REDC: Let’s go out to the movies, North Country!

I have to say it’s been a while since I’ve been to the movies. But in spite of this terrible lapse, I do love movies and I do love the fact that the North Country has so many small theaters.

It’s with this in mind that I return to a news story from last week that we missed. This story has been gradually developing over the last while, as small local theaters try to figure out how to deal with the fact that they’re going to have to make a significant financial investment in the next several months as the film industry converts from film to digital distribution of new movies.

But, for several theaters in our region, things may be getting a little easier: The Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports  that state economic development money from the North Country Regional Economic Development Council (NCREDC) is being set aside for a short-term loan fund to help theaters pay for the transition. The fund, which totals $400,000, will be loaned out (obviously) to several theaters, including the Palace in Lake Placid, the State in Tupper Lake, and the Hollywood in AuSable Forks, who’ve said they’d be put out of business by the cost of the conversion (generally, between $50,000 and $100,000 per screen.) When they’ve paid back the money, the program will re-lend the funds to businesses across the region for its more typical purposes of start-up or expansion projects.

For the information of the wonkier among you, the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation will be administering the funds, in coordination with the Adirondack North Country Association and the Adirondack Film Society, who’ve been raising private funds for just this very purpose as part of their Go Digital or Go Dark campaign.

So who’s up for Star Trek?

Tags: arts, ausable, economic development, film, lake placid, REDC, theater, tupper lake