Calgary’s Globe Cinema has been on sale since 2020, no plans to close
Posted May 5, 2024 1:46 pm.
Last Updated May 6, 2024 11:46 am.
The Globe Cinema is on sale, which could lead to the loss of a longtime movie theatre in Calgary, but it’s been listed for years and the theatre says there are no plans to close.
The Globe, which hosts the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) and the Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF), is currently listed at $2.4 million by Avison Young.
Riley’s Reproduction and Printing, which is right next door, is also for sale, going for $4,4 million.
The theatre, along with Uptown Theatre, made up a strip with movies and shows on Stephen Avenue just over 14 years ago. The Globe used to be Towne Cinema, which opened in the mid-1960s on 7 Avenue and 3 Street SW, closing briefly then reopening again at the current Globe location in 1974. The Globe opened in 1995.
After Uptown Theatre closed in November 2011 following the sale of the Barron Building a couple of years prior, the Globe stood alone on the strip, building an audience with its independent and international films, particularly through festivals and events.
With the Globe up for sale and Eau Claire Mall closing, it appears Calgary moviegoers are running out of places to catch a flick made by local and independent filmmakers.
However, in response to concerns from the public following talk of the sale, Globe Cinema released a statement online stating it appreciates the support but says it has been listed since October 2020 and will continue operating as normal.
“Many of our supporters may be surprised to learn that our cinema has been listed publicly since October 2020, but this has not impacted our ability to bring curated films to Calgary’s most dedicated moviegoers,” the statement reads.
“While the COVID lockdowns posed a substantial threat financially, our operations have since been thriving thanks to the contributions of Calgary’s film community.
“Globe Cinema has, and will continue to operate under normal capacity for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, your support is vital to empowering independent cinema in Calgary.”
CUFF also responded to requests for comment from CityNews, saying there has been some “misleading news regarding the Globe.”
“The owner has no plans to close in the meantime. We’ve also always been in touch with the owner and (are) aware of the sale,” said CUFF festival director and programmer Brenda Lieberman.
“Our festival will remain working with them and looking at options at the point something changes in the future or if we can be involved in the changes the Globe takes, in the future as well.”
Lieberman also says the Globe remains the “most rented and used” special event cinema in Calgary and has multiple screenings of around 15-20 film festivals and events per year.
“We can’t lose the Globe as a double-screen, indie cinema option in Calgary, so we’re trying to stay close and involved on all levels and ideas,” she said.
CIFF will be announcing plans for the upcoming festival in the fall on May 28, which will include its use of Globe Cinema.
In the meantime, CIFF says in statement to CityNews that it is aware the cinema has been for sale for the last four years, and is “conscious of the risk” posed by the possibility of a purchase being made by an investor less willing to host Calgary’s various media arts groups.
“With the destruction of Eau Claire, the Plaza and the Globe are all that’s left in the core of Calgary as far as cinematic-ready screening spaces go. That means Calgary, the 3rd largest city in Canada, has 3 screens available to the media arts for cinematic screenings in downtown,” said CIFF acting executive director Katherine Penhale. “As a province, we’ve prioritized creating films within Alberta, and increasingly, we’ve prioritized Albertans creating films here at home and now we have to prioritize ensuring we have adequate resources and spaces within the community for them to showcase those films in an accessible and affordable way if we want to continue to push Alberta’s film economy forward.
She adds that the hope of CIFF is for the Globe to continue to be owned by someone who wants to maintain it as a theatre.
“CIFF knows we can’t rely on hope alone and have been developing plans for over 2 years to ensure we contribute to a sustainable ecosystem of cinematic spaces within Calgary,” Penhale said.
