There are a lot of shuttered movie theaters around Marin.

Some are recent casualties to soured economics from lost income during the pandemic. Some fell due to competition from the ease and less-costly option of consumers streaming movies on their TVs.

The Northgate multiplex theater and the Century Regency 6 in San Rafael have closed down. So has Marin’s one-time prime movie house, the 800-seat Century theater.

The Cinelounge theater in downtown Tiburon is not a large multiplex — in size or design — but local moviegoers are rallying to keep it open.

The Main Street theater is owned and run by a local nonprofit that has launched a GoFundMe campaign and recently staged a community fundraiser with the goal of raising $476,000, the sum its leadership says is needed to pay off debts and support the theater.

The fundraiser was a big success, according to co-owner Christian Meoli, who said it pulled in $29,000 to push the current total raised during the last couple of weeks to more than $160,000.

It is the latest local effort of Marin residents striving to rescue their local theaters.

In most cases, they haven’t had that chance.

But the Rafael, the Lark and Mill Valley’s Sequoia are successful examples of nonprofits stepping in to save and run local theaters.

Cinelounge’s initiative appears to be off to a promising start.

For Main Street eateries, the theater is an important draw.

For the theater’s customers, it is a small and comfortable place to enjoy a movie, different from multiplex screens and “a night out” instead of watching it on your living room screen.

For many, the Cinelounge is one of the Tiburon Peninsula’s cultural hubs, a place where they can find and watch movies in a darkened theater. Its offerings are films new, old, historic and artistic.

Some donors also don’t like the idea of having a shuttered theater in their town.

Local backing with donations large and small is looking like a strong foundation for the Cinelounge to keep its screens lit.

“About 10 days ago, we really were not sure if we were going to be able to keep the place open,” said Meoli, who with his wife, Camilia, remodeled and reopened the Tiburon theater and are planning to make it a nonprofit enterprise.

The outlook appears to be more hopeful due to the community’s response.

Its customers are supporting the Belvedere Tiburon Film Society, the nonprofit the Meolis have started to run Cinelounge.

To many residents, keeping their local theater open is an important part of their community. It’s a reflection of local interest in the artistic culture of film as well as a visual icon.

The economic equilibrium of running movie theaters is challenging these days. The number of darkened screens around Marin is a testament to that challenge. While going to a theater may not be as convenient as streaming, for many, sitting in a darkened theater still feels like the best way to watch a movie. When the local theater closes, that feeling is harder to find and less convenient, if not lost.

The fundraising to keep Tiburon’s Cinelounge open is another example of a local community rallying to keep their theater open and alive.