![]() “That's a lot of work to do the grant underwriting. " the ability to get tax-exempt donations from our patrons, from foundations, find grants funding,“ Mason said. Mason converted it to a nonprofit in January. "Moving into a nonprofit gives us an opportunity at sustainability," said Josh Mason, who served popcorn in high school at the one-screen theater and recently took over as executive director. The foundation hopes to turn the theater into more of an arts space, where music performances and other community events can also happen, Bernstein explained.Īnother Massachusetts theater, the Cape Cinema in Dennis, is trying something similar. "The campaign to save the theater financially is not simply to renew it as it has been, but to reimagine it." Before COVID, I probably went at least once a month," she said. "This theater is the complete opposite of the megaplex," said Susan Bernstein, who is on the West Newton Cinema Foundation’s steering committee. As part of the deal, the developer agreed to give them some time for a nonprofit to try to buy the building back, at the same price. Last summer he sold the building for $5.6 million to a company called Mark Development, which has been developing new buildings around Newton and also owns the buildings on both sides of the theater. “We decided to move ahead and sell the building, and stay in the building as tenants as long as we could. "After the pandemic, we were facing a tremendous loss of sales and we needed to find a way to look to the future,” Bramante explained. ![]() But a newly launched community campaign aims to save the theater by reinventing it as a nonprofit, which other Massachusetts theaters have proven can be a sustainable business model. The dramatic downturn in ticket sales pushed Bramante to sell the building that houses the cinema, and it seemed like it might be lost for good. ![]() West Newton Cinema's 86-year run as a small independent theater fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of many movie theaters large and small to close in Massachusetts and around the country. He also runs the projector and, until recently, he owned the theater. In a statement, he said the "West Newton Cinema has been more than a business for me, my brother and our families.Our theater has been the setting for countless memories and special moments."īramante said the family "could not be more grateful" for the support, especially during the pandemic.When you buy snacks at the West Newton Cinema, the guy who sells them to you is usually the same guy who sold you the ticket. "I think that's the most feasible way to have a future for this building, 'future' meaning the next 20 to 50 years," he said.īramante wants the theater to stay open to host community and school events, and support local filmmakers. He says he's in the early stages of planning a non-profit to take control of the theater's operations. After that, Bramante said the cinema will need a new operator. The theater will remain open under the family's management for up to two years. The cinema says it has reached a deal to sell the property on Washington Street to Mark Development. ![]() The theater has been around for 85 years, and owner David Bramante has been operating it since 1978. ( WBZ NewsRadio) - The curtain is closing on this era of the historic West Newton Cinema.
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