State to take over Jean Cocteau.
Santa Fe's Jean Cocteau theater has long been known for its gourmet popcorn, cozy screening room and long runs for independent ***image1***films.
No mas.
SFR has learned the Jean Cocteau is about to be leased by the state, specifically the New Mexico Film Museum.
The New Mexico Film Museum will start leasing the Cocteau in mid-April, effectively putting the kibosh on the small, single-screen theater's function as a local art house.
The deal between the Film Museum and Trans-Lux emerged because the Montezuma Avenue theater has been increasingly difficult to book, according to Thomas Becker, co-director of operations for Trans-Lux Theatres, which runs the Cocteau.
"We're not getting the type and quality of pictures we've wanted there," Becker says. "From a financial point of view it's been holding its own, but we were looking at the situation from a long-term perspective. The Cocteau might not be viable as a single-screen theater."
Trans-Lux Theatres is owned by Trans-Lux Corporation, which runs 11 movie theaters in New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming and Colorado, according to Becker.
According to Becker, Richard Brandt, a trustee on the board of the storied American Film Institute in Los Angeles, feels close to the Cocteau but thought the lease to the state was a more realistic option.
The Film Museum, which is part of the New Mexico Cultural Affairs Department but has yet to find an actual home, will spend a period of time remodeling the theater before reopening some time within the next few months.
Cultural Affairs Secretary Stuart Ashman says the Film Museum conceivably could use the theater to screen movies made by local filmmakers, student filmmakers or even as a venue for directors making movies in New Mexico to show dailies to their cast and crew.
According to Ashman, the American Film Institute even has expressed support for the museum's lease of the Cocteau and there's a chance to establish a collaborative relationship with the school as the museum takes shape.
"There are tons of possibilities," Ashman says. "The plan is to have the museum grow incrementally."
Ashman says the museum, which has an annual budget of $160,000, will lease the building for approximately $7,000 a month plus utilities. Ashman also notes the museum would consider having a private group raise money to help pay for programming.
Stephen Rubin, general manager of the Santa Fe Film Center and deputy director of the Santa Fe Film Festival, believes the Cocteau struggled to compete for independent pictures with CCA Cinematheque, The Screen and United Artist DeVargas theaters. With a pending multiplex theater slated to be built in its backyard as part of the Railyard project, the jostling for movies and money could get even worse.
"We certainly don't like to see another theater fail in its mission," Rubin says. "I'm glad it will continue in some capacity as a screening hall. It's a nice little theater and it's been around for a long time."
