On Feb. 10, FilmBar turned seven years old. While some theaters might hold festivities for the milestone, FilmBar spent the day like any other.
“We didn’t have any celebration,” founder Kelly Aubey said. “I think at ten years we’ll celebrate. But now, there are certain milestones in my head, and I don’t think we’ve reached them yet.”
FilmBar first began as Aubey’s dream to offer Phoenix more diverse films. “There’s no proper art house in this city,” he said.
To Aubey, a “proper art house” not only provides non-mainstream films and a unique atmosphere, but also contributes to the community by supporting nonprofits. FilmBar also raises money and works with underrepresented groups in media.
Driving down Second Street, one might see FilmBar’s stylish sign and unique, inviting exterior. Walking into the venue reveals a swanky bar with old-fashioned popcorn boxes, colorful paintings on the wall, and a little door at the back with red rope leading to its theater.
From Oscar nominees such as “The Disaster Artist,” to obscure and psychedelic Japanese movies made in the 1970s like “Belladonna of Sadness,” FilmBar’s appeal is its bold and colorful movie lineup.
“I feel humbled by it and lucky,” Aubey said of FilmBar’s longevity. He thinks the lounge’s flexibility was the key to its survival in a Phoenix market where businesses often fail.
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In its early days, FilmBar’s main appeal was in its drinks and live music. Yet Aubey paid close attention to what his competition was doing. Over the years, he saw theaters which relied too heavily on live music didn’t last very long.
After opening up with only $8,000 in the bank, FilmBar was still gaining traction when the contractor that did their construction gave them some bad news: he had overspent $30,000, and FilmBar had to pay up or else there would be a lien on the property.
“Back then, we only had about three people showing to each movie,” Aubey said. “We didn’t have time to wait for the films.
In order to earn money, FilmBar focused on growing its crowd. “We played up the bar, DJ nights, and pushed off in that direction,” Aubey said. Now, they’re focused “almost entirely on film,” with less of an emphasis on DJ night.
“I shucked and jived and with the support of the community, we paid the debt off and now are in a financially healthy position,” Aubey later confirmed through a text.
“The process taught me about how a movie theater doesn’t have to just be about movies,” Aubey said. “If you think about it, a movie is all arts combined into one, from acting and music to cinematography.”
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In the future, Aubey wants to “push education initiatives” and expand upon former projects. Years ago, FilmBar teamed up with ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination to show a series of sci-fi films.
“We looked at science in these sci-fi films from the 80s,” Aubey said. “We talked about whether they were close to the mark or not, why they viewed the future like this and what we can take away from it.”
FilmBar is now three years away from its 10th anniversary. “I have a perfect vision in my head,” Aubey said. Ideally, he’d like to get a bigger space, so FilmBar can “spread its wings and fly.”
Correction Feb. 18: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the former owner left them with $35,000 in debt. “We opened with only $8K in the bank after we already overspent on our budget,” Aubey confirmed through a text. “Then a couple of months later, the contractor told me he was sitting on another 30K he overspent that we had to pay the subcontractors or they were going to put a lien on the property.” The article has been updated to accurately reflect events.
