Downtown Winston-Salem Community Cinema

a/perture cinema is a melting pot for the community and is in a unique position to expand social capital building in the City of Winston-Salem. We qualify as a “third space” – an anchor of community life which both makes possible and encourages a wider and more creative interaction – the space between home and work. A true third space must: be free or inexpensive; offer food and drink (important but not essential); be highly accessible: proximate for many (walking distance); involve regulars who habitually congregate there; be welcoming and comfortable; and welcome both new friends and old. Third spaces are important for civil society, democracy, and civic engagement.

a/perture cinema is focused on advancing diversity and inclusion through our programming and audience development so that we reflect, welcome and celebrate ALL of our community. We program films from around the country and the world on a consistent basis and we supplement our regularly scheduled films with special series such as Cine Mexico Now, Black Cinema, Looking at Art Cinema – Native American Films, among many others to highlight the contributions of often underrepresented voices in the film industry.

a/perture cinema is open 365 days a year so that our screenings are flexible to the varying work schedules of the citizens of Winston-Salem and the surrounding communities. Our Downtown Winston-Salem location makes us accessible to many means of transportation including public bus, vehicle and foot traffic from the surrounding neighborhoods.

72% of our audience identifies as female. As a result, we recognize an opportunity to curate more films made by women and to participate in (and support via our ticket sales) the movement for greater parity in the film industry.

It is also a continuing priority to make a/perture screenings accessible to the deaf and hearing-impaired members of our community. For several years, we have provided Closed Captioning equipment for our larger screens (the technology is not currently available on our two small screens, though we are actively advocating with our service provider and hope that will come online in 2020). In 2019, we added regularly scheduled Open Caption screenings each week to deliver even more options for the deaf and hearing impaired. We also offer similar personal equipment devices for the visually impaired.

Our educational arm is also deeply focused on and invested in championing new voices in the younger demographic. Last year we launched a new after-school program for high school girls called Girls + Screen. This course is designed to introduce film as a creative endeavor and potential career field to girls in the community. The course is free (thanks to a local business sponsor) and designed to attract girls in our community who may not know about or have access to such a program. We actively recruited girls from public schools and in collaboration with organizations like Lead Girls and Authoring Action.

In 2018, a/perture launched a new program – dialogues. As an art house cinema, it’s important to cultivate a consistent relationship with the people coming to see our films. This is why art house cinemas are unique cultural spaces in any community. We provide the opposite of a transactional, pay-watch-leave movie-going experience. It’s about conversations and understanding movies in new ways—and that means thoughtful discussion. And while it’s important to bring in the voices of community leaders, it’s just as important that we include anyone who walks into our cinema in that conversation. So, with dialogues happening every other Wednesday evening—first round of shows depending on the film—we’ll be asking our audience five questions about the film and their experience with it. We’ll invite members of the community to attend as well so that if you’re there, you’ll hear from someone you may not have talked to on an ordinary night out at the movies.

a/perture cinema has presented Winston-Salem and the Piedmont Triad with an alternative cinematic experience; one that includes curated film programming whose purpose is to introduce our audiences to new subjects, themes, and diversities of viewpoints. Our films open up new worlds, share stories from our pasts and visions of our future. a/perture has created an inclusive and communal space and continues to be driven by the goal to present more and more of these opportunities to all constituents in our community. We’re excited to build relationships with our movie-goers and to bridge connections. That’s what an independent cinema does for its film-loving community.

Through an increased focus in film education of K-12 students, a/perture’s programming aims to serve and advance the following (learning framework developed by the British Film Institute):
1.) Learning to be critical - the ability to understand and explore films of all genres and styles and to develop an understanding that one can and should constantly question the way in which films affect us, move us, and challenge us.
2.) Encouraging the creative mind - the access to digital filmmaking tools (ie, smartphones) has led to the opportunity of viewers becoming makers. The links between these two experiences – using viewing as a way into making and then evaluating the viewing of the artwork need to be explored.
3.) Fostering a cultural awareness - film can also help us understand other people, other cultures, times, ideas and values. The wider our access to film, the deeper and broader will be our engagement with the world.

a/perture cinema has a unique ability to partner with organizations around the Piedmont Triad in a way that only an art house cinema can. Through thoughtfully curated film and program selections (around theme and subject matter) these community partnerships can serve both organization’s missions and often times bring new audiences to each. We seek out collaborative relationships whenever possible to provide additional context, learning opportunities, open dialogue and add value to our film screenings. Several examples of 2019 collaborations have included:

1) Cine Mexico Now – a six-week series in September and October that celebrates award-winning Spanish-language cinema and box-office hits from across Mexico. The film selections bring to life a rich portrait of the Mexican experience – a refreshing alternative to the many one-dimensional representations found in mainstream media. Targeting audiences of varying ages, backgrounds, and interests in Winston- Salem and the entire Piedmont Triad, the series will connect the Spanish-speaking population with the local arts community, while bringing together foreign film lovers across the city.
2) Black Cinema – an annual series in February to honor and celebrate the history of black filmmakers, storytellers, actors and creatives during Black History Month. The series aims to go a step beyond the traditional use of film to highlight historical figures and present film as part of the celebration by looking at the history of black cinema. The 2019 series highlighted the contributions of Lena Horne.
3) Young @ Heart – a new series launched in Fall 2019 in collaboration with the Wake Forest Baptist Health Memory Counseling Program. Films are offered free of charge to older adults living with dementia or Alzheimer’s and their care partners. This program demonstrates how film can be a form of treatment for some of the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s and related dementia. The cinema has the power to connect us with our deep-rooted emotional memories – the kind that never leave us. 2019 films included An American in Paris and White Christmas.

As we have since opening in 2010, a/perture screens several dozen community centric film programs each year. Films are programmed because of their topical nature and are representative of issues that are important to the local community as well as the global community with suggestions from both the community at large and collaborative partners given weight in programming decisions.

It is the vision of a/perture to:

• Present an innovative and engaging theatrical experience, which is recognized as essential to the art and cultural fabric in Winston-Salem and the Piedmont Triad.
• Engage and welcome all the diverse segments and populations of our community with multi-faceted programming and events representative of this diversity.
• Provide exposure to film in an intimate and welcoming setting that advances an appreciation for the moving image as a groundbreaking and pioneering art form.
• Inspire young and old audiences alike to make the theatrical experience an active and meaningful part of their lives.
• Foster collaborations with various community organizations and entities that are inventive, effective and mutually beneficial.
• Cultivate a passionate, valued and hard-working corps of individuals who serve as staff, volunteers and Board members.
• Be a thriving organization that is fiscally sound and has the means and resources to support and grow its programming.

Of the more than 200 films screened at a/perture in 2019:
o 56 films were directed by women, up 13 from 2018
o 35% were from non-U.S. countries, with 33 countries represented – including Japan, South Korea, China, Kenya, Israel, Paraguay, Mexico, Greenland, Vietnam, Colombia and several EU countries.
o 30% were documentaries with dozens focusing on critical issues like climate change, domestic violence, race and social justice and education; others celebrated musicians, visual artists, journalists fashion designers, and historical moments of achievement
o 26 were repertory films including many recognized by the American Film Institute as the best in American Cinema including It’s a Wonderful Life, High Noon, Network, An American in Paris, City Lights; as well as recognized classics from world cinema including Beauty and the Beast and Cinema Paradiso.

We held post-film panels, discussions or educational talks for more than 60 film screenings with filmmakers, community leaders and academics, as well as experts from science, the arts, medicine, religion, architecture and design, among others. Post film activities foster deeper connections to the film, fill in gaps in knowledge exposed by the film, and open up areas for community conversations around difficult issues presented in the film.

a/perture is recognized as one of only 23 Sundance Institute Art House Project theaters nationwide. Those selected were found to meet high standards including: quality programming, deep involvement with their local communities, strong financial standing, and recognition from their peers and their communities.

It is not just our film programming that aligns with our mission, though. Today, Winston-Salem residents have a wide range of personal technologies with which to consume a film - from the smallest smartphone to the largest home theater system. New streaming platforms are being introduced at breakneck speed, yet the cinema still remains the