Independent cinema in Sudbury is keeping its doors open with a 10% capacity limit

With reduced capacity limits and other restrictions such as concessions, Sudbury Indie Cinema decided to reach out to its community members with a creative idea. (Photo from video)

Sudbury -

With reduced capacity limits and other restrictions such as concessions, Sudbury Indie Cinema decided to reach out to its community members with a creative idea.

As a way to keep the cinema open, officials decided to start a Patron Saints Program -- and they are happy with the response from the community.

“For $250 you would get $200 of tickets back, essentially making a $50 out-of-pocket donation,” said Beth Mairs, acting executive director with Sudbury Indie Cinema.

“This money helped us pay the bills and keep things running. So, we launched that and within two hours we met our goal, and within two days, we had dozens of people come forward.”

With pandemic restrictions on capacity and spacing, the cinema decided to lower its seating limit from 50 per cent down to 10 per cent.

It was done as a way to ensure everyone’s safety and leaves 20 seats available per show.

“It provides people out there who do want to get out of their apartment or their house a measure of comfort that when they come here they’re going to be in a pretty safe environment,” said Mairs.

“For the short period of time that the province slowed cinemas to open at 100 per cent capacity, we chose to stay at 50 per cent because we just didn’t feel like it was prudent.”

Officials said they don’t plan on lifting the 10 per cent capacity limit anytime soon.