Think back to your earliest memories at the movie theatre. Do you remember the whirring of the film reels? The flickers of dancing light and imperfections on the screen? The anticipation of a changeover when you saw the cigarette burns in the corner? These once-familiar details were all part of the magic of movies projected on film. Today, it’s virtually extinct.
For over a decade, there hasn’t been a film presence in Kansas City. Last year, Adam Roberts, co-owner of Screenland Armour in North Kansas City decided to change that.
When Adam purchased the theatre in 2013, Screenland still had a 35mm film projector. Like nearly every theatre at the time, this was quickly replaced with a digital system. At the time, film was seen as clunky and antiquated. Studios weren’t creating new prints, the machines were hard to service, trained projectionists were becoming few and far between, and there wasn’t an appetite for the older projection style.
“Since COVID, there’s been a bigger interest in film, and really a bigger interest in classic and repertory cinema,” Adam says. “A classic film that used to have zero people show up might sell out.”
Those looking for older, unique, and more curated films have found their home at Screenland. In deciding what the next big improvement to the theatre would be, Adam turned to this growing audience. Film was the natural next step.
Adam turned to a nationwide group of independent film owners for advice about re-installing a film projector. They informed him about a hybrid projection system that could run both the standard 35mm film and the historically less common 70mm film.
Many see 70mm as the gold standard of film presentation. The film cells are twice as large, producing richer detail and excellent clarity. The reels themselves are also twice as large, twice as heavy, and more difficult to handle. Being able to project both types of film would open a world of film prints, both old and new, for exhibition at Screenland. With the installation of the projectors, Screenland would become one of less than 30 public theatres with the capability to project 70mm prints.
The project came with a hefty price tag: about $120,000. Adam turned to the community of moviegoers at Screenland to make it happen. He made it clear that regardless of the outcomes of the fundraising, this project was happening, and the dollars raised would be used to offset the high upstart cost.
Instead of asking for donations, Screenland offered supporters the ability to purchase packs of movie tickets, concession bundles, movie posters, and other theatre perks.
The response was immediate and immense.
Over the thirty days the fundraiser ran, Screenland raised around $20,000 for the project. Combined with funds already saved and revenue from the holiday season, they were able to complete the project without needing a loan — something Adam couldn’t have dreamed of being possible in the theatre’s early days.
Screenland’s staff was eager to learn projection, and he now has six employees, plus himself, who are trained to run shows. They spent a significant amount of time learning the ins and outs of projection before the big day came.
“You can train, and you can learn, but at a certain point, you can only figure out how it will really be in real, live shows, " says Adam. “It’s like rehearsing for a play — at a certain point, all you’re missing is the pressure.”
The projectors were installed in February of 2026, just days before the first showings of Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” on 70mm. They had never done a full run-through of that movie, and during one of the first screenings, the sound stopped functioning correctly. A day later, they had it fixed and were back up and running.
The imperfections are part of the charm of film projection. They make it feel more tangible. There’s less emotional distance between yourself and the image on the screen. You can’t replicate that feeling on a digital print.
Screenland’s audience agrees. The first few months of screenings have been a massive success. With each screening, the staff is getting better at projection. Every showing is full, and audiences are dialed in.
“One of our regulars, Aaron, has compared these film screenings to rock shows. People are showing up 45 minutes early, and they’re locked into this screening as the exciting thing they’re doing today,” says Adam.
Part of the energy and excitement is in no small part due to Screenland’s penchant for building community among cinephiles. Through weekly Friday Night Frights screenings, monthly Cinema Social Club events, and summertime Backyard Movie Series, they’ve created a space where people can gather and bond over their shared love of cinema. In an era of disconnection, Screenland has found a way to foster relationships.
“There’s been an ongoing trend of people looking me in the eyes and telling me the nicest things I’ve ever been told in my life,” says Adam. “It happens a lot during the film screenings.”
Screenland’s film program isn’t just special for the Northland or Kansas City — it's a love letter to films and the people who love them. The appeal isn’t just the format, either, but the audience that keeps coming back to have a special, shared experience.
Upcoming summer film screenings at Screenland Armour
- Christopher Nolan Director Series (70mm/35mm) leading up to The Odyssey (70mm)
- Close Encounters of The Third Kind (70mm)
- O Brother, Where Art Thou (35mm)
- Alien 3 (35mm)
- Find more on their website at screenland.com
“A classic film that used to have zero people show up might sell out.”
“One of our regulars, Aaron, has compared these film screenings to rock shows. People are showing up 45 minutes early, and they’re locked into this screening as the exciting thing they’re doing today."