Screenland Armour will bring rare film format to KC. But it’ll need help
Screenland Armour, one of a few locally owned movie theaters in Kansas City, is bringing in new film projectors to show new and old movies the way directors intended.
Movie theater owner Adam Roberts announced the addition of 35mm film and 70mm film projectors to its largest theatre at 408 Armour Road in North Kansas City. They’ll be able to show classic films like Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” and upcoming films like “The Odyssey” from Christopher Nolan in the film format.
The theater is partnering with Magna-Tech Electronic Company to install a dual projection system, which allows for reel-to-reel projection and gives Screenland the ability to show both new and collector’s film prints. Bringing back this type of film has been on Roberts’ mind for some time, but things like updating the theater and the cost of the projector were in the way.
Roberts said grew up watching movies on film until the late 2000s to early 2010s, when digital made its mandatory way into theaters. When his ownership took over Screenland in 2012, film was dying and they were forced to upgrade to digital or be shut out of new releases.
Years later and movie theaters around the world now have the ability to show new releases on film as well as classics having new prints struck. thanks to filmmakers’ insistence, Roberts said.
“While these will never replace digital, we think it’s important to bring this format back to the city and allow for regular runs and screenings on both 35mm and 70mm,” Roberts said.
How is Screeland funding the 35mm and 70mm film projectors?
It’s not cheap, and Roberts said they’ve already placed a $100,000 loan to install the new technology. To offset the costs, Screenland is running a month-long fundraiser to help. Those who donate can get perks and discounts through the end of August.
Some of the ways fans can contribute include buying gift cards ranging from $10 to an amount of your choice, $10 movie tickets or T-shirts ranging from $35 to $45. Guests can also purchase a film 101 class with Roberts as the instructor for $125, an opportunity to program a film of your choice for $600, a week-long advertisement for your business in all of their theaters for $1,000, or the naming rights for one of their theaters in 2026 for $5,000.
Roberts said there’s no good time to start a huge project like this when you’re a small business, so he has to be creative with the funding and prepare as best as he can. Based on the reaction to the announcement, he can sense that Kansas City is hungry to see movies projected on both 35mm and large format 70mm film.
Screenland’s website also says “we also realize that we live in truly wild economic times with high interest rates, which means funding a ‘want’ project is a bit more difficult. But we realize that our film lovers, both locally and abroad, and believe in what we’re doing here.”
“The outpouring of messages and emails and excitement has been truly incredible,” Roberts said.
Visitors can expect the new film technology to be installed in mid-November or early December, as Roberts said he was told the installation date was anywhere from 100 to 120 days from Monday, Aug. 4. When the projectors are installed, he said Screenland will be hosting a big release with multiple runs of both new and classic movies on the film formats.
What is 35mm and 70mm film print?
You may see the terms 35mm and 70mm used a lot in film, but what do they mean?These are film formats used in movie theaters to project the movies on to the screens.
Most films were projected in 35mm film before digital projections emerged in the 1990s. Screenland says 35mm is still the most widely used size of film used by filmmakers today and most new releases and prints are available in this standard format.
According to the U.K. Science and Media Museum, 70mm film offers bigger, brighter, more detailed and vivid pictures. The prints are much bigger and harder to transport and are expensive to produce, but its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years thanks to filmmakers like Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, Jordan Peele and Ryan Coogler insiting to make their films in this format.
There really is nothing like watching a movie on film, Roberts said. While the physical print slightly degrades and changes on each play, it’s the uniqueness of each run that makes watching movies in this format highly sought-after.
“In a similar way that vinyl records have a particular sound to them, watching a movie like this is a unique analog experience,” Roberts said. “For many generations, they have never seen a movie projected on film, and when it comes to large format 70mm, these projectors are very few and far between across the country. This will make Screenland a destination for cinephiles across the country.”
AMC Town Center theaters in Leawood is currently the only other theater in the Kansas City area to have a 70mm film projector.
This story was originally published August 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
