OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — It's a big weekend for local independent film lovers.
The Glenwood Arts Theatre in Overland Park will open its doors Friday for the first time in a year.
The theater is owned by brothers Ben and Brian Mossman.
"Almost 40 years doing this and I didn’t really realize how much I missed it," Ben said.
After re-opening and closing once already, the brothers said now the timing is right with film release schedules. It's been a long wait for loyal customers.
"For months our regular clientele has been wanting us to open, we get emails and phone calls all the time," Ben said.
The theater is opening with customer safety in mind. It will have socially distanced seating, extra cleaning in high-contact areas, mask requirements and ultraviolet lights in the HVAC system.
Brian said he doesn't want to knock big theaters, such as AMC, but hopes the community will show up and support small mom and pop theaters.
"They have so many people, and I won’t say you are just a number, but at times you don’t get that personal experience and you do with us," Brian said.
The brothers said customer donations helped keep them afloat the last year, along with PPP and grant money.
They said closing for good was never an option, and they hope it stays that way.
"We’ve been doing this for such a long time, we love what we do, we want to continue doing it, but we need the support of the public," Brian Mossman said. "Friday will tell us what the public wants, and hopefully they want us."
The theater's opening weekend films will include:
- Cry Macho
- Blue Bayou
- Eyes of Tammy Faye
- Capote Tapes
