Newburgh theater founded in 2006
The Downing Film Center in Newburgh closed last month after a 16-year run.
The arthouse theater, which opened in July 2006, was founded by two retired teachers, Brian and Sharon Burke, and their son, Kevin. It became a nonprofit in 2010 and purchased a $60,000 digital project in 2011.
“Changes of all kinds brought about through the passage of time have made our operational model unsustainable,” the Burkes said in a post on their website. The theater was closed for nearly 18 months during the pandemic and, when it reopened, found many more people preferred to stream movies at home.
