Earlier today New York City officials Kate Levin, Scott Stringer, Margaret Chin and Gale Brewer were joined by acclaimed filmmakers Michael Moore (Bowling For Columbine); Matthew O’Neill (China’s Unnatural Disaster, Redemption), and Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) at a ceremony to mark the groundbreaking of Downtown Community Television Center’s new documentary-only theater. The groundbreaking marks a significant milestone for Downtown Community Television (DCTV), a cultural fixture in Lower Manhattan since 1972 founded by the award-winning filmmaking team Jon Alpert & Keiko Tsuno.
The first of its kind in the United States, the 73 seat, fully-interactive, digital cinema will be the state-of-the-art venue specifically for documentaries in New York City, and will provide theatrical runs to non-fiction filmmakers for Academy Awardยฎ qualification.
“New York City is the worldwide capital for documentary filmmaking. We have more documentarians per square inch than any place on the globe. For people who love docs, this is their home,” said DCTV co-founder Jon Alpert. “This theater is a place that celebrates their work.”
“Innovative cultural institutions like DCTV are an enormous part of what makes New York City a great place to live, work and visit,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “This new space will be another gem on our landscape of places where creative people can thrive and contribute to New York City’s unique cultural landscape.”
“At a time when documentary film-making is flourishing as never before, I am pleased to salute the new documentary-only theater that DCTV is opening here in New York City,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer. “This theater, which will be the first of its kind in the United States, offers an exciting new venue for an art form that has increasingly come to play a major role—not only in the world of film, but in the discussion and exploration of public issues that affect millions of people around the world. I was proud to offer support to this worthy project and I know it will provide an important forum in our City for years to come.”
“For over 40 years, DCTV has helped New Yorkers shape and share their stories through an unwavering commitment to documentary film making,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin. “The City is thrilled to join the public-private partnership that will transform space in this extraordinary landmark into a state-of-the-art cinema to serve professional filmmakers, talented students and countless audiences from across the five boroughs and beyond.”
“New York City is one of the world’s greatest hubs of culture and entertainment, and today’s groundbreaking is the latest example of how the City is investing in projects that promote the arts while spurring economic growth,” said NYC Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “The Downtown Community Television Cinema will be a great attraction for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and countless visitors. I congratulate all those involved in this project and I will continue to support projects that promote the arts along with my colleagues in the City Council.”
The theater, designed by Lee H. Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership will be built on the ground floor of the beautiful 1896 firehouse that DCTV has called home since 1979 and will boast a state-of-the-art 3D and 4K Digital Cinema projection system, and the ability to share live events with millions of people around the world via the Internet. It is expected to open in early 2015.
Supporters of the cinemas included: Lower Manhattan Development Corporation—funded through Community Development Block Grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Office of the Mayor of New York Ci