SOUTH HADLEY — Tower Theaters received a $30,000 grant as part of an effort to save independent movie theaters — an industry hit hard financially by the pandemic and the two strikes in Hollywood.
“Many industries were hit over the time, but we had a much longer recovery time because the studio had to produce content,” owner Robert Adam said. “We can only show movies when there are movies.”
The two-screen theater is one of 44 independent movie theaters awarded a portion of the $2.7 million from Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation’s Movie Theater Grant Program. The grant money will supplement the theater’s income and keep staff on payroll during the slower months of the past seasons and upcoming year.
Tower Theaters struggled to attract customers after reopening in July 2020 due to fears of contracting the virus in movie theaters. The pandemic also slowed down or postponed production of major motion pictures, providing little draw to theaters even after vaccines were disseminiated to the public. However, the release of summer blockbusters in 2023 like “The Super Mario Bros,” “Barbie” and “Taylor Swift’s Eras Concert” attracted more moviegoers than Adam previously saw in past three years.
“Early on it was people still getting used to getting back out, but with movies like “Barbie,” we see that traffic can be normal or above normal,” Adam said.
Adam predicts 2024 will see normal levels of traffic in the later half of the year. The labor strikes by the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild halted production of television and movies for six months, delaying some movie releases until 2025. Yet with the impacts of COVID diminishing and the strikes over for almost a month, Adam thinks the theaters will get some movies in January through May and have a full roster of films next summer.
The state Legislature allocated funds for independent movie theaters as part of the November 2022 ARPA/Economic Development bill. Money for the grants was organized into the Movie Theater Grant program by Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation, a quasi-public organization supporting small businesses in Massachusetts, and The Executive Office of Economic Development.
In a press release, Sen. Jake Oliveria praised the Legislature’s efforts to support small businesses who faced severe challenges due to the pandemic.
“Small businesses are one of the backbones of western Massachusetts, and Tower Theaters is a locally owned and operated establishment that made so many sacrifices and persevered through it all,” Oliveria said. “I’m thrilled to see them receive this well-deserved grant opportunity to support and grow their terrific entertainment services.”
State Rep. Dan Carey expressed similar excitement for the theater.
“While movie theaters were hit especially hard during the COVID pandemic, it is wonderful to see them bouncing back,” Carey said. “Some stories are best enjoyed on the big screen. The Tower Theaters is a gem in the community and an asset to the region.”
Emilee Klein can be reached at eklein@gazettenet.com.
