It’s unlike anything else in the world, an experience that many of us have had the privilege of transporting ourselves to: going to the movie theater.

This experience is not just about the popcorn or the previews or even the screen, it’s about the transformation. The stillness. The way the lights go down and something ancient and electric begins. You are suddenly somewhere else, feeling things you didn’t expect, surrounded by strangers who, for a brief moment, are your fellow dreamers.

In the 1930s, movie theaters were sacred. People would race to the cinema, dressed to the nines, just to sit in wonder staring at the silver screen. From silent films to talkies to the enchanting beginnings of animation, theaters weren’t just showing movies, they were offering portals to hope, to escape, to something larger than life.

But now, in a world of iPhones, endless apps and algorithm-led content, something is shifting — or fading. Streaming platforms have turned the extraordinary into the everyday. We have infinite stories at our fingertips and yet it’s as if the magic is rarely there anymore.

And that’s where independent theaters matter more than ever.

Jeff Yanc, program director at The Loft Cinema in Tucson, puts it beautifully.

 “Going to movies in general is important because of streaming, so I always advocate people to go to any theater, but to go to an independent theater in specific is really important because we are a community-based theater,” Yanc said. 

Independent theaters aren’t just venues. They’re curators, protectors, rebels. They’re fighting for the art of cinema in a world that’s become addicted to convenience. When you walk into a space like The Loft, you’re not just watching a film, you’re stepping into a story that was chosen with care. For you. For your city. For your soul.

“To me the big difference is that we choose our own programming,” Yanc said. “We do it in response to our community and our audience. To get a full broad picture of the kind of movies that are available in the world, I think you need to go to independent theaters.”

This matters. Deeply. When streaming services dominate, they begin to decide what stories get told and which ones disappear. Independent cinemas give space to the small-budget wonders, the risky ideas, the unheard voices. They are the pulse of cinema’s future and its soul.

“It’s important culturally to support local businesses because the money also funds back into the local economy,” Yanc said.

And that’s the truth: choosing to see a film at an indie theater isn’t just entertainment, it’s an act of love. Of resistance. Of celebration. You’re choosing to be present. To support local artists. To keep the artform alive.

So go. Not just to the movies but to the theaters that care. Let yourself be moved. Be changed. Be reminded that wonder still exists and that when we gather in the dark to watch a story unfold, we’re part of something sacred.

The magic is still there. It’s just waiting for you to show up.

Follow the Daily Wildcat on Instagram and Twitter/X