About

In his book Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut wrote of a “karass:” a group of people linked in a cosmically significant way. The instrument that brings a person into his or her karass is called a “kan-kan.” We hope to be a place that brings people who are cosmically linked—by their Indianapolis addresses, their search for joy and meaning, their love of good food and movies—together.

The Kan-Kan started out as a pipe dream unknowingly shared by a few people in Indianapolis.  Tom Battista, his son Ed Battista, and Sam Sutphin and his son Ben had, in the course of their travels, noticed how a city’s funky, independent movie theaters reflected and embodied that city’s culture and community. Indianapolis, they decided, deserved a place like this. Thus: the Indianapolis Film Project (IFP) was born.  

After five years of planning and fundraising, IFP completed construction of its first project, Kan-Kan Cinema & Restaurant. This three-screen arthouse cinema, film education complex, New American restaurant, and innovative cocktail bar will finally provide the people of Indianapolis with a local space to use film and food as tools for education, connection, and collaboration. The Kan-Kan will also serve as IFP’s home base to pursue our mission projects: Film Exhibition & Education, Future Filmmakers Lab, Local Filmmakers Initiative and Audience Outreach.

Kan-Kan’s Restaurant and Bar is a perfect spot to share a snack, a meal, or drink before or after a film. Get comfy in a booth or find a new friend at the bar. Enjoy a casual menu of seasonal dishes using the freshest ingredients served up by Chef Michael Conley. He has worked alongside some of the great minds of the Indianapolis chef scene including Abbi Merriss and Carlos Salazar, and he continues to hone his passion and craft at Kan-Kan.