Maitland’s Enzian Theater Upgrades to 70mm Film: A New Chapter for Florida’s Indie Cinema Landmark

Forty years after first lighting up Maitland, Enzian is once again proving why it matters. The region’s only full-time independent cinema has launched a $150,000 campaign to install a reel-to-reel projection system that can show both 35mm and 70mm films. The upgrade keeps Enzian among the few theaters in the country still dedicated to showing movies on real film — not just digital files.

In a time when “film” is mostly a figure of speech, Enzian stays loyal to the real thing. Since 1985, its 35mm projector has carried thousands of stories across the screen. But that system runs on a platter setup that studios rarely approve for screenings today. The new reel-to-reel equipment will change that, opening the door to archival prints, 70mm releases, and the kind of moviegoing experience that built Enzian’s reputation. It also makes Enzian one of the few independent theaters in Florida capable of screening films in the 70mm format preferred by directors like Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan, and Quentin Tarantino.

“The addition of this new equipment will be an absolute game-changer,” says Programming Director Matthew Curtis. “It brings our projection to a new level of excellence that will enthrall cinephiles and casual moviegoers alike.”

The upgrade includes a dual 35mm/70mm projector, an improved sound system, and a next-generation screen for brighter color and sharper contrast. Combined with Enzian’s 4K laser projector, the setup will merge analog warmth with digital precision.

Executive Director Wade Neal says the project gets to the heart of Enzian’s mission. “The opportunity to showcase 35mm film was one of the key reasons I wanted to get involved,” he says. “Presenting real film deepens our commitment to preserve and celebrate the art of cinema. The crowds that line up for these screenings say it all. The shows reconnect audiences with movies as they were meant to be seen.”

That connection is what has always defined Enzian. A night there isn’t just about watching. It’s about friends gathering underneath the oaks at Eden Bar and inside a theater that still believes in the magic of shared experience. Twice a month, the Cult Classics series sells out 35mm screenings of everything from The Big Lebowski to The Thing. The draw isn’t just novelty. People come for that feeling that can’t be streamed — the whir of the projector, the crowd settling in, that anticipation you get right before the story begins. The rituals of going to see a film are still very much alive here.