Projectionists Laszlo Vince loads a reel of film. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O'Leary)

CLEVELAND — With the tear of a ticket, the Cleveland Cinematheque offers up an experience like no other theater in Ohio. 

“It’s nice to get a fresh perspective, sometimes a more artful perspective sometimes,” said Hope Macadlo.

She goes to the theater when she’s looking for something different than what you might see at your local multiplex. The Cleveland Cinematheque is run as part of the Cleveland Institute of Art but is open to the general public. 

“I think it adds a very wonderful, artful, cultural scene for Cleveland,” Macadlo said. 

The Cinematheque shows movies Thursday through Sunday and is known for its eclectic mix of films. 

“If you only program for one audience, you only get one audience,” said David Huffman, who started as the new director of the Cleveland Cinematheque this past June.

He says he is looking to expand awareness of the unique theater, touting its role as a more communal theater experience. 

“They want to have a communal experience, they want to have a unique time. And that’s what you get when you come to see a movie here at the Cinematheque,” Huffman said, adding he is excited to bring in viewers of all types, not just ones who consider themselves film buffs. 

The theater has a 4K digital projectors but can play 35mm film, allowing them to show older prints. Huffman is taking advantage of this fact by programming series like a Norma Shearer tribute series, showing four films highlighting the forgotten Hollywood star. To secure the film prints, he got into contact directly with the studio. 

“They had to literally get it out of the storage facility in some salt mine that they keep these hermetically sealed archival prints to keep the longevity of them. And no one’s played that print in over a decade that we’re going to be playing,” Huffman said. 

The passion of the tiny staff extends to projectionist Laszlo Vince.