This week, Russ and Rebecca talk with two executives from Charlotte Film Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing a dedicated art house space to the Charlotte, North Carolina, left without one after the closure of the decades-old Manor Theatre in spring 2020. President Brad Ritter and Program Director Jay Morong of the Charlotte Film Society talk about the rich history of the Manor Theatre as well as building a new art house space from the ground up—including their planned changes to the traditional programming model.Could you give us your feedback? Survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 Episode Resources:
Charlotte Film Society
The Fundraiser
Manor Theatre History

What to Listen For
00:00 Intro
01:22 Latest news on AMC’s stock market price
04:00 What’s the end game for AMC’s latest stock price
07:13 The Little Things premiere week
08:58 We are joined today by Brad Ritter and Jay Morong of Charlotte Film Society
10:56 The lack of art houses in Charlotte
14:02 The Manor Theatre’s rich history
19:03 Efforts to bring back art houses in Charlotte
21:49 Finding the right space to revive an art house
24:12 Despite COVID, fundraising response has been positive
30:09 How theater programming has changed over time
36:05 Opening plans for the Manor Theatre
43:32 Programming plans for the opening
44:43 Consistency with what the audience would want to see
48:40 The target is to showcase as many unique films as possible
54:34 Theatrical window changes can reinvent film bookings