Moxie rolls out first film

But when owners Dan and Nicole Chilton tried to book a popular family documentary, “Mad Hot Ballroom,” for Wednesday's opening, they ran into a snag – Campbell 16 Cine already had it.

“I don’t see it as something they did competitivewise; I think it was an unfortunate coincidence,” Nicole Chilton said. “But competition is part of the whole process of starting a business.”

The Chiltons are banking on the Moxie’s unique presence to keep competitors at bay. All art on display in its main hallway is by local artists, and concessions include wine and Missouri-brewed beer in addition to traditional treats. But it’s the programming that really sets it apart from other theaters, Nicole Chilton said.

“We’re trying to be creative, and down the line we’ll do a lot of series and work with local filmmakers,” she said. “We’ll let students show their short films and even do retrospectives on directors.”

The Moxie, 408. W. Walnut, opens today with “Me and You and Everyone We Know,” a 2005 comedy about a relationship between a shoe salesman and an artist. Show times are 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. every day and 11:15 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Showings of “Murderball,” a documentary about the U.S. wheelchair rugby team, begin Sept. 28.

Admission is $8 for adults, $6.50 for seniors and students with ID and $5 for matinees.