The crowd has spoken: Independent theatres turn to public to fund digital conversions

For small theatres across the nation, the conversion to digital projection has involved hard choices. Do they take out a substantial loan from the bank—if they can even get one? Is it possible to make a VPF (virtual print fee) deal work for a small theatre with just one or two screens? With 35mm prints already in scarce supply, and digital-only in the near future, theatres are now making choices against a ticking clock. Some theatres are turning to a choice once seen in the American small-town classic It’s a Wonderful Life.