Beloved Tara Theatre to reopen this spring

By Sammie Purcell and Collin Kelley

The closure of the beloved Tara Theatre will be short-lived thanks to Plaza Theatre owner Christopher Escobar.

During the Feb. 21 closing night screening for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF), Escobar announced in a video message that he was reopening the Tara in a “few months.” The cinema, located at the corner of Cheshire Bridge and Lavista Roads, was closed by its previous owner, Regal Cinemas, just before the holidays.

The Tara had been a destination for art house and foreign film lovers for more than 50 years.

Escobar said the reopening was possible thanks to undisclosed partners and his friendship with AJFF executive director Kenny Blank, who advocated with the property owners, Halpern Enterprises, on his behalf.

“[Blank] has a friendship with the Halpern family and knows that I was trying to work on getting it reopened, and advocated on our behalf to make that an arrangement that’s sustainable and would make it possible for it to reopen,” Escobar said. “They listened to that and agreed to come to an arrangement that makes that realistic.”

He said the Tara would still cater to art house, indie, and foreign film fans, but would also screen classic movies in 35mm and 70mm formats.

“For the first time in more than a decade, The Tara will be a cinema regularly presenting films in their original formats,” Escobar said in the release.

Escobar said the Tara is hoping to pre-sell $50,000 in tickets and vouchers ahead of the opening. Donations are also welcome. Get more information at the new Tara Cinema website, taraatlanta.com.