The Imax theater is named after Alan Shawn Feinstein.

The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

Cranston philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein is in a dispute with the Imax Corp., former owner of the large-screen movie theater at the Providence Place mall that bears his name.

The conflict centers on free and discounted tickets, which Feinstein said he had already paid for under terms of his contract with Imax but are no longer being honored. The tickets were distributed through schools to children in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts.

Feinstein said he sent a letter to Imax on Feb. 1 asking for unspecified damages. So far, he said, he has not received a reply. In a written statement, Imax said it had received correspondence from Feinstein and is in the process of reviewing it.

National Amusements Inc., based in Dedham, Mass., announced early last month that it had acquired the theater. In a statement released Tuesday, National Amusements said the dispute related to an agreement between Imax and Feinstein, and had no comment.

In a telephone interview, Feinstein said he entered into a five-year contract with Imax when it opened the theater in the mall seven years ago. The contract was later extended for another five years.

Under the agreement, Feinstein said, he paid Imax an undisclosed amount of money each fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30, and in return received naming rights to the theater, 7,500 free tickets each year and 15-percent discounts for about 155,000 Feinstein Junior Scholars. He said Imax also agreed to donate another 5 percent of that ticket price to charity in the name of each child.

Feinstein said that when Imax sold the theater to National Amusements, Imax told him it was “terminating” the contract. “Well, it takes two to terminate a contract,” he said.

He said he was upset when he began to hear complaints that the new owners of the theater were refusing to honor free tickets and discount cards that had already been distributed. “I don’t ever want to see children that I made promises to let down,” Feinstein said. He said any money he receives from Imax would go to children who received tickets and their schools.

What about the Feinstein name on the Imax theater?

“Well, I don’t know about that at this time,” Feinstein said. “The most important thing is remittance to children and their schools for promises I had paid Imax for.”

asmith@projo.com