A Brooklyn woman who grew frustrated from not seeing a diverse array of faces and stories on the big screen decided she wouldn’t wait on someone else to provide more inclusivity on theater screens – so she opened one up herself.
Emelyn Stuart is the founder of Stuart Cinema, an independent movie theater, community center and monetizing warehouse for artists in the heart of Brooklyn. The theater opened in 2018 when movie streaming was taking a hold of the film industry and she recalls many people telling her that her idea would not work. She didn’t allow the naysayers to stop her though.
“A movie theater is not just about movies,” she told mitú. “It’s a community place that can affect change and that’s what I’m building.”
Her business has made her the Stuart first Black Latina to own an independent movie theater in New York. Her plans are to open a multiplex in the neighborhood where she grew up, Sunset Park, which is mostly Hispanic.
“I want to control the narrative so that I can choose to share our voices,” she said. “I want to have the power to create change.”
When the pandemic hit, she was strategic about how she would generate revenue so she decided to rent the theater to host remote baby showers and funerals for loved ones.
Stuart is also the founder Oktober Film Festival, a New York based festival launched in 2012. She has been funding and executive producing projects for the festival since 2008 allowing it so serve as a launching pad for filmmakers across the nation.
“Many independent filmmakers don’t even dream about the Oscars because they can’t afford to show their movie at a real theater,” she explained. She added that it is part of the reason why she decided to begin the festival.
Follow Stuart’s journey and show your support by visiting here.
