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In 2017, U.S. movie theaters saw their lowest levels of ticket sales in more than two decades, continuing a downward trend the industry has seen since 2005. Though dwindling attendance has played a role in the closing of theaters, including the Saw Mill Multiplex Cinema in 2016 and most recendy The Greenburgh Multiplex theater on Saw Mill River Road, other theaters in Westchester are finding ways to thrive.
"We continue to see a rise in our membership numbers and a steady attendance at the box office," said Edie Demas, executive director of the Jacob Bums Film Center in Pleasantville.
That follows a trend pointed out by Art House Convergence, a collaboration of North American independent theaters. According to a study launched by the organization, 55 percent of art-house theaters surveyed saw an increase in attendance in 2016 compared with the prior year.
"Our community of art houses has not seen the same decline in the box office that mainstream cinema has," Demas said.
The five-screen cinema and education center at 364 Manville Road hosts a range of independent and mainstream film screenings, events, visiting artists and special guests. Operating with a budget just shy of $8 million,...