The Charlotte Film Society has decided on a name for the non-profit community cinema it plans to open in NoDa later this year. It will be The Independent Picture House.
“We feel the name and the brand really speak to what we are trying to accomplish with the community cinema,” said Brad Ritter, president of the Charlotte Film Society. “We want to be the center of independent and foreign film exhibition in Charlotte.”
Ritter, the former general manager at the now-closed Manor Theatre, added that “being independent from the constraints of major theatre chains will also allow us to work with a vast number of local and regional filmmakers and film festivals, providing them an affordable home where they can express their art.”
The building housing the cinema will be ¼ mile from the LYNX Blue Line’s Sugar Creek Station.
In 2020, the Film Society launched a campaign to bring a non-profit arthouse cinema to Charlotte.
So far, a GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $105,000 thanks to over 740 donors from the community. With generous help from the Foundation For The Carolinas, the Film Society recently began a drive to raise an additional $500,000 from 100 foundations and families.
Movie lovers from the Charlotte area also responded to the Film Society’s request that they submit recommended names for the new cinema. The Independent Picture House combines the suggestions of a trio of persons from the community as well as the Film Society’s board. The three community members will receive “Independent” T-shirts as well as a one-year Charlotte Film Society membership as a thank you.
The new logo/brand for the cinema was created by Evan Plante, owner and designer of Docklands Design in NoDa. Alongside the development of The Independent Picture House’s brand, Plante will work with the Film Society on a full-scale rebranding process that includes the Charlotte Film Festival.
Stay tuned for more details about this exciting new addition to Charlotte’s cultural and artistic landscape.
About The Charlotte Film Society Founded in 1982, the Charlotte Film Society is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing a choice in moviegoing experiences. The Charlotte Film Society’s primary mission is to bring foreign, classic and independent films to Charlotte that might not otherwise screen in Charlotte. For more information about the Charlotte Film Society, please visit our website, www.charlottefilmsociety.org.