Whether you are a film buff or just like to catch a good movie now and then, starting in spring of 2010, you’ll be able to watch the latest films right here on campus. Soon, FAU students will be able to boast that their school is the hub of the international and independent film scene in South Florida.
On Monday, Sept. 15, the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters announced the $1.5 million donation from Living Room Theaters Inc. (LRT) to build a state-of-the-art digital movie theater on the FAU’s Boca Raton campus.
The gift from LRT qualifies for Florida’s Alec P. Courtelis Capital Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program, which will match the LRT donation to make a total of $3 million to fund the building project. The movie theater, which will also include a café, will have four separate auditoriums, and is scheduled to break ground in December 2008.
The FAU Living Room Theater is expected to be completed in the spring of 2010 and will be used by the FAU film studies program for classes and lectures during the day.
“Close collaboration with LRT will give our students unprecedented access to international and alternative cinema, as well as the opportunity to participate in the film business as it enters the digital era,” says Susan Reilly, director of FAU’s School of Communication and
Multimedia Studies.
On nights and weekends, when classes are not in session, the theater will be open to the public and will screen new independent and foreign films. Although the admission price for FAU students and faculty has not yet been determined, some students are already looking forward to foreign and independent films becoming a part of campus life.
“I think it’s great – a lot of students wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to see these types of movies,” says finance senior
Will Cottle. “It’s cool that the theater will be right on-campus.”
Living Room Theaters, based in Portland, Oregon, is the result of the collaboration of longtime filmmakers. By going 100 percent digital, offering an eclectic menu and free WiFi, LRT says they are revolutionizing the cinema experience.
By incorporating a completely digital operation, LRT avoids the high cost of transporting the celluloid prints other theaters currently use and eliminates the use of environmentally harmful chemicals. Screening digital films is also more energy efficient than using traditional reels of film.
Theater-goers will also enjoy the diverse menu of paninis, salads and specialty desserts. LRT boasts an extensive beverage menu with coffees, espressos and various alcoholic drinks.
Noted filmmaker and official of LRT Ernesto Rimoch says, “We are also thrilled with the opportunity to bring great independent films and filmmakers to South Florida, particularly with a beautiful new movie theater complex serving as a focal point.”
