The Oscar-winning documentary maker Michael Moore is outlining plans to preserve the ornate single-screen movie houses that once anchored American downtowns by re-creating them as largely volunteer-staffed nonprofit ventures, says the Associated Press.

Mr. Moore said he would provide grants and training to cinemas that opt for such conversions from a $1-million fund he is creating with a state tax credit earned from producing his latest film, Capitalism: A Love Story, in Michigan.

The plan is modeled on the resurrection of the State Theatre, in Traverse City, Mich., where Mr. Moore lives and hosts an annual film festival.