Small Theaters Are In Danger Nationwide

Have you ever sat in the back row of a movie theater? After the lights go down you hear a hum and a faint click-click-click-click of the movie projector starting up. That is one of my most favorite sounds of all time, and it's soon to be a thing of the past. Film projectors are going the way of dial-up modems and cassette tapes. Soon we'll tell our children how wonderful it was to watch movies on 35mm film while they roll their eyes and mumble "geezer" under their breath.

What I didn't expect was just how soon the change would be happening and how it would affect smaller, independently owned theaters across the country. Michael Hurley, a small theater owner in Belfast, Maine who runs the Big Screen Biz website, recently wrote an article for Indie Wire, warning that the switch from 35mm to digital projectors might just be a nail in the coffin for smaller theaters. You may think that digital projectors would be a cheaper alternative, but as Hurley mentions, the cost to convert starts around $65,000 which is more than smaller theaters can afford.

So what does this mean for indie films? I don't know how it works in your town, but here in South Florida many independent films are shown at small art house theaters and university campuses. If they close their doors, we will lose access to so many wonderful films. Personally, I will be heartbroken. These theaters are always my first choice for a night out.

As it is, indie movies have a hard time finding audiences. AMC Theatres does a great job of showcasing independent films, and perhaps the other big chains will follow suit. But losing those small theaters will mean less screens available for filmmakers who rely on them.

I polled readers on the Indie Buzz Facebook Page and many of them stated that the reason they don't watch indie movies is because they are not available in their area.

Closing these theaters would make accessing films that much harder. What can we do to help? IndieWire makes a great point in saying we "live in a Kickstarter world." Perhaps if there's a small theater in your town in danger of closing, you can help raise the funds to help with their conversion!