Owners of struggling Cinelounge theater say they hope change to business model can help offset rising costs

Tiburon resident and Cinelounge owner Christian Meoli, pictured here with wife and fellow co-owner Camilla Meoli and their daughter Minerva outside their 40 Main St. theater March 26, is publicizing the nonprofit Belvedere Tiburon Film Society for the first time. He’s looking to have the nonprofit, of which he’s executive director, take over from his for-profit company, Voltaire Media, as the theater continues to face financial troubles related to opening the business. (Francisco Martinez / The Ark)

The owners of Tiburon’s downtown movie theater are converting it to a nonprofit, a move they say will allow the financially struggling business to solicit grants and donations to help offset rising rent and operational costs.

Christian Meoli and wife Camilla, the Tiburon couple behind Cinelounge, formally received nonprofit status for the Belvedere Tiburon Film Society last year, with Christian Meoli serving as executive director. He’s now working on adding additional members to the nonprofit’s board, from fundraising specialists to proactive residents and philanthropists “who recognize the theater’s importance and vital role as an anchor business and economic driver for the town,” he said.

The move comes after the Meolis in 2023 launched a crowdfunding campaign in which they sold $58,280 in uninsured bonds to help offset debts from opening the theater in August 2022. Landlord Sonoma-based A&C Ventures, which does business locally as ACV Argo Tiburon LP and owns 20% of Cinelounge’s parent company, has also paid off the theater’s credit-card debt and equipment loans, but that’s resulted in higher monthly rent accompanied by increased utility costs.

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