Onondaga County's longest-running movie theater, the Manlius Arts Cinema, turns 104 Tuesday. But as it celebrates over a century of business, its owner is saying goodbye.
The cinema was best known for showing independent movies not easily found anywhere else, such as Oscar nominees in the categories of animation and short documentaries. But the theater started as a silent film house, and decades later, owner Nat Tobin said his approach makes the cinema a community gathering space that continues to provide a sense of belonging.
“The thing that we are proudest of is establishing a place where people feel comfortable," Tobin said. "Our audience is the most important part of what we do. And to have them feel like they are treated as people and not as dollar bills was very important to us from the very beginning."
When the theater first came up for sale, Tobin had been selling movie ads in newspapers. At the time, Tobin jumped to buy the uniquely sized cinema. It’s a deep theater but extremely narrow, resulting in audiences having to sit closer together. He has steered it through an evolving industry. For example, the cinema transitioned to digital film in 2012.
But, after welcoming audiences for 30 years, Tobin is stepping away from the theater as the owner.
"It has been 30 years of pride, that we have been able to keep the theater open and going and that we are able to position the theater for the future is something that could not have worked out better for us," Tobin said.
But Tobin said he’s leaving the theater in good hands. The new owners taking over this week operate the nearby bar, AW Wander. In an email, Tobin told his loyal customers that the new owners “have a respect for the theater’s place in our cultural fabric and a love for film.”
The theater is currently showing The Banshees of Inisherin.
