Bijou Film Board provides independent, experimental, and documentary cinema to both the University of Iowa and downtown Iowa City community, after its recent merge with FilmScene, a local non-profit cinema founded by a Bijou alumni. The theatre’s new location at 118 E. College Street in downtown Iowa City recently opened on December 6th.

Bijou Film Board Executive Director, Jesse Kreitzer, has been influential in forming the new partnership with FilmScene. The 2nd year MFA graduate student in film and video productions said the partnership was a worthy venture and he is enthusiastic to have a new venue that will now include a café space, roof top terrace, and art gallery. He envisions the new space as a cultural hub, one where they can host screenings and tie in guest lecturers and filmmakers.

The Bijou Film Board’s new space downtown will provide a welcoming and accessible venue for the growing community of film lovers in the Creative Cooridor. For Kreitzer, going to see a film on the big screen is a shared experience near and dear to his heart. Unfortunately for him, it seems like a dying tradition. He emphasized, "the service that we are providing is vastly important. There’s incredible work being produced – a vibrant, rich catalog of independent film."

The process to move downtown has been challenging at times. "None of us have a crystal ball," laughed Kreitzer. The difficulty has been in anticipating how the partnership will function. Both parties involved have worked together to develop the bylaws and details of the partnership, while ensuring that it results in a meaningful agreement. Kreitzer promises that the new partnership is still representing Bijou’s interest. He clearly stated, "Bijou still plays a heavy hand in operating this new space."

When asked what Bijou Film Board is most proud of, Kreitzer chose the new partnership with FilmScene. It was "a bold move leaving the IMU, but we knew that we could be doing more," he reflected. The Iowa City community is receptive to this new space, and has been requesting a downtown cinema for quite some time. According to Kreitzer, Bijou’s relocation was “a brave and calculated decision to see what the future holds for cinema downtown, in a new and exciting space."

Kreitzer looks at the new entertainment venue as an accessible place for the UI student body and the Iowa City community – one that is starting to cultivate more of a film community. The merge with FilmScene was a big step for Bijou, and Kreitzer is continually looking in the long term. The goal is to expand to a 2-screen cinema and eventually incorporate 35 mm archival prints. He is "excited to see what happens…I'm sure the community will support it."

For more information on Bijou Film Board, visit bijou.uiowa.edu.