They had nothing to do with Brown, a Vermont native who moved to Palmyra in 1979, but the rumors of a twelve-screen theater opening less than a mile from his tiny 140-seat, one-screen theater were very threatening to Brown’s business. “I built this theater myself and I had to do something to keep it opened,” explains Brown. “Over the past years, many of my patrons asked if I could show more art films. When the twelve-screen moviehouse opened at the end of last year, I decided the area needed a theater dedicated to art and independent films.”

So in February, after thirteen weeks of Titanic, The Palymra Arts Cinema opened its doors as the first Central Pennsylvania theater exclusively showing art and independent films. “I was a little leery about showing only art films, because when I previously showed them, I never received that many patrons from Palymra,” says Brown. “It was mostly people who would drive 30 or more minutes to get here.”

But if Brown’s current attendance trends continue (he’s attracting between 100 and 200 patrons a week), his decision may prove to be the best thing he ever did. Independent films are one of the fastest-growing markets in the film industry. With the mass-market appeal of recent independent films, like The Full Monty, Shine and Pulp Fiction, even major movie studios are clambering to get a piece of the independent film pie. Also events like the Sundance Independent Film Festival, started by Robert Redford, have really gained exposure for these “little” movies that tend to rely more on good storytelling than special effects and over-the-top violence.

According to Brown, he really didn’t know a lot about the whole art film movement, but his movie agent convinced him that his intimate moviehouse was the perfect size for a specialize audience. “The response has been overwhelming,” explains Brown. “I have patrons who drive weekly from as far away as Reading, Shippensburg and Lancaster. I also seem to be drawing a lot from Carlisle, Harrisburg and York.”

Because Brown does not have a huge advertising budget, he relies on word-of-mouth advertising as well as pinpointed weekend advertising in the Lancaster, Lebanon and Harrisburg newspapers. He is investigating starting a mailing list or some type of annual membership as funds allow.

Another difficult part of the art film world is that many fewer prints of a movie are made, which sometimes makes it difficult to get movies. “You do have to wait your turn for the larger independents, but I try my best to book three to four weeks in advance,” says Brown. “However, the majority of the films are only here for a week, so when people want to see what I am showing, they need to react quickly.”

The Palmyra Arts Cinema has evening showings at 7 p.m. Sunday though Thursday, and showings at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. There are also matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for adults 55 and over, and children. For more information, call the Palmyra Arts Cinema at 838-8897.