Carbon Arc Cinema is a film organization in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which screens a regular program of films at the city's Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.Emma Smith, "'Zoning' problem leads Halifax indie cinema to join complaint against Cineplex". CBC News Nova Scotia, February 25, 2020. The organization concentrates principally on a rep theatre program of independent Canadian and international films that are not otherwise screening at the city's commercial movie theatres.
The organization was launched in 2010.Hollie Uffinger, "Carbon Arc adjusts to virtual screenings". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, May 3, 2021. It initially screened films at The Khyber arts centre,Amber Young, "Carbon Arc's three weeks". The Coast, April 14, 2011. before moving to the museum after the Khyber shut down due to financial difficulties in the mid-2010s.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the organization shifted to a virtual cinema model. The committee attributed the volunteer-run organization's survival to the fact that they normally screened movies at a government facility, and thus didn't need as much money to operate as they would if they needed to pay operational and maintenance costs on their own dedicated theatre.
The organization also stages several annual specialty film festivals, including the Hellifax Horror Film Festival for horror filmsEmma Convey, "Hellifax Horror Fest creeps into Halifax Thursday for fifth year". CTV Atlantic, October 30, 2024. and the Nova Scotia Retro Film Festo, dedicated to screening Nova Scotia films that are no longer in commercial distribution.Morgan Mullin, "How a new Halifax film fest is saving old indie films from extinction". CBC Arts, January 30, 2025. The inaugural edition of the Retro Film Festo screened the films Touch & Go, Poor Boy's Game, New Waterford Girl and Love That Boy,Sean Mott, "Film festival offers glimpse into Nova Scotia’s past". CTV Atlantic, January 26, 2025. while the second edition in 2026 featured The Hanging Garden, Growing Op, The Corridor, Margaret's Museum and Hobo with a Shotgun.
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