There is a small repertory theater in Toronto’s East end called Projection Booth, and it is definitely one of Toronto’s most interesting theaters. The Projection Booth plays Indie Movies,   Documentaries, and Foreign Films. It was started by three people; Jonathan Hlibka, Nadia Sandhu, and Euan Mowat. Hlibka and Sandhu both have experience in the movie business, they both work for Studio Film Group, an independently owned film distribution, marketing and production company based in Leslieville. Mowat owns a coffee house a few doors down called Grinder Coffee, which provides all of the refreshments at the Grinder Canteen, which is the concession stand at the Projection Booth. The Projection Booth seems to be a lot about the atmosphere, and the personalities of the people who work there, unlike the majority of theaters in Toronto, every time that a movie plays a staff member stands up in front of the crowd and makes a quick introduction, and tells a little about the film.

“I was going for something a little different, that’s why we picked a name like Projection Booth”
-Johnathan Hlibka

The theater is available for different sorts of events, such as birthday parties, press screenings, venue rentals, focus groups, and audience analysis. Wednesday nights are industry nights, with their weekly “In The Biz” series, it gives industry insiders a venue for Cast and Crew Screenings, Screen Commitments, Production Rushes, and a shooting location. On Sunday you can watch cartoons on a full theater size screen, its a great place to bring your kids, and watch cartoons from the 50s and 60s, like Popeye, and Lulu, and of course Bugs Bunny. The theater has 295 seats, and is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside, it features Dolby 5.1 sound, digital and 35 mm projectors, wheelchair accessibility, and gourmet concessions from Grinder Coffee.

“We’re really trying to get the community behind independent cinema”
-Johnathan Hlibka

Starting this Friday, the Projection Booth will be showing independent horror films in celebration of Halloween; Bong of The Dead, Millenium Bug, Straight to Hell Returns, and Carry on Screaming!. If you want to find out more about the Halloween scary movies check out this article.

If you are interested in renting the cinema, having an independent film shown, or if you are a school teacher and you would like to bring a class to the Projection Booth, go to their web site for information.