Quasar drive in theater4/2/2023 It seems like drive-ins must be thriving and doing well financially, when in reality, many drive-ins are barely getting by right now, many are on the market to be sold, owners are getting out of the business, and the ones staying in are feeling uncertain, wondering how they're going to keep their drive-in going, and yet they're all optimistic and determined to keep drive-ins alive for their communities and future generations of children and families. What we learn during the course of the night, is that even though these drive-ins are all different, in different parts of the country, different sizes and number of screens, some have been around since the 50s, some just opened recently, some play new movies, some retro titles - despite the differences, they are all facing the same challenges of not having enough employees, supply chain problems making it hard for them to get popcorn tubs and nacho cheese, lack of new movies from the studios and competition with new releases also being available for streaming, and dealing with unusually aggressive customers (similar to the airlines), to the point that one drive-in has put body cams on their managers. In summer of 2021, I took a long road trip from Los Angeles to Cape Cod, visiting 11 different family-owned and operated drive-ins in 8 states, spending a day/night with each one - from their preparation in the afternoon, to when they open the gates and cars start to arrive, to opening the snack bar, getting the movie on screen once it's dark enough, and later in the night when they can finally take a break before intermission, to check how they're doing. My first documentary about the history of drive-ins came out in 2013, on the 80th anniversary of the first drive-in movie theatre which opened in 1933. ![]() ![]() Although drive-ins received a lot of press and attention as a result of the pandemic, the truth is that they are struggling, and yet the owners are hopeful they can keep their drive-ins alive for future generations. "Back to the Drive-in" is a feature-length documentary that takes us behind the scenes to get to know the families who own and operate drive-ins today. Your contributions are crucial to help get this film across the finish line! Goals are based on actual quotes for the work which total over $25,000. Funding will go towards finishing the documentary, which includes color correction, audio clean-up, design and mix, original score, graphics, technical post work, all exports. This is an indie doc that has been self-funded by the filmmaker to date. ![]() It was shot in 4K during the summer of 2021. It's a story of resilience and the human spirit. This doc is about authentic drive-ins and the passionate people who run them, but more broadly it highlights questions about the future of the theatrical experience, and the challenges of many small businesses, wondering whether they will survive and make it to the other side of the pandemic. ![]() Although they are all very different, they are dealing with the same challenges. When the pandemic hit, drive-ins were suddenly the only safe venue in town, with press coverage about how drive-ins are "back," and how they are thriving.īut this documentary goes behind the headlines to learn the truth, spending a whole night with 11 very different drive-ins in 8 states all over the country, from preparations before the customers arrive, to selling tickets, opening the snack bar, and getting the movie on screen, we discover these family-owned businesses are actually struggling to survive. The new drive-in documentary from April Wright director of "Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie."
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