Film screening benefits salmon

Even as the leaves begin to change, and the first taste of cooler autumnal winds are in the air, there are changes afoot at Sisters Movie House & Café starting after Labor Day.

For the second straight year, the cinema and café will be reducing “normal” operating days and hours to Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for the rest of September and most of October. The theater will be closed completely on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, with special events occurring on Thursdays beginning on September 14.

“Due to the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes in Hollywood, we need to adjust our fall schedule,” explained Drew Kaza, managing partner of quoin media & entertainment, which operates Sisters Movie House. “It is not our preference, but unfortunately, the strikes are impacting the movie release schedules and the knock-on effect has a number of titles shifting into the new year instead of getting released in the months ahead.”

The biggest of those titles so far is “Dune 2,” which was originally scheduled for release in early November but has since been moved to mid-March, 2024. There are several others and more expected to come.

“It’s a bit of a mad scramble now,” said Kaza.

The cinema has enough product to guarantee a lively autumn, even with opening reduced to the weekends.

“We are particularly excited about our special events for the fall, starting with a major environmental educational event on the 14th at 7 p.m. with a screening of the documentary ‘Dammed to Extinction,’” noted Kaza.

That program will benefit nonprofit Columbia RiverKeeper and feature a panel discussion following the movie, including the director Steven Hawley.

“This is a very topical movie and discussion. Everybody wants to help save our salmon,” said Kaza. “We are donating 100 percent of the ticket proceeds to Columbia RiverKeeper as part of this effort.”

Tickets for “Dammed to Extinction” are priced at $15 and available for purchase now at http://www.sistersmoviehouse.com. As for the other special events, “We will be announcing further details shortly,” according to Kaza.