Alamo Drafthouse is ready to receive Kansas City FilmFest participants.
Creative Manager Ryan Davis is sure the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema will be ready to capture and enrapture movie patrons who attend the Kansas City FilmFest April 10 -14.
The Alamo chain purchased the Main Street location from AMC in the spring of 2012, closed June 20, 2012 and reopened later in the year. Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, popular in Texas, now has locations in Colorado and Virginia as well. Alamo is known for the recent launch of Drafthouse Films, a new film distribution label and plans to extend its theaters and unique programming philosophy to additional markets across the United States. Davis says the film label gives Alamo that kindred spirit to other filmmakers and film festivals. “Drafthouse Films is dedicated to scouring the globe in search of amazing, challenging and unique films that we are passionate about sharing with a wide audience.”
“There’s full dining service in all the theaters now and a larger menu,” Davis says. “We see going to the movies as an event. It’s meant to be like the 1940s where there was no advertising before the movies and the things people saw were relevant to their lives and the movies.” The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, the first, is known for its own film festival, the Fantastic Fest which showcases eight days of offbeat cinema from independents, international filmmakers and major Hollywood Studios.
“We are excited to show off what we have and we can cater to every generation. We are bringing in classics such as Dial M For Murder. Then we have teamed with The Kansas City Art Institute to bring folks Film School, which takes a KCAI professor who facilitates a film showing and elicits discussion minus the credit fees. Kids Camp offers films for younger movie lovers. The film festival crowd will find a home here too. It’s simply a haven for the movie lover.”
Davis says the filmgoers’ experience is the number one goal. “It’s about our presentation. We change the bulbs often in the projectors to ensure top picture quality. There is the sound surrounding the patrons. We know that people get lost in the movies and the backbone of the experience is our no talking or texting policy.”
A fan coming to the Kansas City FilmFest will:
- Receive an experience like no other as they watch directors and actors introduce the films. “You stand in line with people who really are your peers because you both love film.”
- Find some great choices in food. Davis prefers the Royale with Cheese.
- Come with high expectations of more than popcorn and candy
- Find a film or two – shorts or feature length – then find the filmmaker and make a friend.
