Lawren Desai, executive director of a/perture cinema, to step down as theater faces financial struggles

Lawren Desai is stepping down as executive director and curator of downtown Winston-Salem’s a/perture cinema as the venue faces financial struggles following the pandemic.

She plans to step down from a/perture in January, when the cinema celebrates its 15th anniversary. She says she can’t keep up the pace it takes to run the theater, which she describes as an everyday job that’s hard to get a break from even on holidays.

Desai says opening up the organization to new leadership means a chance to turn the theater around as it faces a budget shortfall. The cinema became a nonprofit in 2017 in order to create opportunities from grants and foundations.

But she says a/perture hasn’t received the support that venues in other cities of similar size have enjoyed. 

“Though I’m, of course, very sad and heartbroken and all sorts of emotions about stepping away from a/perture, I’m doing so with a sense of optimism and hope, because I want to have a/perture so that I can go see films there," Desai says.

A/perture has not been immune from a national decline in moviegoing, as theater audiences haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. 

She says keeping things going will require more community support for the venue.

“I don’t really think you could call it the ‘City of Arts’ if you don’t have film," she says. "Cinemas are the places where filmmakers make their films to be seen in a communal space. That experience is not one you’re going to get at home.”

A/perture Cinema opened in 2010 and became a key piece of downtown’s revival. 

A/perture’s board provided a statement saying they have accepted Desai’s voluntary resignation and a search is on for her replacement. The release says her departure comes at a critical time as a/perture only has enough funds to get through the end of the year.