Osio Theater's grand opening happens this Friday.

When Osio Cinemas in downtown Monterey closed last summer, three employees with a penchant for independent and art house film were left not only without a job, but also without an outlet for their passion.

They quickly sprang to action and started a plan to run the cinema on their own terms. After raising $76,000 in a Kickstarter campaign last fall, and working thousands of unremunerated hours collectively, the cinema, now Osio Theater, will open this Friday.

“It’s been a long journey, but I’m really excited to bring independent film back to Monterey,” says Shaneen Kirkpatrick, co-founder of Le Prince Cinema, which now runs the Osio. “Independent film is such a wonderful industry, but it’s really struggling across the board. We’re going to need a lot of community support.”

While regularly scheduled films will start during the day, there will be a grand opening film feast in partnership with Cafe Lumiere in the evening featuring Southern-style soul food. Tickets for the dinner run $75 for those who donated to the Kickerstarter campaign and $85 for everyone else.

For those looking to spend less money but still help the cause, four critically acclaimed independent films are being showcased for a general admission of $10. Also the cult classic Big Trouble in Little China will be shown at 11:30pm on Friday and Saturday to kick off their regular feature of cult classics on weekend nights.

While Osio Theater will continue to have movie theater favorites like popcorn, candy and pop, they will also cater to the artisanal crowd with popcorn toppings like nutritional yeast, furikake sesame and seaweed seasoning, as well as white cheddar.

The trio will also host more events, including a boozy brunch that combines breakfast and mimosas at Cafe Lumiere and a matinee on Sundays.