Cinema Detroit, an indie movie theater in the Cass Corridor, is shutting down its location by the end of the month — but hopes to reemerge for a second act.
The two-screen arthouse theater opened in 2013 and gained a following among fans of critically acclaimed foreign, independent, and social-commentary films.
But the nonprofit theater has struggled with funding, the post-pandemic downturn in moviegoing, and the increasing popularity of streaming services, says Cinema Detroit co-founder Paula Guthat.
“It’s kind of a devastating thing,” Guthat tells Metro Times. “It’s like a death. We poured our own money, energy, time, and soul into it. It’s sad we’re not continuing, but it’s not sustainable. We did the best we could for as long as we could.”
Cinema Detroit first opened at the old Burton International Schools on Cass Avenue before moving in 2015 to its current home on Third Avenue between Alexandrine and Willis.
Guthat plans to pursue pop-up events and hopes to eventually find a permanent home, which she admits won’t be easy.
Cinema Detroit needs a building with high ceilings and unobstructed views, and Guthat says the rising cost of rent makes the search even more difficult.
Guthat has searched for new locations in Detroit, but so far has had no luck.
“It’s tough, and we have looked at a lot of spaces,” Guthat says. “We did try. We really tried.”
Like many arthouse theaters, Cinema Detroit has struggled to attract moviegoers whose habits have dramatically changed since streaming services have paid record sums for smaller, independent films. Instead of going to the theater, cinephiles are watching new movies in their living rooms.
With dwindling admission revenue and aging film equipment, Cinema Detroit also needs new funding, and securing grants has been difficult, Guthat says.
“It seems like the grants go to the same organizations that already have funding,” Guthat says.
The theater’s last film at the current location is Sanctuary, a psychological thriller directed by Zachary Wigon and starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott.
On June 16, Cinema Detroit is kicking off a summer series at the University of Michigan-Dearborn with the films Cadejo Blanco, a psychological thriller filmed in Guatemala; Big Boys, a heartwarming coming-of-age flick; Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes, a documentary about the bebop pioneer and virtuoso composer; and Hollow Triumph, a 1948 film noir starring Paul Henreid.
Guthat says operating an arthouse theater in Detroit has been her passion for a long — and she’s not ready to give up.
“Our mission was always to offer access to films in the city proper,” Guthat says. “It’s heartbreaking to me because the people we’re trying to serve are people who can’t always afford it or who don’t have cars. We were also tired of going to the suburbs to see art films.”
Once teeming with movie theaters, Detroit has very few remaining today. The DIA’s Detroit Film Theatre shows arthouse and international films, while Southwest Detroit’s Senate Theater and Old Redford’s Redford Theatre specialize in classic cinema.
The only first-run movie theater left in the city is the Bel Air Luxury Cinema on Eight Mile Road, although rapper Big Sean says he plans to open a movie theater in the city in a partnership with the Emagine chain.
Subscribe to Metro Times newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
