NORWICH – The marquee of the Colonia Theatre has been a glowing icon in downtown Norwich for decades, but now, facing imminent changes in the movie industry and the financial restraints to keep pace, the small theater announced a last showing on Oct. 18 before finally closing its doors on Oct. 19.
A recent push by movie distributors is requiring that cinemas across the country upgrade their equipment to play digital copies of movies. Digital copies make it easier to monitor when movies are played and they’re produced at a fraction of the cost, explained Jeanie Barnes, general manager at the Colonia Theatre. But the necessary equipment to play digital movies comes with a staggering price tag of $75,000 per screen. To upgrade both screens at the Colonia (which would include a new projection system, as well as computers and sound equipment) would amount to a substantial $150,000, which is well beyond the small theater’s financial capabilities, she said.
“In August, we noticed that there was a substantial increase in the time it took us to get a movie after it was first released,” Barnes wrote in an official statement this week. “The movie distributors had decided to reduce the number of 35 (millimeter) copies to a fraction of what were previously made, in favor of digital copies.”
According to Barnes, it was well known that movie vendors favored digital copies and that the required transition from traditional film to digital would be required by the end of 2013. That in mind, she had been seeking out different funding options to brace for the transition; however, the limited number of traditional films wasn’t anticipated so quickly, she added.
“The cost of the equipment conversion and the lack of funding options are forcing us to close the theater if nothing is done by October 19th,” stated Barnes.
Thousands of theaters in small communities nationwide are feeling a similar pinch. A news story released by the Associated Press earlier this month notes that while larger theater chains can afford the digital transition, which can be cheaper when buying in bulk for multiscreen theaters, smaller theaters with one or two screens – like Colonia – are typically forced to take out bank loans to pay for the equipment. The AP also notes that about 60 percent of the nation’s 5,750 theaters have transitioned to digital equipment since the initial push for digital sparked with the release of “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” in 1999.
The decision to close was carefully deliberated and comes with a heavy heart, Barnes said. Jeanie and Richard Barnes undertook theater operations after purchasing the business in January 2011, when the previous owner made the decision to sell. For nearly two years, they’ve shown films on the silver screen while renting the space from an out-of-town building owner. “We thought that the theater was vital to downtown Norwich and stepped in to keep it open,” Barnes stated. “We understand the disappointment that many feel at the closing of the theater and it was our intent to keep the theater open when we took over ownership January 1, 2011.”
The business is “in a healthy financial position,” she added, and working relationships with movie industries such as Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Disney, Paramount, 20th Century Fox and Lionsgate have allowed them to show movies when they are released.
City Mayor Joseph Maiurano said that he is currently working with Commerce Chenango and the Norwich Business Improvement District to seek out grant options for Colonia Theatre. “We want to keep it operating as long as we possibly can,” the mayor said. “But there’s a lot of ground work to be done. It’s not an easy process.”
The city has low-interest business loans available and hopes to possibly couple different funding options with grant money in the future to keep the theater operational, but grants are never a predictable option, Maiurano said.
For now, Barnes said she is handling the situation one day at a time, keeping her options open when it comes to available financing. But as it stands, she still anticipates closing the doors of the theatre in October.
Said Barnes in her statement, “Whether by enjoying movies in the unique atmosphere that is the Colonia Theatre, allowing us to play host to Wii and X-Box playing birthday parties; by attending private shows for special groups and events, or for having fun with us at our Haunted Theatre for Pumpkin Fest, we want to sincerely thank the local community for all their support.”