Lynn Trimble
Audio By Carbonatix
FilmBar, the independent movie theater that was a touchstone of downtown Phoenix culture for a decade, has closed for good.
Owner Kelly Aubey sent an email to subscribers today announcing the news.
“Surely, many of you have noticed that we’ve been closed for about a month with no updates. Please excuse the silence. I’ve had a lot to think about. This quiet time has helped me accept the inevitable: that is, that FilmBar will not be reopening. The strains of COVID have been too great and I don’t believe the future of small for-profit Arthouse cinemas is very bright. We were already operating on a razor’s edge and COVID has reduced the percentage of people who would normally come out to a show anytime in the near future to a point that’s no longer supportable,” he writes.
In the email, he notes that there is the possibility of turning FilmBar into a nonprofit venture, but that he has no plans to do so at the moment.
This year, make your gift count –
Invest in local news that matters.
Our work is funded by readers like you who make voluntary gifts because they value our work and want to see it continue. Make a contribution today to help us reach our $30,000 goal!
Aubey also says that FilmBar programmer Andrea Canales is moving over to local chain Majestic Theatres and “will be bringing a lot of the same kind of programming we’ve had at FilmBar to their screens.”
FilmBar will be selling its AV equipment and other items, including furniture, a kegerator and other restaurant equipment, bottles of wine, some FilmBar memorabilia, and more, this coming weekend. Hours are noon to 7 p.m. Saturday through Monday, January 22 through 24.
