Plaza Theatre’s Chris Escobar reopening Tara cinema

By Maria Saporta

Good news Atlanta moviegoers!

The Tara Cinema will rise again.

Chris Escobar, owner of the Plaza Theatre, announced Tuesday evening at the closing night of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, that he will be reopening the beloved Tara in the near future.

“If you’re like me and have been coming to the AJFF for years — and a fan of historic cinemas, I’m sure you too are sad this year couldn’t also be held at Tara due to its recent and unexpected closing,” said Escobar in a video message before the showing of the closing night movie.

Escobar said he is able to reopen the Tara thanks to a few partners, and his friendship with Kenny Blank, AJFF’s executive director, who advocated on their behalf as well as the Halpern family, who own the property on Cheshire Bridge and LaVista, where the Tara is located.

“It’s a testament to what is possible when Atlantans come together, and how our cultural institutions can live on when we all get a say,” Escobar said. “For the first time in decades, the Tara will once again be run locally.”

Escobar has become a major player in Atlanta’s movie and arts scene.

Before buying the Plaza Theatre on Ponce de Leon in 2017, Escobar was a member of the Atlanta Film society since 2007, joining the board in 2010 and becoming its executive director in 2017.

In some ways, Escobar is the younger version of George Lefont, who once owned both the Plaza Theatre and the Tara. For decades, Lefont was known for bringing independent, artistic and international films to Atlanta.

“Once re-opened, it will have the same qualities and programming those who love the Tara have come to expect, but also much, much more,” Escobar said in the video. “In just a few months, I’m looking forward to welcoming you, and next year, the AJFF back to the Tara! See you then.”

The Tara, an Atlanta staple for 54 years, closed rather suddenly in November. At that time, it was operating under the Regal Cinema brand, which said at the time that it made the decision to close because of its “real estate optimization strategy.”

With Escobar at the Tara, it once again will be locally owned and managed. The news also shows the partnership between Kenny Blank, AJFF’s executive director; and Escobar, who is executive director of the Atlanta Film Festival. AJFF used the Plaza venue for several of its movies during the two-week festival.

Escobar, however, did make an appeal to movie lovers in his video message.

“We are working on everything needed to get it re-equipped and ready to welcome audiences, so here’s where you come in,” Escobar said. “If you’re someone who lamented the news of it closing, now you can actually do something to help it re-open.”

Escobar said he and his partners have set a pre-sales goal of $50,000 in ticket vouchers and gift cards, money that is needed to reopen the Tara. People can join that effort by going to the Tara Theatre website.

Escobar also shared a “sneak peek” of what people can expect when the Tara reopens.

“It’s still going to be a home for Arthouse, indie, foreign films in Atlanta,” Escobar said. “But we’re also bringing back a number of things missing from the Tara for years including classic films, 35 and 70mm actual film — in addition to digital — and a bunch of other exciting things including righting the egregious wrong of not serving Coca-Cola! At the Tara? So, if there are any Coke people here, call me!”

Escobar declined to be interviewed because he had promised an exclusive to WABE’s Lois Reitzes, who actually was introducing the AJFF closing night film “Killing Me Softly with his Songs,” a documentary about lyricist and composer Charles Fox.

Huge cheers.