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The ShowRoom cinema in Bradley Beach has a new owner as sale of the building has been completed and ownership has transferred to Shawn Emamjomeh, an Asbury Park resident.

Emamjomeh says that the theater will continue as an art house movie venue, and construction will soon be underway to make it a three screen cinema. He also is under contract to buy a liquor license for the venue, he said.

A summer 2022 reopening is planned. 

Cinema Lab, a group with a background in movie operation based in Montclair, will be operating the theater on Emamjomeh’s behalf. 

“I want to make sure we’re continuing with the arts here and Cinema Lab’s vision aligned with mine,” he said. “We believe that neighborhood and art house movie theaters are going to be increasingly important in the future.” 

Emamjomeh has a varied background himself. He has performed and produced Broadway plays, worked in real estate investment in Iraq and is creating an NFT platform for arts and entertainment. 

The principal figures in Cinema Lab in the operation of the Bradley Beach venue will be Luke Parker Bowles and Andy Childs, who are based in Montclair, independent movie veteran Arianna Bocco and actor, producer and screenwriter Patrick Wilson.

Bocco is a native of New Jersey, having grown up in Freehold and currently residing in Bradley Beach.  She has worked in the film business for over 25 years and is currently president of IFC Films. Established in 2000 and based in New York City, IFC Films is a leading U.S. distributor of independent film and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.

Childs started his career at Soho House in 2001. As a senior management accountant in London, he became chartered and oversaw the financial running of multiple sites both in London, including Soho House, Greek St and Electric House, Notting Hill, as well as the hotel in Babington, Somerset. In 2009 he moved to the US after being promoted to financial controller of Soho House New York, and then shortly after to the role as CFO of North America, financially overseeing Soho House Miami, Soho House LA, Cecconi’s LA, Soho House Toronto and Soho House Chicago with a combined revenue of $150 million with over 1,500 employees in total. Childs was involved in the successful refinancing of Soho House, Miami and investment strategy for new growth sites.

In 2014, Childs moved to Momofuku, working closely with David Chang, as head of group finance, simplifying the overall structure of the group and strategy for new growth areas, such as the Fuku brand. .

Parker Bowles is President at Story Mining & Supply Co., a California-based production company committed to acquiring, developing, financing and producing multi-platform premium content through unique access to quality material. He also serves as CEO of Scoundrel Films – a New York-based digital video production company with clients including TED, UPS, UBS, Logitech, British Airways, Transferwise and many others. 

Parker Bowles previously served as Executive Vice President of Production for Open Road Integrated Media. Parker Bowles has developed and managed a diverse slate of films for both major studios and independent film companies where he was involved in the development of hit films such as Chris and Paul Weitz’s About a Boy, Beeban Kidron’s Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and Richard Curtis’s Love Actually. Parker Bowles until recently served as Chairman of BAFTA in New York and is a Director and Founder of the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in New York and The Montclair Film Festival. P

Patrick Wilson is a critically acclaimed actor whose numerous credits have earned him multiple Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Wilson’s career in theatre, film and television spans more than two decades, and has earned him various positive reviews in Hollywood blockbusters, independent cinema and on and off Broadway. Wilson is a producer and screenwriter and serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Montclair Film Festival.

Former owners Sabino and Sodano, who also owned and operated the original ShowRoom in Asbury Park (which has reopened under new owners) issued a news release on the sale of the Bradley Beach venue. Here’s the release in full: 

“The ShowRoom Cinema in Bradley Beach has sold and the new owner, Cinema One Global LLC, can now begin to implement the plans which have been promoted for the past year. The months of negotiation ended with the closing that took place Wednesday, Dec.15th. The former owner, Michael Sodano, and his partner, Nancy Sabino, couldn’t be more pleased. 

“Finally, papers are signed and the keys have been handed over to the new owner. We wish him success and the residents of the city continued entertainment.” said Michael Sodano. 

With the real estate transaction complete, the anticipation begins for the next incarnation of the theater, which has been a mainstay on Main Street for years. 

“From what we’ve read, the next round of changes sound grand and we can appreciate that everyone in town wants the theater re-opened as soon as possible.” said Nancy Sabino. “Bradley Beach is a city that has defined itself by this entertainment venue. We certainly felt the love when we re-opened in 2019, after our own 7-month renovation.” said Nancy Sabino. 

“The pandemic may have taken away our ability to continue as we had hoped but our ideas for expansion seem to be what the new owner has in mind.” remarked Mike Sodano. 

Sodano and Sabino have started a new venture, ARTS RULE, a blogsite that explores ways in which cities, artists and the public can partner for lasting cultural benefits. As creative professionals who have developed and run a successful, arts operations, they are eager to put their experience into play with this next phase of their careers. Visit ArtsRule.com for more information.” 

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