Michael Moore promotes community ownership of Michigan's classic downtown movie houses

[marmar]

July 30th, 2010 5:53 PM
Michael Moore working to revive downtown movie theaters

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By John Flesher and Mike Householder / Associated Press


Traverse City, Mich. -- For generations, Americans viewed films in stately, single-screen theaters that were pillars of city business districts -- an experience that faded with the rise of suburban multiplexes and the decline of downtowns.

Michael Moore wants to bring those theaters back. The Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker has a plan to refurbish or prop up downtown movie houses in his home state of Michigan -- and eventually nationwide.

Such efforts have been made before. But Moore's approach has a twist, modeled on the successful resurrection of the State Theatre in Traverse City, his adopted hometown in northern Michigan.

The way to rescue downtown movie houses, Moore says, is to run them as nonprofit ventures staffed mostly with volunteers. That slashes costs and gives the community a stake in the theater's survival, he says.

Moore plans to provide grants and training to theater operators who use those methods. The money would come from a fund he's creating with his rebate from a state film tax credit earned by producing his documentary, "Capitalism: A Love Story," in Michigan. He expects the refund to total about $1 million.

"One of our goals is to create an economic boost, particularly in struggling downtown areas," he told The Associated Press this week during the annual Traverse City Film Festival, which he and others established six years ago. "Another is to save the art of cinema and encourage great films to be made." ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-in-the-news/michael-moore-working-revive-downtown-movie-theaters