BFA Thesis Film hopes to preserve the historic Ioka Theater on Film

posted by theauteur on May 20, 2009 at 7:50 am

“Ioka” is a short, experimental documentary about Exeter, New Hampshire’s Ioka Theater. The film is directed by Kyle S. Glowacky, a BFA Film candidate at Emerson College. Emerson College’s School of Visual & Media Arts “encourages students to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, which is a more concentrated production curriculum culminating in a capstone project in their chosen medium."

Glowacky was accepted into the BFA program in November of 2008 with a proposal to study motion in a place where motion had been exhibited for 93 years. Since the closing of the theater in December 2008, the film’s concept and scope has since been transformed and rearranged into variations about the projection of light, the physical space of the theater, and the myth behind its name. Glowacky hopes his film will help preserve the Ioka as a movie theater for another 93 years.

While doing research at the Exeter Historical Society, Glowacky came to the conclusion that the two most documented aspects concerning the Ioka have been how the theater has never really made any money since it opened back in 1915, and how every time the theater closes, discussion always surfaces about the myth behind its distinctive name. Building off of these ideas, Glowacky plans to bring the films audience a new perspective on the theater: using the beauty of film to document the rich physical history of the building as well as creating soundscapes and interviews with culturally and historically significant individuals to explore the mysterious history behind the Ioka’s name.

The project is currently in production. We are looking for donation towards the film’s finishing fund with the goal to make this film available both on 16mm as well as 35mm. In order to donate please Click Here and follow the directions on the donate page.

“Ioka” continues to grow as a project, please feel free to contact us at

Sincerely,
Kyle S. Glowacky

Theaters in this post

• Ioka Theater