Rainbow Cinemas closes next month

Rainbow Cinemas theatre in the Rainbow Centre Mall will close Aug. 29.

A press release from the cinema's owner, Magic Lantern Theatres, said the decision has been made not to equip the cinema with digital projectors, and 35 mm film prints are becoming very scarce and difficult to get.

The theatre was originally a three-screen Famous Players cinema, but sat vacant for several years after Silver City was built in New Sudbury. After sitting vacant for several years, the facility was rebuilt, opening as a six-screen cinema in 2004.

Rainbow Cinemas' Sudbury location has never been able to access first-run Hollywood movies due to distribution rules, and so has played second-run movies at a discounted price. It has been Sudbury's main venue for alternative programming.

Although it was designed with Cinefest in mind, the local film festival has never used the venue.

Rainbow Cinemas plans to continue to rent the facility out for parties and meetings for another year.