The Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs, Ohio, successfully secured a $100,000 grant to fund a new marquee that pays homage to its century-long history with the help of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steve Bognar. Bognar, a resident of Yellow Springs, directed and filmed an eight-minute video for the grant application, highlighting the importance of small independent theaters in communities. The video showcased classic film titles, interviews with local residents, and emphasized the communal experience of going to the movies.
Bognar stressed the significance of a cinema as a community hub where people come together to collectively experience art and local events. The Little Art Theatre, which has been operating for 95 years, has hosted various events, including film festivals and discussions with survivors from Hiroshima. The theater won the Theater of Dreams award from Plex, a streaming media company, which aims to support independent entertainment entities.
The grant will be used to replace the current marquee with a snappier art deco design that harks back to the theater’s earlier era. Bognar, who was inspired to become a filmmaker after experiencing great cinema at the Little Art Theatre as a youngster, expressed the importance of the shared experience of watching a movie in a theater with an audience. He believes that theaters bring people together and create a unique sensory experience that is lacking in today’s increasingly isolated digital world. The Little Art Theatre plans to use the grant to create a vibrant and engaging space for movie lovers in the community.
Source
Photo credit apnews.com