Why FilmBar, downtown Phoenix's funky home to independent movies, has closed permanently
FilmBar, the funky home to independent film in downtown Phoenix, has closed.
That’s a real shame, a blow to anyone who loves offbeat movies, perhaps accompanied by a beer.
“Surely, many of you have noticed that we’ve been closed for about a month with no updates,” Kelly Aubey, FilmBar’s owner said in an email statement and in a letter posted on the theater’s website. “Please excuse the silence. I’ve had a lot to think about. This quiet time has helped me accept the inevitable: that is, that FilmBar will not be reopening.”
The COVID-19 pandemic was the major reason, he says in the statement.
“The strains of COVID have been too great and I don’t believe the future of small for-profit Arthouse cinemas is very bright. We were already operating on a razor’s edge and COVID has reduced the percentage of people who would normally come out to a show anytime in the near future to a point that’s no longer supportable.”
What's next for Aubey and FilmBar
Aubey did not respond to a request for comment.
Like many businesses, FilmBar, which was located at 815 N. Second St. in Phoenix, has struggled to remain open during the pandemic. In March of 2020 Aubey launched a plan on Facebook seeking donations to keep the theater afloat. The pandemic closed all theaters for a chunk of 2020, FilmBar among them. Aubey took a cautious approach to reopening.
In 2021 he feared losing the permanent location, and partnered with Pemberton PHX and the Phoenix Art Museum to launch an open-air screen.
The closing of the theater, which opened in February of 2011, is truly the end of an era.
“You could have just not shown up at all and I had no expectation that anyone would care about what we’ve trying to achieve here,” Aubey says in the statement. “Yet, enough of you did and helped us bring unusual, thought-provoking shows to Phoenix for nearly 11 years.”
He’s not giving up on the concept, Aubey says.
“I believe it’s possible to rebuild as a non-profit,” he says in the statement. “In retrospect, we probably should have done that from the beginning. It’s not impossible that I’ll have another go at this as a non-profit but right now I need to rest a bit.”
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: FilmBar, Phoenix's independent movie theater closed due to the pandemic
