Happening as Predicted

Back in July, Gossips reported on the dilemma facing small, independent movie theaters throughout the country: "Go Digital or Go Dark." What was predicted then is now happening. 

Bruce Mitchinson, who owns Fairview Cinema 3, Hudson's hometown movie house (just across the border in Greenport), reports Paramount Pictures recently announced that Anchorman 2, to be released on December 20, will be the last film distributed in 35mm. Mitchinson expects similar announcements from the rest of the "Big Six" film distributors very soon.

Mitchinson told Gossips it is estimated that as many as 10,000 independent theaters will close as a consequence of the conversion to digital format for movies. One of the three screening rooms at Fairview Cinema 3 already has digital projection equipment, but to stay profitable, the other two screening rooms need the new equipment as well. So far, community efforts have raised more than $10,000 to purchase the digital projectors needed to keep Fairview Cinema 3 in the game. There have been two successful food and film events to benefit the projector fund, and a third will take place between Thanksgiving and Christmas. A gofundme campaign, launched by Kristen Decker, whose grandmother was the cashier at Fairview Cinema for decades, is going on right now. Click here to contribute to that campaign and help keep Fairview Cinema from going dark.