The Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas in Austin Texas has is the little theater that could. It’s become an Internationally known movie theater and a must see stop for anyone visiting town which is quickly becoming a haven for the Hollywood hipsters to hang out. This is in large part due to the folks at Ain’t It Cool News and the hot new South By SouthWest conference, that, apparently I’m not cool enough to give credentials too. But that’s another story. After a few recent bad movie going experiences here in DC, I was ready to get a movie executive on the horn and vent, who better to talk to then the CEO of the Alamo John Martin – especially since they are expanding and opening their 2nd theater, here in Virginia.
EM
Can you start by telling us a little bit about your role at the Alamo Drafthouse?
JM
As chief executive officer my role has been that of: Overseer of creative DNA for the Alamos, promoter of specialty events with celebrities, ambassador for independent filmmakers, and creator of expansion opportunities for Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas in new markets.
I have big plans for Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas over the next 12 months and beyond. Alamo will expand beyond its home state of Texas for the first time this fall by opening an eight-screen theatre in Virginia and will continue growth in Texas with three theatres – two franchisee-owned locations in McAllen and San Antonio, set to open by the end of 2009, and one corporate-owned location in Austin opening early next year. I am also in the process of qualifying potential franchisees for a theatre in San Marcos, Texas for an early 2010 opening. Also, in addition to continuing Alamo’s commitment to first-run blockbusters as well as independent films, I plan to unveil a number of programs designed to appeal to a wider variety of guests.
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