'Anora' screens on 35 mm film at Atlanta's Tara Theatre

There’s a soft, rhythmic patter behind you—the mechanical whisper of film spooling through a projector. A cone of light beams from the projection booth, flickering overhead as it lands on the screen. Somewhere behind that window, a shadowy figure sits, hand hovering near the controls, waiting for the perfect moment to switch reels.

For some, this is a familiar memory. For most, it’s an experience they’ve never had. But at Atlanta’s Tara Theatre, 35 mm film projection is still very much alive. And this week the theater will offer a rare chance to see “Anora” — this year’s best picture winner — on 35 mm film as it was intended.

“We have a long-running relationship with the distributor NEON and have been showing ‘Anora’ at the Plaza since it first came out,” says Chris Escobar, owner of Tara and the historic Plaza Theatre on Ponce de Leon Avenue. “Because the Tara, alongside the Plaza, is one of the only theaters in the area that can regularly show 35 or 70 mm prints, we thought this was a great opportunity to bring ‘Anora’ to the Tara for the first time—and in this rare format.”

Credit: Olivia Bowdoin

Credit: Olivia Bowdoin

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That opportunity is more uncommon than many moviegoers realize. In an era where digital projection dominates, theaters equipped to show 35 or 70 mm film are increasingly rare. Across the country, many historic projectors have been dismantled or left to gather dust, and few projectionists remain trained in the art of handling physical film.

With digital projection making distribution cheaper and easier, most modern filmmakers don’t even have the option to release a movie on film. But this year’s best picture winner is a striking exception.

Credit: (Courtesy of Matt Terrell)

Sean Baker’s “Anora” took home the Academy Award for best picture this year, a momentous achievement for the director, known for his independent filmmaking and sharp-eyed portrayals of American life.

“Anora” is a darkly comedic drama about Anora “Ani” Mikheeva, a young New York stripper who impulsively marries Ivan Zakharov, the son of a powerful Russian oligarch. Their whirlwind romance takes a sharp turn when Ivan’s parents intervene, determined to unravel the marriage at any cost. The film, which blends Baker’s signature raw storytelling with biting humor and social commentary, became one of the most celebrated movies of the year.

At the 97th Academy Awards, “Anora” dominated the night, winning best picture, best director for Baker, best actress for Mikey Madison as the title character, best original screenplay and best film editing.

Baker is also a passionate advocate for the look and texture of real film—he shot “Anora” on 35 mm to capture a more tangible, intimate aesthetic.

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Credit: Olivia Bowdoin

Amber Hutchins, a professor of communication and media at Kennesaw State University, thinks screening “Anora” on 35 mm is a great way to make a deeper connection with the film itself.

“Watching a film on 35 mm on the big screen allows the audience to immerse themselves in the richness of the film, as well as the artistry and technical achievement,” said Hutchins, who recently taught a class on the Oscars. “Audiences and media consumers are increasingly more interested in authenticity, much like the renewed interest in vinyl albums, where you can hear the richness of the experience.”

Shooting a movie on film is as much an art as it is a technical challenge. While film cameras are often cheaper than the latest high-end digital rigs, the cost of actual film stock adds up quickly. Every minute of footage shot on 35 mm isn’t just another file on a hard drive — it’s a physical resource that, once used, can’t be undone or deleted. Every mistake, every flubbed line, every missed shot literally burns through money as exposed film runs through the camera.

But the true challenge of shooting on film isn’t just cost — it’s expertise. Fewer and fewer cinematographers, focus pullers, and camera operators are trained in handling film, meaning productions must rely on seasoned professionals who can get the shot right the first time. Precision and efficiency are critical, making every take a higher-stakes endeavor compared to the relative flexibility of digital filmmaking. For directors like Baker, the choice to work with film is a commitment — not just to a particular look, but to a craft that demands skill, discipline, and a deep understanding of the medium.

Credit: Olivia Bowdoin

Despite an increased appetite for authentic 35 mm experiences, most theaters are only screening “Anora” digitally. Only nine copies of “Anora” were made on 35 mm and the few theatres nationwide capable of screening them are clamoring for them. Tara Theatre is the only place in the Southeast chosen for one of these screenings.

High above the audience at Tara Theatre, tucked away in the glow of the projection booth, Kevin Kelley watches the film unfold on the screen. He is more than just an operator—he is one of the last of his kind, a guardian of a vanishing craft.

“I started working in the theatre exhibition industry on June 11, 1993, for the opening of ‘Jurassic Park,’” said Kelley, now Tara’s director of operations. He has held almost every job in the theatre, but once he threaded his first projector, he was hooked. “Over my 32 years in the industry, I have lost count of the number of films I have worked with,” he said

Credit: Olivia Bowdoin

Projecting a film on 35 mm is nothing like pressing play on a digital file. It is a physical, hands-on process, requiring a trained projectionist like Kelley to monitor every second of the screening. At Tara Theatre, the projectors date back to the 1980s and 1990s, running on a classic reel-to-reel system. Unlike the modernized “platter” system, which splices together multiple reels into one massive loop, the reel-to-reel method keeps each reel intact, preventing damage to the print.

“When a print comes in, we have to inspect it first,” Kelley explained. “We check for scratches, sprocket damage, or dirt buildup. If it’s an older print, we inspect for any splices that need to be reinforced, and we log everything in an inspection report before we even think about putting it on a projector.”

A single 35 mm film print arrives in several heavy metal cans, each reel weighing about 50 pounds. For “Anora,” there are eight reels in total, each one holding about 20 minutes of footage. Unlike a digital projection, which runs automatically, a projectionist must watch the film the entire time, switching from one reel to the next at the perfect moment. That’s where the cue marks —small circles that appear in the corner of the screen — come in.

Credit: John Locher/Invision/AP

“The first cue mark appears about eight seconds before the end of the reel,” Kelley said. “That tells me to start the motor and lamp on the second projector. The second cue mark comes just one second before the reel ends, and that’s my signal to hit the changeover switch. If I don’t get the timing right, the audience will see the film go blank.”

For Kelley, there’s an undeniable thrill in the process—a sense of mastery that few people today get to experience.

“There’s more of a feeling of accomplishment knowing that only a handful of people can do what I do anymore,” he said. It’s a craft, an art. And when everything runs smoothly, when the changeovers are seamless and the image looks perfect, it’s like magic.”

At a time when digital projectors are programmed to start and stop with the press of a button, Kelley’s role feels almost anachronistic. But for audiences at Tara Theatre, his skill is what makes the experience so special. Watching “Anora” on 35 mm isn’t just about seeing a movie — it’s about witnessing a piece of cinema history, kept alive by the dedication of one of the last true projectionists.

As streaming services continue to dominate how people consume movies, it might be surprising that audiences are still drawn to a format that requires heavy, delicate film reels and a trained projectionist to operate. But at Tara Theatre, there’s a growing hunger for something more tangible.

Credit: Photo courtesy of Neon

Richard Martin, the programming manager at Tara, sees this firsthand.

“Our 35 mm program is still new to this building,” Martin says. “Hopefully, ‘Anora’ will bring in more people looking for that specific experience.”

What makes audiences gravitate toward 35 mm? For some, it’s nostalgia — a reminder of how they watched movies in their youth. But for younger moviegoers, many of whom grew up watching only digital projection, there’s an element of discovery.

“It’s the simplest concept, but it’s just the flicker,” Martin explained. “That image moving in front of the bulb, not a pixel in sight. Digital films can feel a little flat at times, but that just doesn’t happen with film.”

There’s something about the warmth of celluloid, the grain of the image, the slight imperfections that make each screening feel alive in a way that digital projection doesn’t quite replicate. Even the occasional dust speck or scratch on a print isn’t seen as a flaw — it’s a reminder that the movie exists as a physical object, something created and handled with care.

While boutique theaters like Tara are helping to preserve film projection, Martin doesn’t expect a widespread resurgence of the format. The reality is that 35 mm screenings will likely remain a “boutique experience”— a rare offering for cinephiles rather than an industry standard.

Credit: NYT

“It’s not particularly necessary for exhibition, but there’s nothing like a film shot on 35mm,” Martin said. “Even when converted to digital, everything just looks richer when it’s shot on film. More filmmakers are choosing to shoot on film now than we’ve seen in a long time.”

As long as directors continue to embrace the warmth and texture of real film, theaters like Tara will serve as their sanctuary — one of the last places where audiences can see cinema in its purest form.

For Hutchins, venues like Tara aren’t just movie theaters. They are time capsules, preserving not just the medium of film, but the very essence of what it means to watch a movie as part of an audience.

“Tara represents a time when moviegoing was an event that took place at a magnificent movie palace,” Hutchins said. “More importantly, movie theaters like Tara remind us that theaters offer a shared, sensory, and emotional experience, where we can be completely immersed in the story and transported to a different place and time.”

And for a few fleeting hours, under the flickering glow of the projector’s light, that magic still exists.