Taking as inspiration Bertolt Brecht's quote — "A theater without beer is just a museum" — Ragtag has attempted an unusual fusion of a high-minded arthouse cinema with a playful, lively beer hall. From a business standpoint, this is a bit cockeyed. The sensible people would say that to open a one-screen theater in a Midwest college town, you should show "beer movies," something like Gladiator after it had laid down its sword at the megaplexes.

But our name, heritage and ethos dictate that we show movies that others dare not to. We show movies that are fun and we show movies that are thought-provoking, and, hopefully, we show movies that are both. We highlight homegrown and far-flung filmmakers, musicians and performers and make space on our walls for emerging artists. And everyone gets in for the same price.

The term "independent film" is as much a marketing tool as anything these days, yet we strive to find films that fly beneath the radar of consumer culture and succeed without millions of dollars for advertising or fast food product tie-ins. One thing to be sure of — every single movie on our screen is there because someone likes it. We book movies for ourselves, and invite you, our friends and neighbors, in to watch.

It's this sort of selfish altruism that was there at the genesis of The Ragtag Film Society, in 1998. With no experience in the film business, scant technical knowledge and a devil-may-care attitude, we kicked things off in January of 1998 aided by the kindness of folks like Richard King (The Blue Note), Janet Marsh and Sally Beattie (9th St. Video) and a mysteriously connected man named Sam Black.

What we could hardly have expected was the outpouring of community support that our little film series received. The screenings quickly became community gatherings, and the disenfranchised youth of Columbia stepped forward to help with the moving of chairs, the selling of popcorn and tickets and a hundred other odd and menial tasks. Known as the Ragtag Irregulars, the series would not have lasted more than a few weeks without their assistance.

With the end of each season, as we tallied up the expenses (always managing, miraculously, to just about break even) we inevitably found ourselves asking "Is it worth it?" Invariably, though, we'd be approached by people on the street asking "So, when's the next series?" And that would be enough. We'd start scheming and plotting and brainstorming ridiculous things to give away from the Blue Note stage.

Planning each series we imagined Ragtag with a home of its own. But opening an actual honest-to-goodness movie theater seemed too daunting an undertaking. This all changed in the year 2000. After a historic showing of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, at the Missouri Theater, we were able to acquire a 35mm projector. Then, after being approached by the intrepid trio of Tim Spence, Holly Roberson, and Ron Rottinghaus, we agreed to move our operation into a space that they would build. Forces were joined, and with them taking the lead in renovating an unlikely storefront, a café/movie theater/film scene clubhouse called The Ragtag Cinemacafé was created. Our first screening, in May 2000 was the best movie ever about Missouri, Waiting for Guffman.

Producing a monthly calendar limits our flexibility, but it allows us to spotlight many of our more obscure selections. Each month we strive to bring a mix of films that reflect our audience's diversity. Everything from the campy But I'm a Cheerleader! to the demanding Humanité. From the spirited activism of Live Nude Girls Unite! to the visual dynamism of Requiem for a Dream. How we arrive at this curious hodgepodge of films isn't all that mysterious. We start by immersing ourselves in reviews, opinions and the choices of our brethren at the country's microcinemas, film societies, and other theaters. Then it comes down to informed guesswork and blind faith.

With couches and roomy chairs in an 18x45' space, the environment is intimate. Projectionists introduce each film, offering trivia and announcements of upcoming events. For some films, we offer theme-related food and drink. For others, we host lectures and discussions. Our website is lively with opinions and comments. We forge partnerships with everyone from college sororities to the ACLU to offer group entertainment and theme-specific films. Our ongoing programs and sponsorships include the True False Film Festival, the Missouri Theatre Film Series, the Flat Branch Film Series, the Silent Film Brunch, and the Passport Series.

In 2006 we showed 132 different films, presented 44 special events, and hosted 12 visiting filmmakers, 19 music & multimedia events, 11 literary events and 8 gallery openings.