Cinemapolis connects the community to art on screen

By Rob Montana
Tompkins Weekly

ITHACA – When the average person thinks about a movie theater, non-profit isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind.
But in the case of Cinemapolis, located on Green Street in downtown Ithaca, its non-profit status is part of what allows it to bring a variety of film genres to moviegoers in Tompkins County. And the impact it has enriching local artistic offerings and partnering with other community organizations hasn’t gone unnoticed – the art house theater was recently recognized as Non-Profit of the Year by the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce last month.

“It’s pretty humbling when you consider this is a town of non-profits,” said Brett Bossard, who has served as Cinemapolis’s executive director for the past three and a half years. “To be considered to be the Non-Profit of the Year is an honor.
“What it really does is remind people we are a non-profit. Even though we’ve been one for 16 years now, I’m not sure everyone knows that. People don’t necessarily make that conclusion, like they might with other regional art centers like the Kitchen (Theatre) or Hangar (Theatre),” he added. “I hope that, long-term, it expands our base of support in the community. And I hope we can live up to that standard of excellence.”
The theater became a non-profit in November 2000, in part to allow founders Lynne Cohen and Rich Szanyi to operate two separate establishments – Cinemapolis and the now-closed Fall Creek Pictures – under one umbrella. The other was to allow it to succeed financially – due to the ability to accept donations and obtain grant funding – as it presented features that were less commercial, including art, independent and documentary films.
“We’re one of several hundred art house cinemas in the country that are non-profits,” said Bossard.
Cohen and Szanyi started Cinemapolis in 1986, with one screen in the basement of Center Ithaca. Today, Cinemapolis has five screens in a new building easily accessed from the Commons, and parking areas off Green Street.
“We wouldn’t be here without their (Cohen and Szanyi’s), what some may have thought, foolhardy idea to open an art house cinema in Ithaca,” Bossard said, adding they shepherded the theater through its transition to non-profit status.
After the founders retired, Scott Bliss transitioned from a development role with the theater to its executive director. Serving in that capacity for about 18 months, Bossard said, Bliss is a big part of why Cinemapolis is thriving today.
“He helped boost additional revenue streams, which he did remarkably well,” Bossard said. “Coming on board after 18 months of him made my transition incredibly easier.”
Bliss was leading the theater during most of its transition to a digital projection system, as well as other technology upgrades. Cinemapolis has also been in its “new” building, with stadium seating and plenty of concession offerings, for eight years.
With modern infrastructure already essentially in place, that meant Bossard could work on community outreach efforts.
“One of my areas of focus was to push opportunities out to other non-profits,” he said, noting the ability to screen narrative films or documentaries that highlight missions of local organization helps raise awareness about issues on which those non-profits work.
The theater also became a Living Wage Employer under Bossard’s leadership, a designation it earned in 2015.
Cinemapolis has worked with the Ithaca Fantastik Film Festival since its inception, but the relationship has grown from a small festival to an expanded one and regular offerings.
“Once a month, on a Friday, we host an Ithaca Fantastik screening that brings in a different crowd than the usual people coming in for period pieces and costume dramas,” Bossard said.
The Family Classics Picture Show is another monthly event, one that showcases classic films and is designed to bring in families. The matinees are emceed by David Moreland, who provides a bit of education about the film being shown, and have a lower price point that makes it more affordable for families to attend.
“We’re developing the next generation of cinephiles,” Bossard said. “They are heavily subsidized tickets, so it’s less expensive.”
Tickets for the Family Classics Picture show are $10 for a family; the individually priced tickets are $2 for children and $3 for adults.
Bossard said he keeps an “eye on other socially relevant films” for potential short runs. For example, there was a one-night screening of “Seed,” a film about seed diversity that resonates in a region with a wide of agricultural enterprise, last week.
Live theater is another genre Cinemapolis has added to its already busy 125 film screenings per week.
“We’ve really bumped up live theater on-screen events,” Bossard said, noting that performances from National Theatre Live and Shakespeare’s Globe On Screen are shown at the theater. “It’s a different crowd; as an outlet of fine arts, something Ithaca is so rich in, we’ve been doing that once a month.”
Crybaby Cinema is another new feature he added to the theater’s rotation of events, although Bossard was quick to note the idea wasn’t an original one but “stolen” from other venues. The screenings – of the current slate of films showing – take place at 11 a.m. Thursdays. Babies being carried, rolled in strollers or in carriers are admitted free; adult admission is the normal $9 matinee rate.
“We see just as many adults without kids, if not more, as those with children that come for those screenings,” Bossard said. “A lot of them are seniors who don’t have a baby, but like the earlier time.”
He underscored that the films being shown during the Crybaby Cinema screenings were not kids’ movies.
“These are the regular grown-up movies,” Bossard said.
Asked about what sets Cinemapolis apart from a theater such as Regal, which has multiple screens at its Shops at Ithaca Mall location, he said content is the primary difference.
“There is a difference in the product we show,” Bossard said, adding that the theater typically shows films that may not get on the screen at places that are part of national chains like Regal.
“I like going to Regal,” he said. “People say ‘it’s (Regal) your competition,’ but that’s like saying McDonald’s and Mercato are competitors.”
Bossard likened the Cinemapolis product to what Cornell Cinema screens, but the two venues tend to work together as opposed to compete.
“We’re doing programming that’s complimentary to Cornell Cinema, which shows classic titles and offers series’ with thematic links,” he said. “(Cornell Cinema Director) Mary Fessenden and I talk every semester about what each of us is doing and try to be complimentary. We’re similar in content, quality and audience demand.”
Ticket sales cover between 72-75 percent of Cinemapolis’s operation costs; the rest comes from memberships, donations and grant funding. Making an annual donation of $75 or more allows an individual to get a membership; a donation of $150 or more is good for a household membership. In addition to supporting the theater’s operation, membership benefits include discounted tickets and concessions, a loyalty program that accumulates reward points for free tickets and concessions, as well as special events.
“In the past year, we’ve had some opportunities for members-only events,” Bossard said. “For example, we might have a sneak preview of an upcoming movie. It is a way to thank people who are supporters.”
An upcoming special event – that is open to everyone – is one of Cinemapolis’s big fundraising events of the year. The 2017 “And The Winner Is …” Gala Event will take place at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, February 26, allowing those in attendance to watch the Academy Awards ceremony on the big screen. In addition to food from local restaurants, beer, wine and signature drinks from Coltivare will be available, and there will be a silent auction, prizes and a “Guess the Winners” contest. The evening will end once the Best Picture winner is announced. Tickets for the event are $45 each (2 for $80) in advance, $40 each (2 for $70) for members and $50 each (2 for $90) day of the event are available on the Cinemapolis website or at the theater during its open hours. For more information, call (607) 277-6115.
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For more information about Cinemapolis and its programming, visit its website at Cinemapolis.org.