If you had asked True West Film Center founder Kathryn Hecht last year if her organization would soon begin construction on its new Healdsburg-based movie theater, she would have taken a deep breath and greeted it with cautious optimism.
She would have told you yes, they had an area – 371 Healdsburg Ave. – next to the Bear Republic restaurant, closed. But she would also have told them to be attentive, because she knew that the theater’s opening procedure was going slowly.
But that was last year.
The long-awaited movie theater appears to have triumphed over its latest hurdle, gaining new momentum after Hecht’s nonprofit celebrated its 10th anniversary in March with a rebranding crusade that replaced its AVFilm moniker with True West Film Center.
Two months later, in May, he won an anonymous donation of $1 million, which was much needed and hasn’t diminished since.
“In the summer we were given the opportunity to start smart,” Hecht said.
This means that the theater, which was initially scheduled to open in 2023, may, despite everything, become a reality.
Hecht’s organization now has demolition and building permits to open the highly anticipated two-story, three-screen film and multimedia education center that he hopes will be “a family-friendly community asset” for Healdsburg and beyond.
Demolition of the existing empty building is expected to begin next week.
Once it opens in 2025, the cinema will play first-run Hollywood films on two screens and local, art house films on the third screen “365 days a year,” Hecht said. She plans on hosting events, Spanish language programming and birthday parties.
“People can get married here if they need to,” Hecht said. “We need everyone to feel welcome here. “
And, of course, the new theater will host his organization’s True West Film Festival, which includes 10 days of Sonoma County movies, food, panels, parties, and special occasions, adding Windsor, Cloverdale, Geyserville, Santa Rosa, and Healdsburg.
The site, located near the Healdsburg Certified Farmers Market on Saturdays, has a patio that Hecht plans to use for outdoor videos year-round.
“It’s going to be some other collection post outside the plaza,” Hecht said.
While she’s thrilled to bring a movie theater to Healdsburg, Hecht’s spark burns because of True West Film’s educational component on media literacy.
The nonprofit is partnering with Sonoma County Schools to provide local scholars of all ages with state-approved media arts education curriculum. It also runs summer camps that allow scholars to explore a wide variety of film experiences.
Along with filmmaking, media literacy is the backbone of the organization’s educational component.
“We all know that our media manipulates us and is designed to manipulate our opinions and thoughts,” Hecht said. “It’s about perceiving what this bias is that we’re witnessing so that we can make informed decisions. “
But he doesn’t want to lose the joy of art for art’s sake.
“It’s important to think critically about what you’re watching,” Hecht said, but added that, at the end of the day, “there’s nothing like sitting in a space and sharing a gasp while watching a movie with a company. ” of people. “people. Create a connection. This joy is beneficial.
Amie Windsor is the community journalism team leader at The Press Democrat. She can be reached at amie. windsor@pressdemocrat. com or 707-521-5218.