and another guitarist are visible in the background under a 'New World' venue sign.

Music

Pop-punk comes to the movies this month at Tampa’s Sun-Ray Cinema

Right On Time leads the way with ‘Strange Sounds From Seminole Heights.’

by Ray Roa March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

Interior view of the dimly lit Sun-Ray Cinema lounge and bar area in Tampa. Industrial-style sputnik chandeliers with exposed amber bulbs hang from a dark ceiling over curved booths, with colorful neon accent lighting and mural art on the walls.

Music

Sun-Ray Cinema is the best place to see a movie in Tampa—and it does concerts now, too

‘After The Movies Presents’ goes down in the lobby.

by Ray Roa February 27, 2026March 2, 2026

A person with a long, bushy white beard and wide eyes speaks into a megaphone. They are wearing a large black rubber boot on their head like a tall hat. The megaphone has a sticker that reads "VERMIN SUPREME" and another pink sticker that says "MAKE OUT NOT WAR." The individual has one hand raised, and the background shows a crowd of people in front of a tall, multi-story building.

Interview: Before two Tampa shows, Vermin Supreme talks origins, fighting fascism, and more

The political prankster and activist ran his first campaign in 1987.

by Kelly Benjamin February 9, 2026February 10, 2026

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa Bay movie theaters screen Rob Reiner classics in memoriam

‘The Princess Bride’ is showing on both sides of the Bay.

by Selene San Felice January 6, 2026January 14, 2026

A high-contrast photo capturing the face of a subject at a formal event. The light source is coming from the side, highlighting the cheekbones and giving the subject's hair a rich color. The background is dark and abstract.

Arts & Entertainment

Crispin Glover will perform and meet Tampa fans for three nights starting Thursday

He’s at Sun-Ray Cinema Dec. 4-6.

by Matthew Moyer December 2, 2025December 2, 2025

A woman with blonde hair is performing on stage, smiling and posing with one hand on her head. She is wearing a shimmering orange and red bodysuit and holding a pink and purple microphone. The background is a brightly lit red and white banner.

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa’s independent movie houses celebrate the new Taylor Swift album this weekend

Sun-Ray Cinema and Tampa Theatre host ‘Life of a Showgirl’ release parties.

by Ray Roa September 30, 2025September 30, 2025

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa’s Sun-Ray Cinema is a destination for fans of blockbuster movies and offbeat classics, too [PHOTOS]

by Gabe Echazabal and Dave Decker August 24, 2025September 9, 2025

Arts & Entertainment

Lit and music firebrand Lydia Lunch screens her new documentary in Tampa this weekend

She’s pairing it with skinny legend Christian Bale’s “The Machinist”

by Matthew Moyer May 1, 2025July 25, 2025

Arts & Entertainment

Sun-Ray Cinema closes celebration of David Lynch with “Eraserhead” screening this weekend

Lynch called it his most spiritual film

by Selene San Felice April 8, 2025July 13, 2025

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa’s Sun-Ray Cinema offering free movies with ticket from Veterans AMC

The cinema has also been renovating the seats, one theater at a time.

by Ray Roa March 20, 2025August 2, 2025

Arts & Entertainment

Uncomfortable Brunch brings boundary-pushing movies to Tampa’s Sun-Ray Cinema this spring

The first movie is Pier Paolo Pasolini’s ‘Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom.’

by Grace Stoler February 17, 2025July 31, 2025