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I have been offered a 250 seat single screen theater to run in a small town (Approximately 40,000 within several miles). The mall multiplex is approximately a twenty minute drive from the theater and a large city with art houses, etc..is approximately a thirty minute drive from theater. The town in which the theater is located is a "destination" in itself with galleries, bars, boutiques, restaurants, etc..The theater currently shows first run films approximately one-two weeks after they appear in the multiplexes. I would like to slowly move to more independent, art house type showings at the theater. After reading the forum, I am left with the following impression: Assuming I get everything right: rent, concessions, audience numbers, etc.., am I still at the mercy of a film booker? The one post that especially struck me was the person quoting his film booker who said, "This place will never get art house movies".
How much freedom does the film owner have to decide which film he shows?

You are the one who ultimately makes the decisions. I book for my own theater so I can book what I want (assuming the studios agree, that is ). The booker works for you and they shouldn't be dictating to you, rather then the other way around.

I book my own theatres, I worked with a booker who booked for me and paid close attention before striking out on my own. 2 theatre with 5 screens. I have booked for others, usually as they get their feet under them, and currently am booking another theatre.

Whatever a booker says, especially if you do not know what's up: listen to him/her. They may be wrong or don't get your mission or your demographiocs but they know a lot more about the biz than you do at the moment.

To the art films: art/indie/foreign etc.: they still want their pic in the spot that will do the most biz and if they have a good relationship down the road: you may have a hard time getting art pics.

The job iof a booker is to work with the owners to determine what is best for the theatre and get them the best pictures they can. And keep them out of trouble on paying on time, doubling, etc. If you are brand new to tyhe business then run your theatre and study to take over the booking.

In the end: you have all the freedom but it does not mean you always get what you want.

When you are just getting into the theater business it is difficult to understand that you often cannot get the films that you want to show. Most people assume that they are automatically supplied when requested. Unfortunately, the licensing of a movie involved 2 parties and the studio releasing the print will look at many factors before deciding to license a print to you. A big factor involves the competition around you and another big factor is the cost of making that print, how much you are likely to gross with it and whether the studio is willing to manufacture a lot of prints in the first place. Studios have figured out that, particularly in slow seasons, they can make more money by placing fewer prints in the big major market multiplexes. They will even place 2 prints in some big multiplexes rather than license them to smaller grossing theaters. They are then willing to let those 2nd prints move around to other theaters as the big houses no longer need them after the first 2 weeks. More prints become available as the big houses drop them and move on to newer movies. During the Christmas and summer seasons it is easy to get a print of the big releases in every theater across the US. Art house prints are tougher to get in general. In the first place, there are fewer prints made and so there are fewer prints to spread across the landscape. The established art houses will generally make better grosses on these fewer prints because the audiences are already developed, so a new theater is not likely to get a print before the established art house. Which means that people will continue to go to the established art house. Even if you bring that print in many weeks later, most of your audience will have already gone to the established art house. If you are far enough away you might try to establish an audience but you will have to do it on old prints that have been used in all the better grossers first.

Now you have to deal with profitability issues in making your decisions booking each week: I can book a new first run mainstream movie this week or I can book a film that was hot in the art houses many weeks ago. How many people can I bring in for each one? Should I choose the one that will make me less money this week in return for trying to build an audience? Or should I make sure that I can keep the doors to the theater open? These are tough decisions that are faced by each and every one of us each week.
Some are luckier and have more screens to book so that they have more choices and more freedom and reduce the risk of choosing badly. Those with single screens have it the toughest. You must always think of the audience that will come to your theater and try to decide what they would like to see.

Also when you are new remember you will be asked to pay advances depending on your market and state laws.