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FOUNTAIN THEATRE IN MESILLA

Fountain Theatre reopening after 17-month hiatus

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After 17 months, the Fountain Theatre in Mesilla opens in its full arthouse film glory with “Mighty Orphans,” an independent film with a mighty cast, beginning on Aug. 6.

Luke Wilson, Martin Sheen, Vinessa Shaw and more usher in a new era of independent film watching in Mesilla and all of Southern New Mexico.

 The nonprofit’s board president Carol McCall said they are starting with a four-day schedule and are hoping to be back up to a full week in September. And while tickets are not available online yet, she hopes to be able to offer online ticket sales by the end of the year.

“With the opening and focusing on retraining everybody, we just didn’t want to start with anything new,” she said. “Once things level out, the next step is online ticket sales which I think will make everybody very happy.”

She said it is becoming more difficult to entice an audience into theaters.

“There is an age thing and pulling younger audiences into a brick-and-mortar movie theater is really hard even in the big multiplexes,” she said. “There is like a whole generation of people who have only been to a multiplex.

“And a theater like this is not just seeing a movie, its being in a brand-new environment.”

The Fountain provides an intimate environment with 100 seats and an all-volunteer staff. The experience is rather informal, McCall said. There is a door, too, that leads to La Posta de Mesilla restaurant next door. People can go get a margarita, beer or a glass of wine and bring it back to enjoy the film.

There are concessions too of course, including great popcorn with real butter, she said.

“And we show good films,” she said. “Films that you wouldn’t get a chance to see otherwise.”

While the ability to stream films at will has given movie theaters a challenge because a lot of people will stay home and choose to watch from their couches, streaming has also shown some benefits for the independent film world.

“They will take a chance on an independent film or a film with actors they don’t know,” McCall said. “And people are willing to give subtitles a chance whereas maybe they weren’t a few years ago because a lot of really good series are European series, so they are getting used to subtitles.

“So, I’m hoping that streaming in that regard pays off for movie theaters, for art houses especially since we show foreign films.”

Going to an arthouse film theater is not the same as going to a big multiplex or sitting on the couch, she said. She recently heard Matt Damon on the radio talking about going into a movie theater and watching a movie with an audience, all having the same experience, “and then it’s over and the lights go up and you have shared something really unique.”

“To me, that’s what is special about sitting in a movie theater,” McCall said. “With independent film, the chance of seeing something unique or something that will really move you or even change that way you see the world are a lot greater than if you are watching the latest Marvel movie or sitting in front of your TV where you are texting and getting up, feeding your dog.”

The Fountain Theatre is following recommended Covid-19 guidelines. And even though the mask mandate has been lifted, they are encouraging people to wear masks.

“We are asking people to do the responsible thing to the level of comfort that they can,” she said. “We change according to the recent standards.”

The screening schedule for August is 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesdays, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Doors open 45 minutes before showtime. A monthly schedule can be found at www.mesillavalleyfilm.org.

“We’ve been here for 33 years and now need a new generation of people who fall in love with this place like we did 33 years ago,” McCall said.

Fountain Theatre in Mesilla

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