Greenbelt Cinema rallies community support to confront economic realities

The only nonprofit theater in Prince George’s County is warning about a difficult road ahead.

At a Greenbelt City Council work session Wednesday evening, Caitlin McGrath, executive director of Greenbelt Cinema, asked council members for an additional $25,000 in the 2027 fiscal year budget to keep pace with rising inflationary costs associated with licensing the films screened at the theater.

The city’s budget already outlines $75,000 for the cinema, along with a $16,000 offset for utilities, that was approved for the first time in July’s budget.

Greenbelt Cinema opened in 1938 and has weathered multiple changes, including its operating model and its original name, Old Greenbelt Theatre. The city, which is home to nearly 25,000 residents, according to U.S. Census data, purchased the building in 2002.

In 2014, when the cinema needed major renovations and repairs, city officials assigned management of the space to the Friends of Greenbelt Theatre, an organization committed to running it as a nonprofit with support from the city.

“Like many arts organizations, Greenbelt Cinema is navigating a tighter funding environment,” McGrath said in an Aug. 5 video posted on social media. “As a result, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to pause our specialty screening series for now.”

The additional funds would allow the cinema to maintain programming that includes Cinema Classics, a semimonthly series of free screenings geared toward older patrons. This year’s screenings have covered the films of the late Robert Redford.

McGrath said Wednesday night that more than 400 people had signed a petition to restore some of these screenings.

Other specialty series include School’s Out, a weekly run of free summer films from June 19 through Aug. 20. This slate is cosponsored by Terrapin Care Center, Greenbelt Recreation and McCarl Dental Group, and it wasn’t cited in McGrath’s callout video as a program in peril. McGrath and representatives of Greenbelt Cinema did not immediately respond to follow-up requests for comment.

A visit to Thursday’s screening of “Soul” found dozens of young campers and counselors in Greenbelt Recreation attire streaming in just before 1 p.m. to grab a seat in the 368-person-capacity main auditorium.

McGrath shared data at the council meeting that showed ticket sales have not returned to the high in 2018 of more than $237,000. In 2025, Greenbelt Cinema took in $175,000 in ticket sales, according to McGrath.

In the past year, the theater has spent more than $112,000 on film rentals — fees paid for the rights to screen movies — McGrath told the council. Additional operating costs include the 6 1/2 staff members (some are part-time), but that’s below the target of eight workers that operators feel are needed, McGrath said.

Greenbelt Cinema has exhausted federal and local grants, according to McGrath, and the additional requested funds would be a stopgap until a long-term strategic plan is rolled out in the fall. Even with the requested additional subsidy, the theater is forecasted to operate in a financial hole this year, McGrath said.

Although the new plan is still under development, McGrath said a model for the future would rely more on direct contributions from community members over additional requests for city funds. She said the theater would have an angel donor ready to match donations from supporters.

Greenbelt Mayor and City Council member Emmett V. Jordan expressed support for the cinema’s reach in drawing residents and visitors to the heart of the city.

In a Thursday phone call with The Banner, he reiterated his support for the cinema but said the council would take the conversation from Wednesday’s meeting under advisement. Jordan did not commit to a timetable for a potential vote from the council on additional funds for Greenbelt Cinema.

“We’re not really in the movie theater business. We’re in the Roosevelt Center business,” Jordan told The Banner, referring to the historic shopping center. “The movie theater is certainly one of the economic development drivers for Roosevelt Center, the historic hub for the city of Greenbelt.”

The shopping center, which opened in 1937, also includes long-standing businesses such as Greenbelt Co-op Supermarket and Pharmacy and New Deal Cafe.

“It’s the heart and soul of Greenbelt,” Jordan said. “So we’re committed to doing everything we possibly can to make sure that Roosevelt Center is a vibrant and lively place.”

He also mentioned his personal connection to the theater and how he attended screenings even before moving to Greenbelt in the late 1990s.

“The selection of films is fantastic and, when the theater is thriving, the programming is almost irreplaceable with its impact,” Jordan said. “We do everything we possibly can to work with Greenbelt Cinema, and I think you can see that with the ongoing financial commitment that we’ve had for such a long time.”

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