After the beloved Manor Theater closed its doors in 2020, there weren’t many places to see art house and foreign films on the big screen in the Charlotte area. On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic had put the entire movie theater industry in jeopardy. But that’s exactly when the Charlotte Film Society made the bold decision to find investors and start a new, not-for-profit, multi-screen cinema. The Independent Picture House opened its doors in 2022 and hasn’t looked back. We talk to executive director Brad Ritter about the early days of this destination for film lovers, as well as what we can look forward to seeing at the Independent Picture House in the weeks and months ahead.

Pictured: Executive director Brad Ritter or the Independent Picture House. Phil Vavra/WDAV

Pictured: Brad Ritter in the lobby of the Independent Picture House theater. Phil Vavra/WDAV