Tucked in next to Jeffrey Adams and across from Mellow Mushroom, the cozy, four-theater A/perture Cinema recently became one of only seven local film theaters across the U.S. to host the well renowned Sundance Film Festival.
After starting the cinema in 2010, Executive Creator, Lawren Desai, from Winston-Salem and later relocating to New York, worked to bring people into the world of arthouse cinema that A/perture offered. When looking to find local film cinemas to host their festival, A/perture not only offered the Southern presence Sundance wanted, but demonstrated quality cinema.
“With Sundance it was just the quality of our programming. You look at what’s on screen in bigger cities and oftentimes we have films that they’re not even playing,” Desai said. “We worked hard to try to bring people here into the world of arthouse cinema. I think Sundance recognized that.”
The location of A/perture Cinema is also significant as it is in the heart of downtown on Fourth Street near the Stevens Center.
Rashad Little, a board member at A/perture, said: “The buzz right there in the middle of the city is just a great concentration of people… I think that location gets every facet of the community from old to young, to different races and populations and genders and all these different things.”
Little also spoke to the importance of bringing the Sundance Film Festival to the smaller, Winston-Salem city.
“When she (Desai) told us about that opportunity I was obviously excited about it because when you have a breath of fresh air with independent films and being in that community and being able to show those films I think it’s always an exciting time for the city,” said Little.
Karen Absher, a staff member at A/perture, was also able to participate in the film festival as a film projectionist at the cinema.
“Sundance is a name you hear a lot and see a lot, but I never had a chance to see those films until we were able to show them here. It gave you a chance to see things here you wouldn’t get a chance to see anywhere else.”
Not only was the Sundance Film Festival a draw for the Winston-Salem community, but it managed to bring in audiences from around the U.S. as well.
“The best thing about it was we had several people come from out of the state even. They treated it like they were going to Sundance and they stayed overnight in hotels,” Desai said. “If you’re a film lover, Sundance is huge and I think people are willing to travel for it.”
The pull towards this film festival hosted at A/perture was, in part, due to COVID-19 as Desai noted the festival being hosted at these smaller U.S theaters was the only way the Sundance films could be screened in-person.
While this opportunity was achieved through the festival’s need for in-person screenings, COVID-19 has put a strain on cinema attendance. Desai mentioned the most important next step is getting attendance up in the Spring since some people haven’t been to the theater in two years due to COVID-19.
The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County gave a $10,000 grant to the A/Perture Cinema.
Little spoke about the community feel and the importance of it and the city’s connection to the cinema.
“Being a part of this community, any time you say film, I think being a part of this community is kind of crazy because it’s a global community but it’s also like a local community,” Little said.
Absher was also drawn to the A/perture Cinema and its community connection despite having no background in theater or cinema.
“What drew me to this cinema was how community based it is. The Winston-Salem community is very close and there really is a good connection between us and them.”
