At the SXSW festival in Austin last month, CreativeFuture chatted with Tim League, Founder of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Rolling Roadshow, Drafthouse Films, and Fantastic Fest.

On How He Landed His Starring Role

While working as an engineer for an oil company in the nineties, League was restless about doing something different. When a “for lease” sign popped up at an abandoned cinema that he passed by every day, he took a leap of faith. “The art house theater is the central hub of any great community,” League says.

On the Motivations Behind His Business Model

League explains why you won’t hear crying babies in any of his theaters in discussing how he set out to create a different kind of theatergoing experience.

On The Interview’s Unconventional Path to Theaters

After Sony decided to pull The Interview from theaters last December, League and other theater owners from Art House Convergence signed a petition asking Sony to let them exhibit the film. Interview filmmakers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg brought the petition to Sony.

On His Favorite Films

League also shared his top picks for 2014 and his all-time favorites