On Feb. 7, art and film junkies alike will be able to appreciate and analyze local and independent films from classics to freshly produced cinema.
Babylon Kino, meaning theatre in German, is a new movie theatre that shows select underground movies of various genres is set to have its opening night, showing the 1988 film "Brain Damage", a comedic horror film directed and written by Frank Henenlotter.
Owner of Babylon Kino David Axe said as a film maker who has created several features, it has been frustrating that Columbia doesn't have a small venue for film makers to advance and distribute their products.
That's where Babylon Kino comes in.
"We want to work with and for local and regional filmmakers to give them a space to premiere their work, to do test screenings of their work, (even if) they need to just run a screening of a work print," Axe said.
Axe said there will be an abundance of films and events in the future, such as movie trivia nights and the theater's very own Babylon Fest, where the theater shows more offbeat films, will be occurring on June 6 and 7.
Filmmaker and partner of Babylon Kino Wade Sellers said it can be stressful for filmmakers to find locations to show their work. His role is to reach out to local artists and filmmakers to give them a spotlight, he said.
"It's deflating when you're a filmmaker that spent so much time on work to be told that it's going to take six months to schedule your work at a big theater," Sellers said. "We want filmmakers in the independent film community in Columbia to have a home, someplace where they can feel like, even if they're not showing a film, they can hang out in, talk with other filmmakers, congregate, throw out ideas."
The theatre seats up to 49 people each night, aiming for a small, consistent crowd of movie lovers and film junkies, Axe said.
"All we have to do is engage people who really love movies to drop by on occasion and spend a few bucks, and then we've got ourselves a viable, little film exhibition enterprise," Axe said.
Sellers said he defines "underground" films as ones with unorthodox subject matter or limited funding, as many films get overlooked due to their lack of support.
"These films live in a place where those who really, truly love independent cinema, search them out and find them and have a specific passion for them that really is unique to a lot of art forms," Sellers said.
Many of the filmmakers who got nominated for Academy and Spirit awards started as underground filmmakers, he said.
Underground films tend to have more authenticity and originality, as many mainstream movies have teams who edit throughout the filming process, Robin Dial said. He is the host of the Underground Cinema Club, a specific night showing specific underground films the first Friday of each month.
"A lot of independent filmmakers throughout their careers have been making movies that are willing to take chances, that are even deliberately edgy, knowing that they're not going to make any money," Dial said. "It's not about the money, it's about expressing some element of their creativity that they need to work towards, whether it's drama or horror, science fiction or romance and comedy."
As the theater finds its footing and continues to host events, Dial said they are open to changes catered towards consumer enjoyment.
"We are part of the audience. We're not the managers who sit in a room off to the side. I'm going to be sitting right next to you if you show up," Dial said. "We've had quite a few people see things differently, and we've all been able to work really well together, which we're lucky to have that."
Niche subject matter paired with a small crowd brings watchers together, which is one of the primary goals of the theater, Dial said.
"Lo and behold, everybody sitting to your right and your left has that exact same desire," Dial said. "Immediately there's a commonality that I think people can enjoy and take advantage of. Everyone looks around the room and says, 'Oh wow, these are my people!'"