Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Primary Organization <br />Description <br />In 2018 the Chelsea Theater became this area’s only nonprofit <br />dedicated solely to the appreciation and understanding of film. W ith a <br />three-screen theater and operating 365 days a year, the Chelsea <br />shows a mix of first run, independent, international, documentary, <br />classic and specialty films. Educational programs and special ev ents <br />are offered on a regular basis, frequently with community partners. <br />Since March 17, 2020, the Chelsea has been closed, but in the year <br />prior, nearly 47,000 people purchased tickets to films. Hundreds <br />more participated in non-box-office ticketed courses, and special <br />programs such as our partnership with Duke Univ ersity’s OLLI and <br />v arious departments at UNC. Monday ev ening and weekend special <br />ev ents included films and conv ersations with local experts on a <br />v ariety of topics. <br />Since closing, the Chelsea has turned to v irtual streaming. W e work <br />with distributors to offer films for rent v ia our web site that are not <br />typically av ailable on other streaming serv ices. In July, we initiated <br />Chelsea Selects: A Lens on the Triangle, in which works by area <br />filmmakers are shown for two weeks at a time. Proceeds are shared <br />with the filmmakers. W e also present Zoom discussions. For <br />example, filmmakers Courtney Symone Staton and Olympia Stone <br />and Marsha Gordon hav e or will discuss their work in Chelsea <br />Selects. <br />W e are currently working with the local chapter of the NAACP on a <br />v irtual showing of Let the People Decide on the history of v oting <br />rights along with two other timely films about women’s representation <br />in national political campaigns. <br />W hile the majority of our audience are Orange County residents, <br />many trav el from other parts of the Triangle and beyond. <br />Demographically, our audience skews on the older side of fifty, which <br />is typical of arthouse theaters across the country. W e estimate that <br />racial composition is approximately 79% Caucasian, 12% Black or <br />African American, 6% Asian, and 3% Hispanic or Latino. This is based <br />on informal surv eys that compare audience composition with the <br />div ersity of films shown. Gender makeup is approximately 60% <br />female. <br />There are currently twelv e elected board members ranging in age <br />from twenty-fiv e to mid-sev enties. (There are three open seats which <br />will be filled ov er the next six – twelv e months.) Current board <br />members include film makers, marketing and communication <br />professionals, accounting and business professional, a film <br />historian, health professionals, and community v olunteers. Two are <br />African American, eight are female and four are male. Two full-time <br />employees include the executiv e director with an extensiv e <br />background in nonprofit arts management and operations manager <br />who has a background in film and technology. Films are booked <br />through a professional film broker who works with our part time film <br />programmer and program committee on selections and av ailability. <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 4C4DC138-B827-4E5E-95AD-496FA7AE496B