my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Large Format Forum   » Western Fair Closing Today

Author Topic: Western Fair Closing Today Joseph L. Kleiman Master Film Handler Posts: 380 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 11-30-2005 10:58 AM                     For anyone up in Canada who wants one last visit, today is the final day of operation for the Western Fair IMAX in London, Ontario. The 302 seat IMAX 2D theater opened July 1996 with a 52' x 72' screen. It will be missed by all in the LF community.  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 11-30-2005 01:07 PM                     Is it being shut down, or replaced with something else? Rick  |  IP: Logged Joseph L. Kleiman Master Film Handler Posts: 380 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 11-30-2005 01:08 PM                     It's being shut down as a large format theater. They've been looking at the space for other uses, such as live theater.  |  IP: Logged Joseph L. Kleiman Master Film Handler Posts: 380 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 12-01-2005 11:08 AM                     Imax draws curtain for final time Thu, December 1, 2005 By APRIL KEMICK, FREE PRESS REPORTER The lights are out, the seats are empty and the curtain's closed for good. After nine years of financial strife, the Western Fair Association's Imax theatre closed last night, disappointing dedicated movie-goers. "I'm really sad to see it close because I love this theatre," said Londoner Sharon Link, who saw Imax's final two screenings with her husband last night. "I think it's the best film format around -- the huge screen is amazing and you really feel like you're right in the movie," she said. While Imax's massive, crystal-clear screen and short film selection were popular within certain circles and school groups, the move to close the $4-million theatre was a long time coming, said Hugh Mitchell, the fair association's chief operating officer. The theatre was managed by Doug McGill. "It's a very small segment of the population who have patronized it," Mitchell said. "We've only been averaging around 100,000 attendees per year and that just isn't enough." Opened in 1996 amid controversy over the chosen location -- critics thought the theatre would have been better off downtown -- Imax was expected to draw up to 235,000 clients a year. Only 97,000 moviegoers attended in the association's last fiscal year, which ended June 30. Other Imax locations have faced the same struggles, Mitchell said. "These are extraordinary films. We're disappointed the product didn't fare better." The association is trying to find a tenant who can put the theatre's unique design to good use, he said. "We've wrestled with this decision for a number of years," Mitchell said. "Now is a good time to move on."  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.