The Screening Room has reopened for business

“[It] feels good to be playing movies again,” Wendy Huot, owner of The Screening Room, told The Journal.

The Screening Room is open once again and operating at 25 per cent capacity in accordance with local health guidelines. Moviegoers can purchase their tickets and select seats in advance on The Screening Room’s website.

“When we’ve been on lockdown, it feels strange and surreal to have this movie theatre that’s not playing movies for audiences,” Huot said.

Operations have changed since the pandemic began to ensure the safety of everyone coming to the theatre.

“We have very socially-distant seating so that wherever you’re sitting in the theatre, there’s nobody sitting beside you or in front of you or behind you,” she said.

Although regular ticket sales have decreased due to reduced capacity, many people in the community have been purchasing memberships and gift certificates to support the theatre throughout the pandemic.

“We saw lots of people buying memberships even if they know they’re not going to be using their membership a whole lot right now,” Huot said.

Huot said she’s eagerly awaiting the end of the pandemic so The Screening Room can return to business as usual.

“It’s going to be fun having people return to the theatre for the first time in over a year,” she said.“Seeing people again who were once really regular customers, who loved to come out to the movies multiple times a month but now because of COVID […] are not comfortable going to a movie theatre.”

“The people that do come for the movies are really happy to be there.”