Studer Community Institute

Treehouse Cinema brings diverse cinema to Pensacola area

November 21, 2014
/ Mike Ensley
/ community-dashboard

Want to catch “Birdman,” the Oscar-buzzy film about an actor on the edge starring Michael Keaton? Tough break, Pensacola film fans. Like many other independent, foreign and cult films, it’s not playing here. Your best chance for cinephiles to find something other than the latest Michael Bay epic is a short drive across the Pensacola Bay Bridge at The Treehouse Cinema. The theater opened this summer. “We want to give the community a house for diversified cinematic culture suited for the whole family;” said Treehouse General Manager Dylan Carroll. “We also want to provide a platform for local filmmakers to exhibit their work.” The Treehouse is nestled in a shopping center just past the turnoff to Pensacola Beach in Gulf Breeze and it’s certainly not the first theater to occupy the space. The building first opened as a cinema in 1979, and according to Carroll has passed through a few different hands over the years. Originally, a two-screen theater, it was converted to four screens in the mid-‘90s and operated that way until earlier this year when the theater came to a crossroads: digital conversion. As film was phased out and digital projection became the standard, refitting the theater was a costly proposition. When the previous owner decided to sell, the employees of the theater decided to make sure it stayed true to its indie roots. Led by then employee and now owner Tripp Jordan, they kept the workforce intact and began the process of transforming both the concept and the theater. “The cinema needed a jolt of life, and some technical upgrades that had been necessary for some time,” Carroll said. “It was time for the cinema to move forward and to do that, the Tree House came to be.” The theater closed for one week to refit and rebrand and when it opened it had a new outlook and new technology. The technology changes were huge for their operations and the films they could show. “We can open first run features, and change out our films more often. We no longer have to wait weeks (or months) for a print of a film,” Carroll said. “It was often the case that the films we wanted to bring didn't have any 35mm distribution, and we were left having to skip over these films altogether or to exhibit them on disc.” And while the Treehouse employees do miss working with film, the quality of the presentation has also improved. “We all loved working with the prints, but being able to exhibit these features without dirt, scratches, and missing frames makes a world of difference,” Carroll said. “The audience is seeing the film as it was meant to be seen.” The ability to exhibit digitally also opened up the theater to another of its missions – promoting local filmmakers. One such talent is Andrew Ferrara, whose film ‘Surrogatory’ is playing Sunday, Nov. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the theater. “Treehouse Cinema has been more accommodating and wonderful to work with than I could ever have imagined,” Ferrara said. “For a truly independent filmmaker like myself, being provided the opportunity to showcase my art to the community means more to me than I can properly express in words.” ‘Surrogatory’ is the story of a same-sex couple pursuing parenthood through a surrogacy organization. Ferrara said he shot the film on a budget of $200, but mostly through the generosity of friends, family and local business, who donated their time to work as actors and crew and provide filming locations. “The themes are rooted in my personal life and are loosely based on the conversations I had with my ex-fiancé about starting a family through surrogacy,” Ferrara said. “It is a part of me, and I couldn't be more thankful to the Treehouse cinema (for allowing me to show it).” Carroll says the Treehouse has many more planned for film fans in the area. “Community involvement is essential and is key to the success of the theater,” Carroll said. “We are in the process of starting our 2015 anime (Japanese animation) series, and are always taking submissions for local and regional showcases.” Courtney Hagans makes the drive across the bridge regularly to the Treehouse and says that not only does the theater show great movies, but also they take care of their patrons. “They care about getting good quality films,” Hagans said. “I love going because as an independent theater, it’s a much more friendly atmosphere. You can tell that they love film just as much as the people coming to see the movies.” Jamie Hullenbaugh also regularly drives from Pensacola to Gulf Breeze to see movies at the theater. “I am excited that Treehouse Cinema is bringing indie films to the Pensacola area,” Hullenbaugh said. “The theatre is cozy, clean and a won’t cost you a fortune on a night out.” Carroll appreciates the support and the sentiment and says the community has been wonderful to the theater’s rebirth. “We are humbled to have an audience of intelligent and open people here in Northwest Florida,” Carroll said. “It has been a huge encouragement to have this kind of support.”

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Treehouse Cinema brings diverse cinema to Pensacola area

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