Brett Bossard is the executive director of 7th Art, the non-profit media art organization that has worked with Cinemapolis since 2000 to bring Ithaca the best new independent films. Bossard has worked directly with Cinemapolis since 2013. I was lucky enough to talk to Bossard, and ask him questions about his work and its impact on the Ithacan community.
Annika Browning ’17: How did you come to be the director of Cinemapolis?
Brett Bossard: I’ve been working in the non-profit arts sector in Ithaca since 2004, most recently with a six-year tenure as the Executive Director of the Community Arts Partnership, the arts council for Tompkins County. I studied film and television at the Park School of Communications, so when the previous executive director of Cinemapolis, Scott Bliss, announced that he would be returning to his home state of Kansas in 2013, I jumped at the opportunity to take the reigns. Luckily for me, our board of directors agreed that my joint experience in arts administration and media studies made for a good match with the needs of Cinemapolis, and I’ve been leading the organization since August 2013.
AB: What role do you think the independent theater plays in the community, and why is that role important?
BB: Like the other arts organizations in Ithaca, Cinemapolis plays a vital role in providing access to an art form that wouldn’t otherwise be available to members of our community. Our five screens provide a regional attraction, as we frequently feature films that can’t be seen within a 100-mile radius of Tompkins County. More than just a movie theater, Cinemapolis is a community cultural institution where the art of film is used to enrich people’s lives, grapple with and illuminate contemporary issues, and, of course, to entertain.
AB: How has Cinemapolis evolved in the past?
BB: Cinemapolis has been a vital part of Ithaca’s cultural life since 1986. Initially a for-profit organization established by Lynne Cohen and Richard Szanyi, there were theaters at two sites: the Fall Creek and Cinemapolis theaters. Cinemapolis was reorganized in 2000 to become a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) board-directed organization. Things changed again in 2009 when we moved all of our screens under one roof at our current location.
AB: How do you see Cinemapolis changing in the future?
BB: Looking to the future, now that we’ve converted all five theaters to new digital projection (a change that was mandated by the film industry), we have a flexibility for special programming and community-oriented screenings that we didn’t previously have. We partnered with more than 50 community organizations for special events and screenings in 2015, and I see even more of these types of events in the future.
With constant changes in technology, it’s hard to say what the future of film will be, but I’m confident that communities like Ithaca will still need the cinematic experience as a communal way to engage with our most accessible art form. I hope in 20 years Cinemapolis will still be a place where people from all walks of life can come together in a darkened auditorium to be inspired, challenged, and entertained.
AB: What’s your favorite movie?
BB: That’s like trying to choose a favorite child! I have many favorite films and favorite filmmakers, depending on my mood. Some of my favorites from the past year include Room, Mississippi Grind, It Follows, Tangerine, and Ex Machina.