The fate of Prineville’s only theater showing first-run movies remained uncertain Wednesday morning, but in a twist on the classic Hollywood ending, the bank stepped in to save the day.

Bank of the Cascades agreed to extend a line of credit to the owners of the Pine Theater, allowing them to upgrade to digital projection equipment, said Oniko Mehrabi, co-owner of the Pine Theater with her husband, Ali, and son, Michael.

By Aug. 15, the theater is expected to have completed its conversion from film to digital — a $95,000 project, Oniko Mehrabi said.

Hollywood studios’ switch from film to digital has forced small independent theaters across the country to upgrade or go dark, and the Mehrabis have been trying to raise money to pay for the conversion since March, when they launched the Walk of Fame Horseshoe Campaign that raised $72,000.

In June, they started the “Save the Pine Theater” Kickstarter campaign, which failed to raise the additional funds by Wednesday morning’s deadline.

But Wednesday afternoon, Bank of the Cascades confirmed it would refinance the theater’s current loans and extend its line of credit to cover the additional equipment costs, Mehrabi said.

It was a long-awaited victory.

“We’re really very grateful to the community and those that have helped,” she said.

Without the loan, she said, showings would have ended next week, and the nearest theater showing first-run movies is about 20 miles away.

“We never wanted to take out a line of credit, but we also knew that we were so close that we couldn’t give up,” Mehrabi said.

Prineville attorney Jim Van Voorhees, who sold the building to Mehrabi, said it’s good that the theater will remain open.

“Its an important thing for the community,” he said.

But, he said, the owners still need help.

Mehrabi agreed.

“We’re not out of the woods. We still need people to come and buy their horseshoes,” she said, referring to the fundraising campaign.

“But, regardless, the theater is saved.”

The goal is to pay off the line of credit as soon as possible, by continuing the horseshoe campaign, which recognizes a minimum $400 donation with an engraved horseshoe set in concrete outside the theater, like the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“We couldn’t do a line of credit before because we hadn’t raised enough money,” she said. “It’s only because we got so close that we were able to make it fit the ratios of the bank and a good business plan and know and have confidence that the horseshoes would keep coming in to secure the theater.”

Russell Deboodt, Prineville/Crook County manager for Economic Development for Central Oregon, said movie theaters are important to a community and its residents.

They are also important from a recruiting standpoint. When talking to companies about moving to the area, he said, it helps to have amenities like a theater.

“That being one of our more noticeable spots, it being vacant would have definitely left a hole in our downtown.”