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Documentary fetes small theaters such as Camas’s Liberty Theater

‘The Last Picture Shows’ screened in Camas

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category icon Arts & Entertainment, Business, Camas, Life
Masked moviegoers line up for an afternoon screening of “The Goonies” during the pandemic-era reopening of the Liberty Theatre in Camas in October 2020. (The Columbian files)

Masked moviegoers line up for an afternoon screening of “The Goonies” during the pandemic-era reopening of the Liberty Theatre in Camas in October 2020. (The Columbian files)

Rustin Thompson Filmmaker

Rustin Thompson Filmmaker

Princess Theater in Prosser.

Princess Theater in Prosser.

Empire Theater in Tekoa.

Empire Theater in Tekoa.

Elma Theater in Elma was demolished in 2026.

Elma Theater in Elma was demolished in 2026.

M-F Drive In Theater, Milton-Freewater, Ore.

M-F Drive In Theater, Milton-Freewater, Ore.

“The Last Pictures Shows” filmmaker Rustin Thompson “I was surprised how many of them are sticking it out, how many made it through the digital conversion, made it through COVID, and they’re still showing movies in these small towns.”

“The Last Pictures Shows” filmmaker Rustin Thompson “I was surprised how many of them are sticking it out, how many made it through the digital conversion, made it through COVID, and they’re still showing movies in these small towns.”

Owner Tiny Pedersen of the Desert Historic Theater in Burns, Ore.

Owner Tiny Pedersen of the Desert Historic Theater in Burns, Ore.

Owner Larry Hibbard of the Ruby Theater in Chelan.

Owner Larry Hibbard of the Ruby Theater in Chelan.

Roxy Theater, Shelby, Mont. (Photos contributed by Rustin Thompson)

Roxy Theater, Shelby, Mont. (Photos contributed by Rustin Thompson)

Judging by the theaterless wastelands that Seattle documentarian Rustin Thompson has traversed, moviegoers in Clark County have a lot to be thankful for. Here, there are two thriving yet differing independent cinemas, the Liberty in Camas and the Kiggins in Vancouver, that together offer a rich variety of entertainment — from shameless blockbusters to artsy obscurities, from historical classics to rock concert films and live in-person community events.

“Some theaters are staying alive by doing everything,” Thompson observed. “The theaters that are hanging on are doing pretty well, for what they are.”

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