Independent movie theater to open Oct. 2

If you screen it, they will come. That Mike Hazlett’s theory.

Next Friday, Oct. 2, Hazlett will throw open the doors on Green Light Cinema, a small (100-seat) movie theater at 221 2^nd Avenue N. Green Light will be dedicated to small, independent films, foreign movies, documentaries and cult favorites – what some call art house movies. The kind of stuff they don’t show at the big-money multiplex theaters.

First up will be The Nest, a 2020 psychological thriller starring Jude Law.

Hazlett, a New Englander who moved to St. Petersburg five years ago, has worked in the film and performing arts industries, and is a longtime independent cinemaphile.

“When we got here, I was looking around going ‘where is this place?’” he said. “And it didn’t exist, so I thought well, I’m going to do it.”

Green Light was announced in February; Hazlett intended to open in April.

Along the way, the arrival of Covid-19 changed everything.

“And so, here we are,” he said. “Let’s open a movie theater in the middle of a pandemic! It’s awesome.”

Once public restrictions began lifting, as to the allowable percentage of people allowed to gather (with masks and distancing), and as the big theater chains started to re-open at limited capacity, Hazlett and his business partners decided to pull the proverbial trigger.

“We finally made the decision that we’re gonna give it a shot,” Hazlett explained. “We were still under construction when Covid hit. I’ve put in half the seats, so I have 50 seats in the theater. And I’ll be able to sell 30 to 35, depending on who you talk to. Basically, I’m going to be at 30 percent. With reserved seating.”

Photo by Mike Hazlett

A dry run was held, with friends and family, last weekend. “The best thing I ever did was not putting all the seats in. Because you can see it, you know what I mean? It feels like there’s a lot of room – and there is! There’s six feet between rows.”

CDC cleaning regulations are in place for the venue, which – for now – will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Check the Green Light Facebook page and the in-progress website for schedules, ticket reservations and additional details.

“I’ve had a ton of discussions with people about using the theater for other things,” added Hazlett. “I’ve got some film folks who want to come in and do retro stuff, and somebody who’s probably going to do some shorts a couple times a month. And I’ve got the tech wired, so we could do corporate presentations and private parties.”

Perhaps even big-screen Zoom meetings. In this day and age, nothing is off the table.

Film fans in the bay area have been abuzz about Green Light since it was announced back in February. And Hazlett, despite the limits forced on him by pandemic regulations, is enthusiastic as well.

“Thirty people’s tough!” he laughed. “It’s a tough number. The margins are tight, but I think I can make it work, or at least help pay the bills.”

“And if I can supplement it with specialty stuff during the week, I think I can kind of hang in there.”