Our Vision, Our Mission
In 2015, a new not-for-profit, Indianapolis Film Project (“IFP”) sprang to life. Recognizing a void in their city’s cultural landscape, the founders of IFP envisioned a state-of-the-art year-round home for independent film exhibition. That vision took shape when IFP built and opened the Kan-Kan Cinema in 2021.
The mission of Indianapolis Film Project and the Kan-Kan Cinema is:
- To exhibit high-quality films;
- To entertain and educate audiences from all backgrounds;
- To inspire conversation and community engagement.
A Short History
In the early 2000s, entrepreneurs Tom Battista and Sam Sutphin bonded over a beer at Bluebeard Restaurant. When talk turned to movies, it usually ended with “why doesn’t our city have a great independent theatre?” Spurred on by their sons Ed Battista and Ben Sutphin and a chance meeting with pop-up movie exhibitors Daniel Jacobson and Dusty Frey, an informal working group soon developed, a.k.a., “the founders.”
In his book, Cat’s Cradle, Indianapolis native Kurt Vonnegut describes “Kan-Kan” as a metaphysical instrument that draws people together.
In this case, the metaphysical instrument would be a great independent movie theatre!
Then came a lengthy search for a place and a community that would share and embrace the founders’ vision. Again, chance intervened, bringing Tom and Sam together with Pastor Robert Smith of the Christian Unity Missionary Baptist Church in Windsor Park, an historic working-class neighborhood on the city’s near eastside. Due to an aging congregation and sky-high utility costs, Pastor Smith had been seeking to sell his church for several years.
Importantly, the Windsor Park Neighborhood Association signaled their interest in the Kan-Kan founders’ plan for a cultural center surrounded by small businesses catering to the community.
A deal was soon struck and plans were drawn up for a theatre inside the church. Regrettably, the soft soils of Windsor Park—on the banks of Pogue’s Run—could not support a massive renovation.
Perseverance and stick-to-it-iveness led to five years of planning, fund-raising and two years of hearings before the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development.
When IFP broke ground in 2018, there were 35 boarded-up houses within 1000 feet of the construction site, primarily due to decades of municipal neglect and the 2008 mortgage crisis. With help from the neighborhood association, IFP’s leadership initiated zoning changes and launched new businesses.
When COVID intervened, plans for the Kan-Kan’s grand opening on March 13, 2020 were put on hold. Nevertheless, then-Executive Director Louise Henderson guided the Kan-Kan through a period of “stayin’ alive” until August of 2021, when the general public was finally welcomed.
Today, the Kan-Kan Cinema and Bar, a modern theatre complex designed by renowned architect James McQuiston, sits in the heart of Windsor Park where new businesses are thriving, homes are being restored, young families are moving in, recreational options abound and multiple examples of community pride are on display.
The Kan-Kan Commitments
- Film Exhibition and Education
- We create opportunities for our community to enjoy and engage with cinema, focused on independent films and diverse programs.
- Future and Current Filmmaker Support
- We offer a place for local filmmakers, industry workers, and students to collaborate, screen films, and grow their careers.
- Community Invitation and Engagement
- We are a welcoming space and community partner that invites all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and abilities to film-centered experiences.
We’re grateful for the support of our Opening Sponsors
