Detroit Indie Film Scene Takes a Hit
Film fans in Detroit are missing their long-loved local indie cinemas. Two favorite theaters, Main Art Theater in Royal Oak and Maple Theater in Bloomfield Township, were lost to the city in recent years. Adding salt to the wound, the once-popular Cinema Detroit is now operating only as a pop-up.
Indie theaters play a huge role in nurturing cinema culture across America. They offer a curated lineup of independent productions, documentaries, classic, and foreign films that you can’t find in mainstream multiplexes. It’s analogous to an independent coffee shop churning out an eclectic menu of unique brews.
The Struggle is Real
The struggles of indie cinemas go beyond the financial troubles caused by the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. They face stiff competition from streaming platforms, rising operational costs, and dwindling financial support. The 2023 strikes by Hollywood actors and writers further complicated things, causing delays in production and a shortage of new releases.
A Silver Lining
However, all is not glum. According to a 2024 national audience survey from Art House Convergence, a national coalition of indie exhibitors, audiences still highly value indie cinemas. It revealed that newer and younger patrons are discovering these theaters, with the average age of new attendees being 38. Despite the hurdles, people continue to hold a special place in their hearts for their local cinemas.
Indie Cinemas Need Community Love
But love alone isn’t enough to keep these beloved spaces going. They need financial support – people flocking to theaters to watch movies and making donations. That’s the message from Kate Markham, managing director of Art House Convergence.
Detroit’s Lost Treasures
Main Art Theater and Maple Theater had been integral parts of Detroit’s community until they shut their doors. Main Art Theater was a 1941 establishment that started showing indie and art films in 1983. When it was finally shuttered in 2021, a passionate group of community members rallied to save it, but to no avail. Maple Theater, on the other hand, seemed to buckle under the weight of the pandemic, experiencing a significant drop in audience size after the pandemic shutdowns were lifted.
Cinema Detroit, launched in 2013, was a unique hub that showcased a wide range of films, focusing on content for and by women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. In the aftermath of the pandemic, however, it could not sustain its seven-day-a-week operation on meager financial support. According to its co-founder and programmer Paula Guthat, it is now in search of a permanent home.
Still Keeping the Indie Scene Alive in Detroit
Despite the loss of these legendary theaters, Detroiters remain resilient. There are pop-up initiatives around the city, like Cinema Lamont, that partner with local organizations to continue serving indie film fans. Other surviving indie theaters in the city, like the Senate Theater, hold screenings of retro classics, fostering a new generation of movie lovers.
Ann Arbor’s towering figure in indie cinema, Russ Collins, is also retiring soon. After making significant contributions to indie cinema for decades, his retirement is another blow to Detroit’s indie film scene.
A Possible Bright Future
In all these struggles, interesting developments are brewing. A community Facebook group has come forward with the initiative to revive a historic former metro theater in Berkley, turning it into another haven for indie films in Detroit. The dream is still in its infancy, but it’s a hopeful sign that Detroiters are not ready to let their indie cinema culture fade away any time soon.
