The Village Theater is here to stay.
After concerns circulated online about the future of the island’s Village Theater, CEO of Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF) Merridee Book reassured Coronado residents that the beloved movie house is not going anywhere.
Book explained that the lease was up at the theater at the end of May, and the owners found new operators who will be taking over beginning June 1.
“It’s just like any other business going through new management,” Book explained. “The theater has owners. It’s not under new ownership.”
The CIFF CEO said the owners like to stay private and she couldn’t say who they were.
The Village Theater first opened in 1947 and ran until the turn of the century when it was left abandoned for a decade, according to the Coronado Historical Association.
It was taken over by its current owners and, in 2011, Lance Alspaugh was brought on as operator until he passed away last October. Book said there might be a misunderstanding that Alspaugh was the owner, and with him gone, a fear that the theater status might change.
“It’s not going to be another tragic, vacant scene,” Book reassured, referring to its 10-year closure in 2000. “I think it’s a big trigger for some long-time residents.”
Book acknowledged that the theater could use some big improvements. Until recently, tickets could only be bought at the ticket booth and there were extremely limited showtimes.
She also said the theater at 820 Orange Ave. was never advertised or marketed, and there is a lot of potential for the landmark building.
“I am really encouraged and inspired by the owners that are very committed to keeping this an iconic landmark, and also understanding that this theater is more than just a movie theater,” she said. “It’s a place that has a legacy.”
Without Village Theater, Brook explained, the city’s film festival would not be possible.
Coronado is a one-theater town — and that theater is the heart of everything CIFF does.
Coronado Island Film Festival CEO Merridee Book
“Coronado is a one-theater town – and that theater is the heart of everything CIFF does,” Book said.
The festival requires a “top-of-the-line” facility to screen films in – which would be the theater, she said.
For screening purposes, Book explained, films have to be shown in a digital cinema package, which is the highest-quality format used in commercial theaters, or in eight millimeter, a vintage media type.
The film festival also uses the theater for monthly classics screenings and pre-released private screenings.
“Festivals really build their reputation on being able to offer filmmakers who have invested their life into these films to give them the greatest space possible to screen their films,” Book said.
This iconic space is our home, and we are fully committed to its future as a vibrant community-driven destination for film and the arts.
Coronado Island Film Festival CEO Merridee Book
“This iconic space is our home, and we are fully committed to its future as a vibrant, community-driven destination for film and the arts,” Book said.
“There’ll be some transitions. What those transitions look like might be a disruption in programming, but just rest assured that the theater will remain. There’s owners, they’re real,” she added with a light laugh.
