The former rubber stamp warehouse was perfect and Kelly Aubey felt Phoenix was ready.
Located in the Roosevelt District within walking distance from the light rail, the warehouse was surrounded not by strip malls or chain stores but by a rare sight in the Valley: A neighborhood of low-rise buildings housing independent establishments.
On Thursday, FilmBar will add to that list of independents.
Claiming to be the “first first-run cinema in downtown Phoenix since the closing of the Palms Theater in 1981,” according to FilmBar’s website, the cinema will open after a year of renovations that turned the warehouse into a cozy theater seating around 70.
Aubey, FilmBar’s owner, said the cinema, located on Second Street near Garfield Street, won’t show first runs of blockbuster films — you won’t find “Black Swan” or “The Green Hornet” here — but rather an opening week list of the independent films “Straight to Hell Returns,” “Thor at the Bus Stop” and “The Red Chapel.”
Despite being one of the largest cities in the country, Phoenix has a surprising lack of independent film venues, said Jason Carney, director of the Phoenix Film Festival and executive director of the Phoenix Film Foundation.
Carney said a possible reason for why there aren’t many independent film venues is because the Phoenix market is hard to capture due it being a transit market, meaning “people come from different places, with their own expectations and needs … there isn’t a strong feel for that (which) the community needs.”
Lack of physical cinemas is also an issue.
“Mainly it is due to the lack of available space as most older cinemas have been torn down,” Carney said. “In most other American cities there are these older cinemas available to move in to. In Phoenix, we don’t have that.”
Aubey said he agrees that finding space for suitable venues in Phoenix is a tough task.
“I rented (the warehouse) last August, and it’s taken this long to get it where we are,” he said. “We had to change everything except the bathrooms, and even those we had to modify. We had to put in the screen, the equipment, the entire electrical.”
Physical obstacles are not the only potential stumbling block. As with any independent business, tearing customers away from big-ticket venues poses a problem. Carney said the chain theaters that dominate the Valley have the advantage in that their films are advertised constantly, while independent films usually don’t get the same amount of media coverage.
However, Aubey said he doesn’t anticipate competition with the nearby AMC Arizona Center 24 because what he offers is much more intimate and, ultimately, enjoyable.
“For the AMCs of the world, they’ll keep doing what they do, and that’s fine,” he said. “I don’t think I’m in their arena … A lot of the chain theaters have an attitude of efficiency. You get your ticket. You get your popcorn. You watch a movie, and then you get out.”
Both Carney and Aubey said they feel that although Phoenicians are ready for an independent cinema market they must be prodded along.
“The market is there, but it won’t happen overnight,” Carney said.
Aubey said he knows he’s in for a long haul. The cinema is his first foray into both entrepreneurship and the film industry, and he said he feels there is not enough support for independent artists in the Phoenix area.
“I’ve lived in Phoenix off and on since 1972, and when I became old enough to be aware … It’s a very chain-store city,” he said.
Aubey said he chose the Roosevelt District as the location for his theater because of the Downtown campus as well as an established “artsy crowd.”
Downtown Phoenix is “becoming it’s own interesting, dynamic area independent of the college scene in Tempe or the Scottsdale scene,” he said, adding that the area fits his personality.
Some downtown students also said they feel the difference between the Phoenix and Tempe scenes, and welcome the emerging arts scene.
Audrey Luzader, journalism freshman, said she laments the lack of things to do at the Downtown campus and would welcome a more lively atmosphere.
“There’s just no people — you walk outside, and there is nobody there,” she said. “This area could definitely benefit from more people, more places to actually go.”
Due to its newly won liquor license, FilmBar will be limited to those over 21 at the time of opening, but Aubey said he recognizes the large market presented by ASU’s Downtown campus and hopes to negotiate with the liquor commission to allow minors for certain shows.
Regular shows will be $9, with a reduced price of $6 for weekend matinees as well as Monday and Tuesday evenings.
After living in cities all over the world including Paris and Washington, D.C., Aubey said he returned to Phoenix with a dream.
Independent cinemas are “something that the city needs,” he said. “We’re a big city, but we’re not necessarily a well-rounded city. But we’ll get there, and I want to be part of that.”
Contact the reporter at cassandra.strauss@asu.edu
