265 Screens

29 cinemas that closed since March 2020. What will become of us?

The smell of popcorn freshly popped, waiting in line to get a good seat. The lights dim as the projector roars to life creating anticipation for the opening act that will be witnessed by a group of strangers who all chose to be there. From an early age I have been captivated by the escape this darkened room with moving pictures can provide. Now the local cinema is not the only place you can experience a film.  Streaming has shifted the industry, allowing films to be watched anywhere - in your living room or alone on your mobile device. Although this shift of how we experience entertainment was already taking shape, the pandemic pushed it into overdrive. The communal space theaters provide to share laughs, cries, frights and adventure is something that builds understanding, community and human connection. I hope it stays around for a while longer.

In 2024, I set out to discover and photograph remnants of movie theaters that have shut down since March 15, 2020.  I searched through parts of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. There were many to find. What you will see in this body of work are of images from that journey, an homage to the industry I have spent a lifetime in support of, and a document of the transition we are currently witness to.

MAP OF CINEMA LOCATIONS