At the height of the pandemic, as theaters such as the Tivoli and Moolah closed their doors, it seemed like watching films on the big screen could become a thing of the past. But in the past year or so, St. Louis has experienced a small theater boom, with a focus on repertory cinema—screenings of older, notable, or hard-to-find films.
When Arkadin Cinema & Bar in Bevo announced plans to open in fall 2019, the local options for repertory screenings were limited to the Webster Film Series and one-off programs from Cinema St. Louis or Late Night Grindhouse. By the time Arkadin co-owners Keith Watson and Sarah Baraba opened their long-awaited indoor space in March 2023, the scene had exploded.
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“I hope that we all complement each other,” Watson says. “That’s our goal, to just try to find our niche.”
Arkadin has found its niche at the fringes of the filmgoing community, programming art house, grindhouse, silent films, and other more obscure options.
Establishing a niche among the growing repertory options is also at the heart of Cinema St. Louis’ programming. After acquiring the Hi-Pointe Theatre, CSL executive director Bree Maniscalco notes that the organization immediately began slating popular films from the theater’s history as a tribute to the Hi-Pointe’s legacy. Those screenings, and others like them, continue to draw crowds.
“We want to play films that you can’t always find online and combine it with [a chance to] take your experience with that story a bit deeper,” Maniscalco says.
Yet another player in the cinema boomlet is Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, a boutique theater chain that was founded in Austin and opened a location at City Foundry STL late last year. In addition to its first-run programming, the cinema hosts a number of rep screenings and immersive “movie parties,” which Alamo City Foundry director of communications Jen Johnmeyer says have been extremely popular. “It’s the equivalent of comfort food in a cinematic experience,” she says.
Webster University Film Series, a mainstay for local cinephiles, also continues to host screenings of hard-to-find first-run films, classics, and international hits. Pete Timmermann, director of the series, notes that while initial attendance was a bit low following an 18-month pandemic pause, audiences have now returned. He sees the repertory boom as a net good for the community.
“It helps to promote more of a cinephilic culture, where we don’t need to corner the market on repertory screenings,” Timmermann says. “It puts it more in the forefront of moviegoers’ minds if there are more options at any given time.”
