Cinemapolis

Independent, Local, and International film in the
heart of downtown Ithaca, NY

7th Art

The 7th Art Corporation of Ithaca is the non-profit media arts organization responsible for the operation of Cinemapolis.

Mission

Encouraging central New York residents to explore the power of film to entertain, educate, and to celebrate the human experience.

Community Cinema

A community cultural institution where the art of film is used to enrich people’s lives, grapple with and illuminate contemporary issues, and, of course, to entertain.

Film Festivals

The home venue for annual festivals including the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, Ithaca Fantastik, and  the Cine con ¡CULTURA! Latin@ American Film Festival.

What is Cinemapolis?

The first answer is simple: we are a first-run movie theater located in the heart of Downtown Ithaca, specializing in independent, foreign, and locally-produced films.

But more than that, Cinemapolis is a community cultural institution where the art of film is used to enrich people’s lives, grapple with and illuminate contemporary issues, and, of course, to entertain.

Executive Director, Brett Bossard
brett@cinemapolis.org
607.277.6115
120 East Green St, Ithaca NY 14850

Our Mission

The 7th Art Corporation, a non-profit media arts organization, encourages central New York residents to explore the power of film to entertain, educate, and to celebrate the human experience.

7th Art is dedicated to providing a sophisticated community with the best in new international and independent cinema. Since its formation in 2000, The 7th Art Corporation owned and operated Ithaca’s downtown movie theaters, Cinemapolis and Fall Creek Pictures–and now houses five screens under one roof at the new Cinemapolis.

Member Support

Ticket sales only cover 72% of the cost of running Cinemapolis, and we depend on our members and supporters to keep fine films coming to Ithaca. We look forward to your suggestions and your support. Donations can be made securely online (click “Be A Donor” ), or simply sent to: Cinemapolis, 120 E. Green St,  Ithaca, NY 14850

Since 7th Art is a 501 (c) (3), your gift may be entirely or partly tax-deductible; consult your tax advisor.

If you have questions about donations or membership, please call 607.277.6115 during daytime hours.

  • Ticket Sales 72% 72%
  • Donations & Fundraising 28% 28%
Cinemapolis Theater Patrons
Cinemapolis

About Cinemapolis

Cinemapolis Theater ExteriorFor 30 years, Cinemapolis has been dedicated to showing the best examples of the “seventh art”— films that stir our feelings, open our minds, connect us to others and deepen our understanding of life so that when we leave the theater, the world looks a little different.

By serving as the region’s home to independent, international, and locally produced film, your community cinema enriches the artistic, social, and political life of our community through film.

cinemapolis-lobby-interiorToward this end, Cinemapolis:

  • screens more than 150 art and independent films each year
  • provides film education programs for adults and students
  • presents film festivals such as
    • the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival
    • the Ithaca International Fantastic Film Festival
    • the Cine con ¡CULTURA! Latin@ American Film Festival
  • premiers films by local filmmakers
  • sponsors public film forums, film literacy classes and after-film discussions
  • hosts screenings by local community groups and non-profits, fostering an appreciation of film as an instrument of change.

History of 7th Art

Cinemapolis, operated by Seventh Art, Inc., has been a vital part of Ithaca’s cultural life since 1986. Initially a for-profit organization established by Lynne Cohen and Richard Szanyi, the theater was located in two sites, the Fall Creek and Cinemapolis theaters. Cinemapolis was reorganized in 2000 to become a not-for-profit 501(c)(3), board-directed organization, like other arts organizations such as the Hangar and Kitchen theaters.

cinemapolis-theater-interior2In 2007, the Board decided to take the opportunity to design a brand new theater in downtown Ithaca, a site which has allowed an ever expanding program of community education and special events as well as the continuation of fine independent and art films. All 5 screens are now located under one roof with updated equipment in an attractive, accessible and comfortable environment. Among the special educational offerings are discussions about films that raise important current issues, “Local Favorites” lecture series and Kidsflix matinees, in addition to an expanded role in the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival.

A membership program was established in 2008 with the goal of increasing revenue while attracting new members of the community to experience and benefit from Cinemapolis offerings. Members receive discounts on every movie ticket and most refreshments, in addition to other benefits, depending on membership level.

An advertising sales program has also been started as an alternative revenue stream. Ads for local businesses and organizations are shown in all five theaters as well as on a screen visible from outside the theater. Additional revenue programs include rental of the theater to community organizations and individuals, program and film sponsorship, and individual major gifts.

Building Community

As a community Cinema, Cinemapolis responds to the community’s interests by offering excellent examples of the film arts and educational programming centered on film. Cinemapolis screens works by local filmmakers, produces festivals in partnership with Ithaca College and Cornell, and works to educate students about the power of film. Community residents of all ages benefit from the growth that comes not only from exposure to exciting film, but also from joining their neighbors to participate in the arts.

Click here to download: 2013-2014 Report to the Community (PDF)

Building Economy

A thriving downtown art film house is an asset to the community, a magnet attracting visitors who shop and patronize restaurants. A strong cultural community is a powerful recruiting tool for area educational institutions and businesses. Individuals and companies like to be a part of communities where citizens value the arts and appreciate the rich texture the arts add to the quality of life.

7th Art Board of Directors 2020

Brett Bossard

Executive Director of 7th Art

Brett Bossard has served as the Executive Director of Cinemapolis since 2013. Bossard has spent two decades in arts administration, serving in leadership positions at community organizations such as the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County, the Hangar Theatre Company, and the Cayuga Museum of History and Art. He holds degrees in screenwriting from Ithaca College and Popular Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. Bossard has worked extensively in fostering a collaborative arts sector, serving on grant panels for the New York State Council on the Arts, the board of the New York State Alliance for Arts Education, and currently as the vice-chair of the Strategic Tourism Planning Board of Tompkins County.  He was recently selected to be part of the transitional working group for the Art House Convergence, an association dedicated to advancing excellence and sustainability in community-based, mission-driven media exhibition.  
 

Allison Deutsch Andersen

Board President

Don Rakow

Board Vice-President

Don Rakow is currently an associate professor of horticulture in the Cornell School of Integrative Plant Science, where he is responsible for teaching several courses. Between 1993 – 2013, he served as the Elizabeth Newman Wilds Director of Cornell Plantations. He has led many CAU tours of the great gardens of Western Europe and writes frequently about the history, management and social dimensions of public gardens and parks. He is the co-author of ‘Public Garden Management’ (Wiley & Sons, 2011), and is currently co-developing a text on the role of public gardens in the well-being of communities and their residents.

Despite this extensive history in horticulture, Dr. Rakow has been a lifelong film buff, and as an undergraduate had a minor in film history. He regularly watches new releases (at Cinemapolis) and classics, and his favorite reading each week is the Friday film reviews in the NY Times.

Luca Maurer

Secretary

Luca Maurer is program director of The Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) Education, Outreach, and Services at Ithaca College, and an author and consultant on a variety of topics including health, disability, diversity, and inclusion.

Derek Burrows

Treasurer

Derek serves as General Counsel at GrammaTech, Inc., He’s originally from Clearwater, Florida, but graduated from Cornell (B.S. Engineering) in 2003. He next attended the Catholic University, Columbus School of Law, graduating in 2006.

Eric Acree

Board Member

Carol Bushberg

Board Member

Debra Castillo

Board Member

Scott Hitz

Board Member

Arpi Hovaguimian

Board Member

Arpi is a psychotherapist in private practice. She is the former Executive Director of the Alcohol & Drug
Council of Tompkins County. Arpi has served on the boards of the Tompkins County Community
Services, Suicide Prevention & Crisis Services, and the Dick Van Dyke Alcohol Treatment Center.

Raza Ahmad Rumi

Board Member

Raza Ahmad Rumi is the director of the Park Center for Independent Media and teaches in the Journalism Department at Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park School of Communications. Raza is also Visiting Faculty at Cornell Institute for Public Affairs.

Tom Shevory

Board Member

Tom Shevory is Professor of Politics at Ithaca College and, for fifteen years, has been Codirector of the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, which, each Spring, partners with Cinemapolis to bring cutting edge human rights and environmental films to the local community. He has been attending films at Cinemapolis almost since its inception, has been a long-running board member, and even helped to paint the walls of the current facility before it opened. He is especially pleased to be on the board of a living wage employer. Plus, he likes popcorn.

Patricia Zimmermann

Board Member

Patricia R. Zimmermann is professor of Screen Studies in the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York, USA. She is also codirector (with Tom Shevory) of the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, a major international festival housed at Ithaca College. She has also held endowed chair appointments as the Shaw Foundation Professor of New Media in the School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the Ida Beam Professor of Cinema and Comparative Literature at the University of Iowa.