The Dupont Visions Cinema closed its doors last Sunday. The final films were shown on Thursday, and the management sold much of the theater’s decorations to the crowd at a closing party Sunday night.
Following its opening in August 2000, the theater carved out a niche for itself with its independent programming, including cult classics like Donnie Darko: The Director’s Cut, events like “kick-the-keg” midnight showings and a fully functioning bar and lounge, Bar Noir, within.
As one of the only venues for independent film in Washington at the time, it quickly became a success.
The opening of the theater was followed by the growth of a larger independent film scene in Washington. Today, the city plays host to annual events like the Flashpoint Art Center’s recent D.C. Shorts Festival and the upcoming Georgetown Independent Film Festival.
Several competing theaters focusing on independent programming sprung up after Visions opened.
Since 2002, Landmark’s Bethesda Row, Landmark’s E Street Cinema, the American Film Institute’s Silver Theater and Cultural Center and the Avalon Theater of Chevy Chase all established themselves as venues committed to artistic and independent film.
Visions’ small, two-screen format could not handle the intense competition from these larger theaters, according to Andrew Mencher, former film programmer at Visions. When the theater lost its lease this year, it became too difficult to continue operating, Mencher said.
“The increased competition added two to four new releases every week because of the additional screens, so now you have eight to 10 new openings a week in D.C. where you used to have three to five,” Mencher said. “There were just too many choices for the people’s entertainment dollar.”
He added that the national presence of the competing companies, most notably Landmark and Loews, gave them leverage over the film market in Washington. Visions, faced with a financial deficit, found it hard to secure new films.
Rumors about a closing began to circulate weeks ago, but the theater’s management steadfastly denied the existence of any major problems.
As late as last week, Visions showed no signs of intending to stop business. However employees had been aware of the difficulties for some time.
“It became very hard for me to get the programming I wanted for Visions, given their situation at the time,” Mencher, who left the theater in August, said.
“I was really surprised by it,” Pamela Wessling (CAS ‘07) said. “I just found out last week, and I’m really disappointed.”
Wessling said she went to the midnight showing of Donnie Darko every other weekend of the 2003 fall semester
“D.C. is losing a great theater that offered something different from the other theaters,” she said.
