LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It’s been a box office bust this year, so some local movie theater owners are supporting a national effort to secure federal funding in an effort to save struggling cinemas.
Small independent screens, national movie theater chains, live venues and performing arts centers are all in the same boat this year. Theaters had to shut down temporarily then re-opened with limited capacity and strict health and safety guidelines. Many couldn’t reopen at all.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has put movie theaters across the country at risk of possibly going dark for good,” said Leslie Aberson, president of APEX Entertainment.
Aberson’s company operates two independent movie theaters in Louisville: Baxter Avenue Theater and Village 8 Theater. He said it’s been stressful to manage a difficult year with the financial strain of the pandemic and fewer flicks being released altogether. He believes movie theaters and live venues will bounce back stronger eventually, but “we need to make it through first,” he said.
The National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) is banding together and calling on the federal government for critical financial relief. The group is supporting the Save Our Stages (SOS) Act, which requests $15 billion to keep the industry afloat. Aberson, who is a member of NATO, said there will be serious consequences without the financial aid.
“NATO is expecting that 70% of movie theaters will close permanently or face bankruptcy by January 2021," Aberson said. "Definitely by the first quarter of 2021. So it’s urgent."
Theaters employ more than 150,000 people nationwide, according to NATO. Thousands of workers have already been furloughed, and the concern is more jobs will be lost permanently if more theaters are forced to close.
Aberson encourages movie-goers to use the hashtag #SaveYourCinema to voice support for the SOS Act. Supporters can also write to their representatives regarding the need for federal relief. Click here to learn more.
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