Prime 11 Cinemas celebrates 1st anniversary

Photo by Michael Woodward

CANDY BEFORE SPIDERMAN: Before going into a theater to see Spiderman 3 at Prime 11 Cinemas, customers get concessions in the lobby. Prime 11 Cinemas won the 2006 Business of the Year award from the Anderson Chamber of Commerce in March.

The first year of Prime 11 Cinemas has been “awesome,” according to Ken Hill, CEO of Prime Cinemas. The theater opened last year on May 5 with four screens showing “Mission Impossible 3.”

“We had the city there at 10 a.m. to give us our occupancy permit, and the show time was at 10:30,” Hill said. Between that sequelled, sequel and the showing of Spiderman 3 on May 5 this year, Prime 11 Cinemas has been decorated by the Anderson Chamber of Commerce as the 2006 business of the year.

The cinema, located in Shasta Outlets at 1816 Hwy. 273 in Anderson, is home to first run and art house films. The previous cinema in Anderson, The Gateway Theater closed in 1996. It was located where the Safeway gas station is now perched on Balls Ferry Road.

Hill boasts that Prime 11 uses real butter on its popcorn and has over 100 concession items for sale.

Prime 11 Cinemas donated $8,644 to non-profit organizations last year through the Monday Sponsorship Program. Prime 11 offers to donate 15 percent of the concession sales to charitable organizations on select Mondays.

“I love the free films during the summer,” said Hill. “That’s always a gas. We’re offering 15 free films over the summer where families can see movies for free.”

The free films begin with “Over the Hedge” and “How to Eat Fried Worms” on June 13-14. Show times of the free films can be viewed at the Prime 11 Cinemas web site, www.primecinemas.com.

Looking towards the second anniversary, Hill said that Prime 11 is working toward bringing digital 3-D technology to Anderson.

Prime Cinemas operates the Trinity Theater in Weaverville, and is working to open a new theater in Galt, in the Sacramento area.