PROF I L E
Brandt Gully F A M I LY M A N • M O V I E B U F F • N U M B E R S W H I Z By Alex McCray
From the outside, Brandt Gully’s purchase of the Lefont Sandy Springs movie theater seems like nothing more than a business decision. His 2018 $2.5 million makeover of the theater, which was completed on Feb. 1, is turning heads. The revitalization included top-of-the-line heated recliner seats, new screens, speakers, and a food and beverage menu. The co-founder of Entertainment Financial Advisors (EFA) Partners has worked closely with movie theater companies throughout his 20-plus-year career. But it wasn’t the thrill of working with theater operators to obtain capital that led Brandt to become one himself—his motivation was much more personal. You could even say it was straight out of a movie.
I REALLY WANTED TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN THIS COMMUNITY.
—BRANDT GULLY
However, multiple bone marrow transplants and the use of breakthrough treatments changed Peyton’s fate. “Miraculously, she has been in remission since January 2018. She has a whole new lease on life,” Brandt says. And that lease on life affected him too. Though he realized he may not be a surgeon, at least he was part of a caring community. One that amazed him as they rallied to support his family through their darkest days. “I really wanted to get more involved in this community,” Brandt says. So when the opportunity arose to purchase the iconic Sandy Springs theater he loved from an owner he’d worked with for years, he saw the potential it had to become even more of a gathering place for residents than it already was.
RENOVATED
His vision for The Springs Cinema & Taphouse includes ’80s ladies’ nights with John Hughes movie showings, a throwback kids’ movie series, and more. It has already hosted spirit nights for area elementary schools and other charitable events. You might even see Peyton, 17, and her sisters, Anna, 15, and Samantha, 13, working concessions or ushering. And when he isn’t rewatching old favorites like the “Rocky” series, you can find him at Brooklyn Café or il Giallo Osteria & Bar. SpringsCinema.com
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April – June 2019
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAWYER PHOTOGRAPHY, MAKEUP BY A GLAMOUR AFFAIR; (THE SPRINGS CINEMA & TAPHOUSE) JARROD CECIL PHOTOGRAPHY.
“My oldest daughter Peyton was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia almost two years ago,” says Brandt. “For about 18 months she was in and out of the hospital, missing a year and a half of school. At one point we were told she would not survive.”
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