With one of the last two standing movie theaters in the Bronx set to close its doors at the end of the month, a local nonprofit is working to bring a new kind of cinema to the borough.

MORE: Multiplex Cinemas in Concourse Plaza set to close next month

The Bronx Independent Cinema Center is a nonprofit organization that started their mission in 2022. Their goal is to open a single-screen theater in Fordham.

"It would also be a community center and incubator, so we could develop a workforce for people in the Bronx to go into the film and television industry," said Gregory Hernandez, executive director of the Bronx Independent Cinema Center.

The Bronx has become a movie desert, and only one commercial theater will be left after the Multiplex Cinemas closes later this month. Hernandez says independent filmmakers, like the Mott Haven Film Festival and Cinema on the Sound on City Island, are working to keep film alive in the Boogie Down.

"The Bronx used to have over 100 theaters, now let's see if we can reclaim and develop a space that used to be a theater, maybe something along the Fordham road corridor, which is so equitable and accessible," said Hernandez.

Hernandez says the plan is in stage two of five. They are working with local leaders and the Fordham Road Business Improvement District to secure grants and funding while researching for the perfect location. Their goal is to open a theater within the next five years.

"It's even more paramount that we develop a space, necessary space to essentially train and allow people to learn and indulge in art house, local independent cinema," said Hernandez.