Sam Burrows
Member Profile
How has Cinema United membership been impactful to you and/or your business?Being a member of Cinema United has been incredibly impactful. The feeling of camaraderie with fellow exhibitors, support through challenging times like COVID, and opportunities to network and learn at events like CinemaCon have made a real difference! Their advocacy for theatres ensures our voices are heard and our industry stays strong.
I first got into the exhibition business when my family purchased our local single-screen theatre in 2018. It was the theatre I grew up going to, so it was a beautiful thing to be able to preserve what I already loved about it and grow it to offer a wide variety of programming and become an anchor for our community! Since falling in love with my theatre, I have been inspired to document other historic theatres as well through some mini-documentaries which can be found at Movie House Documentaries on YouTube. I think it’s important to show the magic of these spaces and why they should be preserved.
I love everything about running a theatre and being able to do it with my family makes it even more special! One of my favorite aspects of exhibition is programming new and interesting films and then being able to have meaningful conversations about them with our audiences. There’s truly no place I’d rather be than in the projection booth, surrounded by the steady hum of a film being screened!
I have so many favorite memories, but some of the most special moments have been hosting cast members from Twin Peaks. Since our town is where the series was filmed, we’ve had the unique opportunity to celebrate it with themed screenings and gatherings. We’ve been fortunate to welcome incredible guests like Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, and Ray Wise. All of whom were genuinely kind and gracious. It’s truly moving to witness the deep love and enthusiasm our audiences have for these actors. These events also gave us the perfect chance to launch the North Bend Walk of Fame, where these iconic guests have left their handprints in concrete! It’s a nice tribute to their impact on our town and the community’s passion.
Member Gallery
Again, I have so many wonderful memories of moviegoing that it’s hard to pick a favorite! One that comes to mind now is seeing THE ROOM with actor Greg Sestero in attendance at our theatre. Anyone who knows about that film knows that every screening is a wild time filled with plastic spoons being thrown around and plenty of yelling!
I see the future of exhibition bringing more focus to the human connection. With all the competing forms of entertainment, theatres will have to create unique, local events that truly bring people together. I am also really getting excited about the “interactive” style of cinema we’ve been seeing lately with events like Minecraft, Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow casts, and cult classic events like the screening of THE ROOM I mentioned earlier. You can watch a movie anywhere, but you can only have a special experience at a movie theatre.
