The Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs, the Neon Movies in Dayton and the By-Jo Movie Theater in Germantown are three that have.
Richard Alan Mendel-Martin (Rick Martin for short) admits that he and the partners in a venture called Nouveau Cinema Group Inc. are dreamers with a somewhat similar vision.
Their mission is to rescue and restore one or more of the abandoned movie houses that sit idle in the Miami Valley. They have one in their sights, but can’t identify it until the legal paperwork is in order, Martin said.
In the meantime, he insists that he, George Katchmer of Yellow Springs and Kendra Neargarder of Dayton are more than dreamers. “We have our logistics worked out and a business model considerably different from the one that usually fails.”
By September, they hope to begin raising up to $60,000 or more toward getting a theater “up and running by December.”
Here’s what they hope to accomplish:
Saving small, independent community movie theaters in the area by converting them into “value-added venues.”
They would be “cinema/art centers.” Besides showing independent, foreign, documentary and classic films, they would offer live entertainment, serve as art galleries, host film festivals, classes and film seminars in conjunction with colleges and universities.
“The mistake others have made is to compete directly with other mainstream movie theaters and complexes,” Martin said.
NCGI aims for a mix closer to that offered by the Wexner Center in Columbus: arts, live entertainment and film.
Martin, who taught film history and special film topics at Sinclair Community College for eight years, has also worked as a technical writer and legal assistant. He reviews film and writes about pop culture. Neargarder is a film buff and movie historian. Katchmer is an attorney.
Why establish a new nonprofit organization at a time when so many others are struggling?
“We think the timing is right. During economic downturns, inexpensive entertainment can thrive. We have also encountered a lot of synergy with others. It’s OK to dream if you lay the right foundation first,” Martin said.
For more information about Nouveau Cinema Group, contact Martin at martinrick@msn.com or (937) 478-6608.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2377
.
About the Author