Maya Cinemas, the new 16-screen movie theater located in The Square at Campus Pointe (east of the Save Mart Center at Fresno State) opens to the public with a grand opening at 4 p.m. Friday, May 22. Movie tickets are available on Fandango and www.mayacinemas.com.

On   Memorial Day (May 25) all active military service members and all veterans will be admitted free as Maya’s guests.

At the May 20 ribbon cutting, former McFarland High School cross country coach Jim White, featured in the movie “McFarland USA,” joined Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro and Maya Cinemas’ Moctesuma Esparza and Frank Haffar for the grand opening and ribbon cutting.

Joey Garfield, of the Tule River Yokut tribe, opened the ribbon cutting with a Native-American blessing. Officials led by Fresno City Council President Oliver Baines and Councilmembers Paul Caprioglio and Esmeralda Soria also participated.

Esparza, CEO of Maya Cinemas and producer of such films as “Selena,” “Gettysburg” and “Milagro Beanfield War,” said the new venue will be more than a movie theater with such community projects as:

  • the Dollar for a Scholar scholarship program to benefit local students, a program in which Maya Cinemas (after making a $10,000 seed donation) matches other donations made by moviegoers and challenges corporations to also donate;
  • “Maya Cares,” a free monthly outreach screening for youth with special needs issues; and
  • a yearly film festival that will screen films from all parts of the world to reflect the cultures of Fresno and feature local filmmakers.

Maya Cinemas is a California chain of four megaplex movie theaters in locations with a strong Latino presence. The Fresno location is at 3090 E. Campus Pointe Dr. off Chestnut Avenue, north of Shaw Avenue.

Maya Cinemas features all-leather, oversized luxury seating with cup holders, and it will be the only movie theater in Fresno County with Dolby Atmos Sound Auditorium technology. All theaters will include wall-to-wall screens with digital sound, and 3-D and 4-D showings will be available.

The Maya & Gold Leaf café will include lattes, cappuccinos and fresh teas from all over the world. “Tea has become as attractive as wine to many millennial and Generation X people from all cultures,” said Larry Porricelli, Maya Cinemas vice president.

The Campus Pointe project is a public-private partnership between the California State University, Fresno Association, Inc., which manages the Fresno State- owned parcel, and Kashian Enterprises, the master developer of the project.

For more information, contact Porricelli at 949.251.0581 or larryp@mayacinemas.com.