The Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre in Moscow is selling over 30,000 videos from Main Street Video Co-Op, which recently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After conversations with us, they felt like we were the best relationship to work with to make sure those films don’t end up on eBay or don’t end up in the trash … and really be a steward of the collection,” Kenworthy Executive Director Christine Gilmore said.

The Kenworthy is selling the films on its website one genre at a time. There are at least 20 genres, Gilmore said. Genres that have been sold so far are: action, anime, apes/aliens/predators, classic sci-fi, comic books, war and martial arts, comedy, and sci-fi. 

Leftover films from any of the genres will be available for purchase at the end of the sale, Gilmore said. Any remaining unsold films will then be donated to local libraries, classrooms and non-profit organizations.

“We want these movies to end up in the public, in our community,” she said. 

Each film costs $2 and 10 titles is the minimum purchase requirement. Titles are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, Gilmore said. 

The Kenworthy will not ship orders, so customers must pick up the films there, she said. 

“It’s been interesting seeing the people who come in,” Gilmore said. “It’s nice to have people in the building and have conversations about film with people again.” 

Some of the classic and rare movies will stay in the Kenworthy’s collection so they can be available for renters, private parties and other events, she said. 

“We would love to keep all [34,000] discs, but we don’t really have the space for that,” Kenworthy Operations Director Jamie Hill said.

“Intolerance,” a silent film from 1916, is among the oldest in the collection and will stay at the Kenworthy, Hill said. 

Profits from the film sale will go to the Kenworthy’s operating and staffing costs, Gilmore said.

“We’ve been closed since March 16, and we haven’t had anything going on,” Gilmore said. “Actually having this collection has been a blessing in disguise because we had a job for our staff to do and [keep] them employed.”

Hill said all of the discs came separate from their cases, so employees are working to pair them and remove any that are unusable.

“We are working as fast and as furiously as humanly possible,” Hill said. “We’re really grateful for the people who have been patient and excited.”