After what must surely be seen as too long since Healdsburg last had a cinema, the True West Film Center announced it will begin showing films on Friday, Oct. 17. Two new-release films will mark the film center’s debut: Academy Award-winner Katherine Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite and Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt with Julia Roberts.
A third premium new release film has also been announced—Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which will be featured at the theater’s Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 25, following a VIP Preview on Friday, Oct. 24.
The cinemas are the focal point of the film center’s James Redford Campus located at 371 Healdsburg Ave. “We believe movies are meant to be experienced together, and our goal is to create a welcoming space where everyone can enjoy great films in comfort and style,” said Hillary Kambour, Chair of True West Film Center’s Board of Directors. “This grand opening marks the beginning of a new cultural hub in Healdsburg for North Bay audiences to enjoy cinema 365 days a year.”
The new venue includes three theaters with a total of 102 seats and seven spaces for wheelchairs. The cinemas offer the latest Digital Cinema Presentation technology with Dolby 7.1 sound for high-quality theatrical exhibition, with luxury seating in small, comfortable screening rooms. An additional multipurpose space next door to the theaters allows for independent screenings, private events and community gatherings.
A tiled concession counter anchors the reception area, and along with the usual “movie snacks” like popcorn and candy, True West plans to offer selected wines from each of the three appellations that converge on Healdsburg, namely Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley and the Russian River.
Details on these programs, plus ticket availability and scheduling, will be released early next month, in October. Other films showing within the first month include Scarlett Johansson’s Eleanor the Great, repertory screenings of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and Wes Craven’s Scream (both filmed in Sonoma County), and more.
Although the first films will screen starting Oct. 17, the “grand opening” of the cinemas will come a week later, on Oct. 25. Planned for that date are a Chamber of Commerce “ribbon cutting” at 1pm and from 2-5pm what’s billed as a “block party,” an opportunity for “friends and neighbors to check out the cinemas, catch short films, sample concessions, and enjoy live music in the courtyard,” according to the film center’s announcement.
While the regular program schedule will resume at 5pm that day, one of the screens will be devoted to free screenings of the Disney film Coco—the 5:30pm showing in Spanish, and the 8pm show in English. The 2017 animated musical concerns an imaginative trip to the land of the dead, and the movie is presented in recognition of the Mexican Dia de los Muertos holiday coming a week later.
The project is being funded through the Campaign to Open True West, a multi-year $5.6M capital campaign which has generated $4.75M to date and runs through December, 2026.
Passes for community screenings, show times and tickets will become available in October at the cinema’s website, truewestfilmcenter.org.
