By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. – For six decades, the Guild Cinema has offered Albuquerque moviegoers something they cannot always find at a multiplex. From independent and foreign films to documentaries, cult classics and local productions, the Nob Hill theater has become a destination for audiences looking for a different kind of movie experience.
Now, the Guild is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a three-day Staff Picks Film Festival taking place from Aug. 11 through 13, featuring films chosen by members of the theater’s staff.
For owner-operator Keif Henley, the milestone represents much more than the age of the building.
“Sixty years means a place of curiosity, wonder, something different, something adventurous,” says Henley. “We’re a space for that kind of cinema, that kind of activity, that kind of creative motion picture activity.”
Henley began working at the Guild as a projectionist before purchasing the theater in 2004. Over the years, he has expanded its role beyond traditional movie screenings by welcoming local filmmakers, live performances, student projects and community organizations.
“It’s kind of an all-purpose space, primarily a cinema,” says Henley. “Not only were we doing arthouse cinema, but we’re also including all these other things too as well.”
The Guild first opened in 1966 and has remained one of Albuquerque’s most recognizable independent theaters through changing audiences, new technology and the rise of streaming. Rather than competing with larger theaters, Henley emphasizes the Guild has focused on accessibility and community.
“Well, you make yourself accessible. You try to make yourself affordable,” says Henley. “You’re trying to offer something a little bit different than what’s usually spoon-fed to us by mainstream media and mainstream culture.”
Henley believes the experience extends beyond simply buying a ticket. “I think that something happens where it’s just more than a monetary value exchange,” says Henley. “I feel like there’s some kind of cultural exchange that goes on beyond just people passing money back and forth.”
That sense of community is something longtime patrons Darryl DeLoach and Antoinette Pacheco have experienced firsthand.
Pacheco has known Henley for more than 20 years through the New Mexico Indie Filmmakers Alliance. When the Guild’s anniversary approached, she saw an opportunity to celebrate both the theater’s history and its place along historic Route 66.
DeLoach, an independent filmmaker and actor, credits the Guild with inspiring his own creative journey.
“I even credit the Guild and its sister theater Don Pancho’s of being the cinemas that gave me my love of filmmaking,” says DeLoach. “The Guild has always been a place that we’ve been able to screen our films, and it’s really been the center of what I consider a special part of the local film community here.”
Some of his favorite memories are not tied to a single film, but to late-night gatherings with friends after screenings where they watched unusual movies together. “It was just such a treat,” says DeLoach. “We did it for a long time.”
For Pacheco, the Guild represents something increasingly rare in a rapidly changing city.
“Albuquerque’s not Albuquerque now, is not the same Albuquerque that I grew up in, except for places like the Guild,” says Pacheco. “The Guild is one of a handful of places that is just the same.”
Pacheco hopes first-time visitors leave with a greater appreciation for films outside the Hollywood mainstream. “I hope that they appreciate the link to art, eclectic art, and sort of the non-Hollywood and anti-blockbuster type of movie,” says Pacheco. “Maybe give some more of those a chance.”
DeLoach agrees that what makes the Guild special is its carefully curated programming.
“In our world today, when most media is fed to us through algorithms, I think it’s a very special thing how [Henley] programs the selection,” says DeLoach. “I’ve often called the Guild my second living room.”
Henley hopes newcomers experience that same feeling during the anniversary celebration. “A sense of community, a sense of coziness,” says Henley. “Something that’s fun. Something that’s invigorating, enlightening. Just a sense of a communal feeling, and the sense that they can belong here.”
The Guild’s 60th anniversary celebration will feature nine staff-selected films from the theater’s 60-year history over the course of three days, including The Tin Drum, Society, Gilda, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Bottle Rocket and PlayTime. A complete schedule and ticket information are available at GuildTurns60.com and GuildCinema.com.