AURORA — It’s curtains for another event along the East End Arts District on East Colfax Avenue.
In December, Asian Film Festival officials announced they were shutting down the popular June event for good, citing lack of sponsors.
Now, city officials say “Flix on the ‘Fax,” where family movies were shown for eight Saturday nights for free at Fletcher Plaza, also will not return this summer.
Marie Addleman, special events coordinator for Aurora, said showing the movies was too expensive for the city and attendance was down.
Outdoor film series are costly, she said, especially for tech companies to produce sound and video outside.
She said the event was for a neighborhood, and the city is focusing more on festivals and other events at Fletcher Plaza for the entire community.
“Events have a shelf life,” Addleman said. “We wanted to showcase the revitalization of the plaza and surrounding area, and I think we have accomplished that.”
But the recent announcement was another blow to an arts district that city officials envision will reinvigorate Colfax and north Aurora.
The Asian Film Festival was a mainstay of the city’s cultural district for 10 years, and many were sad to see it go. The city still is struggling to lure top-line artists, and some storefront shops remain empty — six years after the arts district was created.
City officials point to other successes along the strip that show the area is thriving. The Shadow Theater, the only all-black theater company in the area, recently premiered its first show in Aurora after moving from its longtime home in Denver.
Fletcher Plaza also is home to popular events such as the international festival in late summer and Fiesta Aurora next month.
City Councilman Larry Beer said the city is facing hard economic times, but he did say the arts district has been a success so far.
“I think it is headed in the right direction,” Beer said.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
