The Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs, Ohio, faces a fundamental shift. Grappling with changes to technology and film distribution, the theater must convert to a digital projection system and relinquish its beloved 35mm projectors. Without the updated equipment, the theater risks closing altogether, but letting go of celluloid is a painful, and personal, transition. Theater owner Jenny and head projectionist Andy, who have been with the Little Art Theatre since the 1970s, tenderly describe their affection for 35mm and the ways the grain and depth of the medium are essential to the image illuminated on screen. Inside the booth, we observe the intricate rhythms of film projection, the hum of the machine, the flickering light, and the careful hands that splice, thread, and transfer reels. The human touch involved in projection is an art form in and of itself, and one that may, sadly, soon cease to exist.  ST

Filmmaker Q&A following screening