In the fall of 2009, four friends opened an independent art-house cinema in the Cass Corridor called the Burton Theatre on a shoestring budget and a hunch. The Burton was the only art-house/indie/cult/weird offering the city of Detroit had seen in decades beside the venerable Detroit Film Theatre at the DIA. The effort was met with tremendous community support and a loyal patronage. Despite the group’s success, the Burton was forced to suddenly close its doors due an irreconcilable dispute between landlord and tenant. Despite this setback, the desire has remained to have the unique voice the Burton provided in metro Detroit’s cinematic landscape. After three years of programming “in utero” at a variety of spaces from warehouses and art galleries to street corners, the folks from the Burton are closing in on a new home.

Update Oct 6, 2014: We are excited and deeply honored to be one of 58 winners of this year’s Knight Arts Challenge from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation! As we close in on a new home, the support of the KnightFoundation is a tremendous boon to our efforts. Stay tuned!

The Knight Arts Challenge is a community-wide contest to fund the best ideas that engage and enrich Detroit through the arts. For more, visit KnightArts.org.