After many frustrating months of "stop and start" negotiations, according to San Francisco Film Society Executive Director Graham Leggat, with Clay Theater owner Balgobind Jaiswalto take over the historic single-screen structure, the two parties have come to an impasse. The Clay Theater is scheduled to go dark after the weekend.

And SFFS is taking their dispute to the people, with a public campaign on its website and in the press to get Jaiswal back to the bargaining table.

Leggat says that he has been looking to find a permanent venue for the festival since he came on board in 2005. After considering several spaces, SFFS came to the conclusion that the Clay would be the best fit and began negotiating with the building owner several years ago. In December 2009, they seemed to reach some tentative understanding, but it's "been hard pinning him down on terms," says Leggat. SFFS had planned to take over the place from Landmark Theaters in April; Landmark had continued to occupy it as a favor to SFFS but will cease operations before September.

According to Leggat, the issue is that the owner bought the property in 2008 and wants to lease or sell it at 2008 prices, not 2010 prices. In an SF Chronicle story, Jaiswal said "Their offer wasn't an offer as far as I'm concerned." 

The death of rep and revival theaters, many of them single-screen, has been a long-standing trend, accelerated by the advent of the multiplex in '80s and the internet blooming in the '90s. Film festivals have continued to grow, as previously reported by The Bay Citizen. SFFS occupying its own theater would marry these two phenomena.

What next for the Clay? Uncertain. SFFS has funding and obviously really wants the space, but barring a change of heart from its landlord, it will continue looking. Leggat declined to name some alternatives but ruled out occupying any of the vacant theater spaces in Mid-Market. "We don't have the funds to homestead there until others arrive," he says.