Approximately Half a Million Dollars in Extra Grant Payments Awarded to Movie Theaters Affected by the Pandemic Across Louisiana

Louisiana - Louisiana State Treasurer John M. Schroder has provided extra grant payments to movie theaters across the state as part of the second wave of financing for cinemas affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Louisiana State Treasurer John M. Schroder distributed approximately $500,000 in extra grant payments to movie theaters across the state on January 3, 2023, in accordance with legislation that granted a second wave of financing for cinemas that endured economic hardship as a result of the epidemic. The grant program, which was an outgrowth of the Main Street Recovery initiative, was overseen by the Louisiana Treasury Department.

“It’s wonderful to head out to the theater to catch a show, but as we’re all abundantly aware, that wasn’t the case over the past several years,” said Schroder. “Vacant seats meant no income for theater owners. To keep them from closing for good, the Legislature saw fit to give them a leg up so we could all still enjoy going to the movies today.”

In this second round of money mandated by legislators, 28 theaters qualified for a supplemental grant award check. This figure includes numerous movie theaters that were eligible and earned grants during last year's program but were unable to make ends meet due to insufficient grant cash or additional government COVID-19 relief funding.

Some theaters that received grants last year were eligible for consideration under Act 497 of the 2022 Regular Legislative Session, which established the second round of grants, but may not have received any grants due to the amount of federal funding they received, according to the Louisiana Treasurer's Office. The cost was calculated on a pro-rata, per-screen basis.