Slab Cinema

What Slab Cinema does

Slab Cinema is a family-operated outdoor and arthouse cinema company based in San Antonio, Texas, founded in 2004 by Angela and Rick Martinez. The business originated informally when the founders began projecting films on a concrete slab outside the La Tuna ice house, and it formalized around inflatable-screen-based outdoor movie production and rentals beginning with a first inflatable screen purchase in 2010. The company operates from locations at 134 Blue Star and 3100 Roosevelt Avenue in San Antonio and serves municipal, institutional, and consumer audiences across South Texas.

The company's core offering centers on inflatable outdoor movie screen rentals in three sizes — Large Marge (9'x16'), Megatron (11'x20'), and Godzilla (15'x25') — paired with HD projection, professional sound systems, and licensed film programming sourced via a partnership with Swank Motion Pictures. In 2021, Slab Cinema expanded into indoor repertory programming with Slab Cinema Arthouse at the Blue Star Arts Complex. The business also supports drive-in-style delivery via FM transmitter and provides licensing assistance to clients.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: (1) private event rentals priced between $650 and $1,599 per event for HOA, church, school, and corporate clients; (2) sponsorship-funded free public outdoor screenings run with municipal partners including the City of San Antonio World Heritage Office, Bexar County Parks, Schertz Parks, Helotes, and Historic Preservation initiatives; and (3) indoor arthouse ticket sales at approximately $10 per ticket. Operations are lean, with 1-10 employees, reflecting a family-run SMB model that delivers event-based cinema experiences rather than operating a high-volume retail cinema chain.

Name

Slab Cinema

Legal name

Slab Cinema

Website

https://slabcinema.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Slab Cinema is a family-operated San Antonio cinema company founded in 2004 that rents inflatable outdoor movie screens for private and municipal events, runs free public outdoor film screenings with government partners, and operates the indoor Slab Cinema Arthouse at Blue Star Arts Complex.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Cinema Services

NAICS

Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131), Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters (512132)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile & Outdoor Cinema Operators (MPADAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Independent & Art-house Cinemas (MPADAKAB), Special Event Screenings & Pop-up Cinemas (MPADAKAE), Private Screenings & Venue Rentals (Corporate, Parties) (MPADAKAJ)

Keywords

• Outdoor cinema services
• Inflatable screen rentals
• Indoor arthouse cinema
• Community movie screenings
• Mobile movie production

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Private Event Screen Rental: Rental of inflatable movie screens with delivery, setup, and onsite staff for private parties and corporate events. Pricing varies by screen size from $650 to $1,599.
2. Indoor Arthouse Cinema Tickets: Ticketed indoor movie screenings at the Slab Cinema Arthouse at Blue Star Arts Complex, with tickets priced at $10 per person.
3. Sponsorship and Public Screenings: Free public outdoor movie screenings sponsored by municipal parks departments, city offices, and local businesses. Company receives sponsorship fees while admission remains free to attendees.
4. Public Screening License Assistance: Assistance provided to clients for obtaining movie licensing rights through Swank Motion Pictures, Criterion Pictures, and other providers for legal public screenings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Slab Cinema provides outdoor movie production and inflatable screen rentals for private events across San Antonio, alongside free public outdoor movie screenings at municipal parks and venues. The company also operates Slab Cinema Arthouse, an indoor repertory cinema at Blue Star Arts Complex, offering ticketed screenings of arthouse, indie, classic, foreign, and local filmmaker films.

Product overview

Slab Cinema is a locally-owned, family-operated cinema company based in San Antonio, TX, offering two distinct service lines: outdoor movie screenings with portable inflatable screens and an indoor arthouse cinema. The outdoor service features three inflatable screen sizes (Large Marge at 9'x16', Megatron at 11'x20', and Godzilla at 15'x25') available for private rental, plus free public screenings at venues throughout the city. An optional FM transmitter enables drive-in cinema experiences. The company also provides public screening license assistance through partnerships with major film licensing providers. In 2021, the company expanded with Slab Cinema Arthouse at Blue Star, an indoor venue for arthouse, indie, classic, and foreign films. The business operates year-round with both free community events and paid private rentals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Large Marge Inflatable Screen Rental 9'x16' inflatable screen rental suitable for HOAs, churches, schools, and outdoor screenings with medium crowds. Includes large pro-grade inflatable screen and one set of 1000-watt speakers, with delivery, setup, and an onsite event attendant. Priced at $650 per event.
• Megatron Inflatable Screen Rental 11'x20' inflatable screen rental designed for movies in the park and outdoor films with large crowds. Includes two sets of 1200-watt speakers (4 total), optional rear wireless speaker upgrade, setup and teardown, and onsite staff. Priced at $850 per event.
• Godzilla Inflatable Screen Rental 15'x25' inflatable screen rental ideal for large crowds and corporate events. Includes giant pro-grade inflatable screen, high-lumen HD projector, two sets of 1200-watt speakers (4 total), DVD or Blu-Ray player, sound mixer and microphone, setup and teardown, and onsite staff. Priced at $1,599 per event.
• Drive-in Cinema FM Transmitter FM transmitter add-on that enables drive-in cinema experience, allowing audiences to listen to the movie audio via their car radios. Can be added to any screen rental for $650+.
• Public Outdoor Movie Screenings Free public outdoor movie screenings at various venues throughout San Antonio and South Texas, including Mission Marquee Plaza, Historic Pearl, Legacy Park, HemisFair Park, and other public spaces. Sponsored by city departments, local organizations, and businesses.
• Slab Cinema Arthouse at Blue Star Indoor arthouse cinema venue at Blue Star Arts Complex in Southtown San Antonio. Screens indie films, classic noir and horror, foreign films, cult movies, and works by local filmmakers. Also hosts art exhibitions, live performances, and themed events. Capacity of approximately 60 patrons with tickets at $10 each.
• Public Screening License Assistance Service that connects customers with movie licensing providers including Swank Motion Pictures, Criterion Pictures, Rialto Pictures, Janus Films, and others to legally show movies outdoors at public events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 screenings conducted since 2004
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of San Antonio World Heritage OfficecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary sponsor of outdoor movie screenings at Mission Marquee Plaza, covering the restored 1948 jumbo screen of the former Mission Drive-In. This is the company's flagship venue partnership, hosting multiple free screenings weekly throughout the year.
• Bexar County Parks and RecreationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Friday Night Flicks free outdoor movie series at Bexar County parks including Pletz Park, Rodriguez Park, Bullis Park, Comanche Park, and Mission Park.
• Schertz Parks and RecreationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for the Music and Movies in the Park series in Schertz, featuring screenings at Wendy Swan Memorial Park, Pickrell Park Pool, Heritage Oaks, and other venues.
• City of San Antonio Office of Historic PreservationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of outdoor movie screenings at Historic Eastside Cemeteries, honoring the tradition of families lunching in the cemeteries.
• KLRNminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic broadcasting partner sponsoring the KLRN Kids Fall Festival at Mission Marquee Plaza.
• Downtown WestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNeighborhood organization sponsor of free outdoor movie screenings at Legacy Park.
• City of HelotesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipal sponsor for outdoor movie screenings at Helotes City Hall.
• Blue Star Arts ComplexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandlord and strategic partner for the Slab Cinema Arthouse indoor venue, located at 134 Blue Star in the arts complex. The partnership enables the company's indoor arthouse cinema expansion.
• San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for outdoor film screenings on museum lawn, including the Family Flicks series and adult-focused events paired with art exhibitions.
• Swank Motion PicturescoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary movie licensing provider enabling legal public screenings. Slab Cinema refers clients to Swank for obtaining public performance rights.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: San Antonio-headquartered cinema chain operating both first-run and repertory programming. The most direct local competitor to Slab Cinema's arthouse indoor venue and a major draw on the same Southtown audience, while Slab's outdoor programming differentiates on venue format.
• GoOutdoor Cinema: Turnkey outdoor cinema rental service offering inflatable screens, projectors, and sound equipment with delivery and setup. Mirrors Slab Cinema's large event rental format and B2B2C deployment model.
• Santikos Entertainment: San Antonio-based movie theater operator with multiple locations and event programming. Comparable as a competing local cinema brand serving the same San Antonio market with traditional theater formats alongside event offerings.
• Outdoor Movies: National provider of inflatable movie screen rentals and outdoor cinema events for parks, municipalities, schools, and private clients. Highly comparable delivery model and event-driven GTM motion to Slab Cinema.
• VIP Outdoor Cinema: Operator of premium inflatable-screen outdoor movie events across multiple U.S. cities with private rentals and ticketed public screenings. Most directly comparable business model to Slab Cinema's portable outdoor screening and rental service.
• Sundown Cinema: Outdoor movie event operator running seasonal and one-off community screenings, comparable to Slab Cinema's sponsored public outdoor events. Both lean on municipal and brand sponsorship economics.

Others

• Hi-Line Custom Movie Screens: Manufacturer of inflatable and portable outdoor movie screens used by event rental operators. Comparable as the supplier-side enabler for the inflatable outdoor cinema format Slab Cinema depends on.

Regional players

• Pacific Outdoor Living: California-based outdoor cinema experience provider with private inflatable screen rentals and backyard movie setups. Comparable delivery model but operates primarily in California, not Texas, so it does not directly compete in Slab's core geography.

Broad incumbents

• EVO Entertainment: Texas-based cinema and entertainment center chain combining movies with bowling, food, and event programming. Comparable as a broader Texas cinema competitor, particularly for Slab's indoor arthouse expansion ambitions.
• Film Alley: Texas regional cinema chain combining movie theaters with dining and event spaces. Comparable as a larger, broader Texas cinema competitor that competes for the same family and community-event entertainment spend.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/slabcinema
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/slabcinemaoutdoors
• Facebookfacebook.com/SlabCinema
• Instagraminstagram.com/slabcinema
• Pinterestpinterest.com/slabcinema
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/slab-cinema-outdoor-movies---san-antonio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Slab Cinema