Have you walked out of a cinema feeling elated, changed, or inspired?  If the answer is yes, The Movie Man is a film you will love.  

Have you been to a multiplex built out of someone's house deep in the woods?  You will see in the trailer it is a  movie-going experience like no other.

I'm a filmmaker today because I went to Highlands Cinemas when I was 12 years old. I want to honor this enigmatic multiplex by putting the same heart and soul into the documentary as Keith Stata has put into the cinema.

THE MOVIE MAN  introduces us to colorful entrepreneur Keith Stata and his bizarre multiplex set deep in the forest of small-town Ontario, Canada. After 40 years in business, Keith is forced to confront his current limitations, dwindling health, and a global pandemic. The future of his quixotic cinema becomes more and more uncertain as the film unfolds.

Has the pandemic ended movies as we knew them? Is the collective experience of sitting in the cinema quickly fading away?

The film explores Highlands Cinemas and it’s importance to the town of Kinmount as a microcosm of the world facing COVID-19. What happens to a small town when it’s only allure is forced to close? Will 2022 be the last season at Highlands Cinemas?

Keith Stata opened Highlands Cinemas during the summer of 1979. What began as a single screen, transformed into a 5-screen multiplex showing first-run films over the course of it’s 40-year history. Changes in technology, dwindling ticket sales, a popcorn-eating bear, and his 50 cats all contribute to the chaos.

Despite his steadfast passion, we follow Keith as he is beaten down with issues and complications due to COVID-19. With no family and few friends to help, Keith is confronted with insurmountable challenges of keeping his unlikely cinema open for another season.

Support to get us over the finish line! Up until this point the film has been entirely out of pocket. We have 90% of the documentary filmed. We have a few more shoots to wrap production and move into the post process. Funds will cover rentals and crew for those final shoots and the post-production dollars will cover the following: 

• Editing
• Sound design & mixing
• Color grading and versioning 
• Score
• Stock footage
• Clearances

If money is tight you can help support us by sharing the campaign on social media or simply helping us build an audience by following us on Instagram and Facebook.  We understand there are a lot of worthy causes to fund--we truly appreciate your support in any way you can help. 

MATT FINLIN: DIRECTOR

 A natural-born storyteller, Matt builds stories with an ideal mix of passion and innovation. From New York to Toronto, his lively, aesthetic eye and thoughtful sense of narrative have led to award-winning documentaries, music videos, and commercials. Matt’s first film at Highlands Cinemas was Terminator 2 when he was 11 years old. You can can find him at a concert, at the movies, or watching stand-up.

KAREN BARZILAY: PRODUCER

The Movie Man  Producer, Karen spent much of her career producing highly rated and award-winning television with CTV and Bell Media in Canada. With extensive experience in broadcast news, award shows, variety programming, and live events, she has worked with some of the most talented personalities in the world. Her passion for high-quality programming has helped Door Knocker Media to become an industry leader in the development and production of both traditional and digital content. You can usually find her writing, or taking one of her children to soccer.

JAMES YATES:  LEAD EDITOR

James Yates is a documentary editor from Toronto, Ontario. His first feature as an editor was All Governments Lie: Truth Deception and the Spirit of I.F. Stone, which was executive produced by Oliver Stone and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. He cut two documentaries which premiered at the HotDocs Film Festival in 2019: The Corporate Coup d'État, a follow-up to All Governments Lie, and Toxic Beauty, which examines the potentially harmful chemicals hiding in everyday personal care products. His most recent projects as editor are Better Living Through Chemistry, exploring the lives and work of psychedelic pioneers Sasha and Ann Shulgin, Last of the Right Whales, about the elusive and endangered North American Right Whales, and Malcom is Missing about a woman's hunt for her missing father.

We have some amazing perks for all you cinephiles! 

We have a poster designed by Toronto artist Nathan Boone! Want an 8x12? No problem! Full 24x36–we can do that too!

We have The Movie Man hats, t-shirts, and mugs! 

Best of all, we have tickets and popcorn to see a film and experience Highlands Cinemas. If you have never been, it's worth the trip from wherever you may be!