<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=29KFb0_1GmOmiBE00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=29KFb0_1GmOmiBE00" width="2000" height="1334" ><figcaption>Photo by Madeleine Oliver / The Tufts Daily The Somerville Theatre in Davis Square is pictured on Sept. 25, 2018.</figcaption></figure>A group of investors known as CSB Theatres, which includes longtime employees of The Somerville Theatre, purchased the building housing the theatre in Davis Square, ending a period of uncertainty after the building went up for sale in July when its longtime owner retired from the movie industry and property ownership.CSB Theatres was formed when it took over operations of the theater from its previous owner. The group consists of Ian Brunell and employees Jamie Mattchen, Ian Judge and Jay O’Leary.“Any change of ownership always puts you at risk because you don’t know what their plans are for the real estate. Someone could want to turn this into condos,” Mattchen said. “A big corporate entity could want to take it over and just do soulless concerts here and shut it down for movies. Another movie theater might want to take over operations.”Mattchen noted that the community response to the purchase was overwhelmingly positive and collaborative, which has helped ease the financial challenges from the acquisition. CSB is currently raising funds after borrowing money for the purchase and ending up in unexpected debt.“The whole marketing campaign we’re doing is ‘It’s Our Somerville,’ because it belongs to the people that come here as much as it belongs to us,” she said. “The GoFundMe is really important, and the response there has been amazing as well. It’s really nice to know that we’re not just in it by ourselves.”As part of the surrounding community, the building’s purchase will also impact Tufts. The cult cinema course offered in Tufts’s Department of Film and Media Studies will visit the Somerville Theatre once a week to watch films.“We’re really hoping to be able to build on [the relationship] in the future,” Malcolm Turvey, director of film and media studies, said. “We do have our own screenings here on campus, but it’s wonderful to be able to show films in real film theaters.”Turvey added that some of the class’s screenings are shown on traditional celluloid film and 35 mm prints, something that is not possible on campus and is a “really special thing” for students.Arianna Shalhoub, a fifth-year combined-degree student minoring in film and media studies, is enrolled in the cult cinema class.“I had heard from the managers that the building was for sale, and I think a lot of people at the theater were really upset about that because this is such a community staple, and seeing that this theater could go away, after I think 100-plus years of history, was kind of devastating,” said Shalhoub.For Shalhoub, being able to watch films in non-digital formats is an essential part of the Somerville Theatre experience and underscores the importance of preserving local independent theaters.“That’s the way the film was made or intended to be watched,” she said. “Nowadays, I feel that you can easily watch a movie on your phone through a streaming service … I think it’s super important to still have that theater space to be able to watch films.”After a decline in theater attendance following the COVID-19 pandemic, the production and screening of movies in these non-digital formats have helped theaters recover attendance.“Hollywood has had a good year this year. It’s had its best year since COVID,” Turvey said. “And one of the reasons is because certain filmmakers are really doubling down on the cinematic experience, in part by making films on film that can only really be seen in their correct format in the movie theater.”Beyond screening formats, Mattchen believes another core value of preserving local theaters is the community they build and their impact on the local ecosystem.“The neighborhood theater exists because and has continued to exist because it’s a hub for the people that live in this area … it’s a place to make memories, and it’s a place to anchor your life around,” Mattchen said.She also noted that small theaters support the local economy through nearby food and coffee shops, fostering a “mutually beneficial” relationship.“Losing that piece can really kill the economic area and the soul of the community as well.”</div></body>

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A group of investors known as CSB Theatres, which includes longtime employees of The Somerville Theatre, purchased the building housing the theatre in Davis Square, ending a period of uncertainty after the building went up for sale in July when its longtime owner retired from the movie industry and property ownership.

Employee-led group buys Somerville Theatre building, ends uncertainty over future

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A group of investors known as CSB Theatres, which includes longtime employees of The Somerville Theatre, purchased the building housing the theatre in Davi

Employee-led group buys Somerville Theatre building, ends uncertainty over future

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