Until the pandemic arrived, Weinland Park resident Deborah Brannigan spent her time in film.
In partnership with the Bexley Public Library, Brannigan attended weekly screenings at the Gateway Film Center, which features eclectic customer news, unconventional independent films and retrospective programs.
“They have such a clever mix,” said Brannigan, 52, who trusted the trial of half the film to separate wheat from the film from straw.
“There’s a lot of videos out there,” he says. It’s wonderful to have other people who love the videos that organize them for you. You know, when you move on to one of the midnight videos or those little standalone videos, maybe it’s not my cup of tea, but there’s something interesting about it».
Brannigan had to dispense with gateway film center, 1550 N. High St. , for much of the last thirteen months: after its closure last March, cinema opened in late August but, bringing up coronavirus cases, closed again. mid-November. Since then, the room has opened twice for express and limited programs: in January films from the Sundance Film Festival were screened; Oscar-nominated films were screened late last month.
And, before Memorial Day weekend, the center of the film plans to reopen, this time forever, the executives say, May 27.
“Most movie theaters are open in central Ohio and the United States,” said Chris Hamel, president of the Gateway Film Center. “But we didn’t have to hurry. We tried to wait until we feel we could be open in a responsible way. »
Hamel cites what he calls the “positive trajectory” of the pandemic, i. e. the number of coronavirus cases in winter spikes and the increasing number of vaccines, as reasons to reopen now.
“We think the time has come for cinema to return to general programming,” he said.
The Gateway Film Center reported strong attendance in its periodic reopenings, adding more than 450 tickets sold to the four-day Oscar weekend show (although, due to capacity constraints, those sales make up only 15% of a comparable Oscar weekend, which would have included other non-Oscar-winning films, officials said).
Pandemic age restrictions will remain in effect: each of the 8 cinema screens will not support more than 30% of the total capacity, resulting in up to 60 purchasers of price tickets in the largest and smallest screening room. about 10 in its smallest. Masking will be mandatory unless you eat food or drinks (the torpedo room will also reopen with the theater).
Virtual screenings on the movie center website, which became popular during the pandemic, will continue, and some movies will open when the user switchs to on-demand viewing sometime after the release in theaters.
In all other respects, however, the film center intends that this reopening will be something of a return to normal.
“It’s more like other people expect from the movies,” Hamel said.
At the time of publication, the opening weekend will come with a retrospective of 4 films from Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, which will include the feature films “The Breadwinner”, “The Secret of Kells”, “Song of the Sea” and the recent Oscar nominee for Best Animated Film, “Wolfwalkers”.
“We’ll also screen all of cartoons from (Cartoon Saloon),” Hamel said. “We think it’s the first time they’ve appeared on a show like this. “
Films by acclaimed director Chloe Zhao – “Nomadland”, Oscar winner, 2015’s “Songs My Brothers Taught Me” and 2017’s “The Rider” will also be screened, as will a 4K-restored edition of Jonathan’s Oscar-winning mystery “The Silence”. of the Lambs,” starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.
In addition, if the studio dates continue, the film intends to be part of theaters in central Ohio to play paramount pictures’ horror film “A Quiet Place Part II”.
“Assuming the date no longer moves, we plan to take ‘Quiet Place Part II’ to Columbus,” Hamel said, referring to the film, which had a premiere scheduled for March 2020, has been postponed several times since.
Brannigan, who took over the cinema at the opening of the film center, may not be happier with the planned permanent reopening.
“They show movies,” he says. Plus, they have a wonderful team, everyone from the user who takes the tickets to Chris Hamel.
The Gateway Film Center is one of many theaters owned and operated in central Ohio. Le Studio 35 Cinema
“People need to faint,” said Eric Brembeck, owner of Studio 35 and Grandview. “They come all the time and (they say): “It’s great, you do it right, it’s the only position we get to. “We’re starting to see more and more people like that. We’re getting to the point where we almost have to fire other people right now because of capacity constraints. “
Brembeck stated that while the public interest is not a problem, accessing some of the first small and medium-sized versions is a challenge for independent film operators before the pandemic, etc.
“We need content, and we’ve shown that other people will come to the movies, yet they (the movie distributors) might not give us the film to play,” Brembeck said. “They (say): “We already have enough races in Columbus” – whatever that means. “
“Mortal Kombat” premiered in Studio 35 on inauguration day, but Brembeck attributed the availability of the name to the fact that the studio, Warner Bros. , released it on HBO Max.
“(Warner Bros. ) will give us what they want, because they do it at the same time on HBO Max,” he said.
Overall, however, Brembeck remains confident that his theatres will continue to offer a delight that the public will have to seek.
“We’re competing with a Friday night,” said Brembeck, who recently resumed beer tastings in theaters. “Everyone’s been home, nobody to be home. “
Despite the development of the public interest, other notable cinemas in the region closed for the time being.
Although the Wexner Center for the Arts on the Ohio State University campus is open for in-person exhibits, its film/video theater, cutting-edge news site, foreign offerings, visiting filmmakers, and content backed by the Wexner Center, officials at the Wexner Center have not yet reopened saying in-person assessments can resume in September or early October.
Meanwhile, Bexley’s Drexel Theatre, 84, closed at the beginning of the pandemic and has still reopened due to persistent considerations about the amount of coronavirus and the limited number of films coming out of distributors.
“Everyone is at the mercy of the studios in terms of the product they offer,” said Jeremy Henthorn, director of Drexel Theatre.
However, as new ones arrive in the pipe, the Drexel will be ready.
“We are in the process of absolutely redoing the CVC formula to have other ionization filters and fans,” Henthorn said. “Even after the pandemic, further filtration is something that each and every company can be informed of. “
Henthorn, which plans to restrict the capacity of individual screens and staggered schedules to overload the lobby, is not in a position to announce a reopening date, but there is a smart chance that it will be this year.
“We know that no one knows anything for sure, however, if you took a look at the latest summer and fall schedules of today’s movies, I think it can be an amazing year for theaters,” Henthorn said.
Meanwhile, the reopening of the Gateway Film Center represents a return to normal for moviegoers in the region. Hamel assures lifelong enthusiasts that even popcorn remains the same.
“We are the position I know serves Ohio-grown popcorn,” Hamel said. “We’re excited about Memorial Day. “
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If you or your circle of family members want to return to the cinema this spring or summer, stop at the movie theater websites to be informed about the latest coronavirus protection policies, procedures, and protocols.
Gateway Film Center (reopens May 27): gatewayfilmcenter. org
Studio 35 Cinema
Grandview Theatre
Drexel Theatre (currently not reopened; no reopening date announced): drexel. net