2018-Loft-Cinema-Annual-Report.Pdf
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4 Mission Statement 5 Letter From The Executive Director 6 Our Story 8 Community Feedback 10 The Loft Cinema At A Glance 11 By The Numbers 12-17 What We Do 18 Loft Film Fest 20 Loft Kids Fest 22-23 Solar Cinema 24-25 At The Box Office 26-27 Financial Data 28 Marketing 29-35 Donors 36-37 Volunteers 38 Loft Cinema Staff & Board Of Directors Photos by: Jesse Jackson (unless noted otherwise) Design & Layout by: Matt McCoy (Deputy Marketing Director) Cover Photo: Outdoor Film Screening of Three Amigos at the Old Tucson Mission 2 “An inspiration to small-community film buffs everywhere, this hangar- like space dedicates Southern Arizona’s largest screen to deserving small movies and hosts a first-class fest.” - Variety THE LOFT CINEMA Building community by celebrating the art and diversity of film. 4 DEAR FRIENDS OF THE LOFT CINEMA, There are a lot of superlatives needed to describe 2018 at The Loft Cinema! For more than ten years, the groundbreaking Brokeback Mountain (2006) was our biggest grossing, best-attended film. But that changed in 2018. In fact,Brokeback Mountain is now #3 of all time, after an astonishing slate of films in 2018, including The Shape of Water, which is now #1, and Lady Bird, at #2. What makes this even more amazing is that two other films that opened in 2018 are in our top ten of all time: the documentary RBG is now our #4 highest grossing film and the Oscar®winning doc Free Solo is # 10. That means that in a single year, The Loft Cinema had four of its best performing films in 16 years. Extraordinary! Accordingly, overall revenue, box office and memberships all set records in 2018. The Loft Film Fest was perhaps our best ever, featuring ROMA on opening night. The fest had an incredible slate of directors and films, and we were proud that 50% of the films were directed by women! We are excited to celebrate the tenth annual Loft Film Fest in 2019, and grateful for the support from Desert Diamond Casinos and Entertainment and the National Endowment for the Arts! Loft Solar Cinema continued to draw large enthusiastic crowds as we took family-friendly films on the road to underserved rural communities and urban neighborhoods. Some physical improvements were made in 2018, including the addition of solar panels to provide power to the main building and the marquee. An added bonus is that the panels also provide shaded parking! Look for more improvements in 2019, including the restoration of the marquee to its original size! Thank you to everyone who shares our passion for Tucson’s art house, The Loft Cinema. We promise that 2019 will be another exciting year of great films, eclectic events and unique experiences! Peggy Johnson Executive Director 5 THE LOFT CINEMA: OUR STORY The Loft Cinema opened in 1972 at the corner of Meyer and 6th Street on the University of Arizona campus at a time when art houses in America flourished in an unprecedented fertile period for foreign and independent films. The Loft relocated to the current location on Speedway in 1993 when the original property was taken over by the University for parking. In 2002, The Loft Cinema was purchased by a group of film enthusiasts who transitioned the privately-held theater into a nonprofit arts organization, reflecting a national trend that took hold as art houses were becoming increasingly rare in the U.S. In fact, The Loft Cinema is one of only about 200 art houses still operating in America – almost all of which are nonprofit – and Tucson is one of a handful of cities its size to provide its community access to independent films from America and from around the world. Since 2002, The Loft Cinema has grown exponentially with its programs, its reach, budget and audience; it is recognized and acclaimed both nationally and internationally. The Loft Cinema is one of 23 members of the Sundance Art House Project, selected for quality programming, deep involvement with the local community, strong financial standing and recognition from peers and their communities. The Loft Film Fest is the only American festival member of the International Confederation of Art Cinemas (CICAE), founded in 1955 and based in Berlin and Paris, representing more than 4,000 screens and 24 film festivals all over the world. (The Loft Cinema’s Executive Director Peggy Johnson is the only American ever elected to the CICAE Board of Directors and now serves as Vice President). The Loft Cinema is the only American member of Solar World Cinema Network, which has members in 19 countries that show free films to underserved urban and rural areas on mobile screens powered by the sun. The Loft Cinema believes that film is important to our collective sense of cultural identity, with the power to create community, embrace diversity and inclusion, and to be a catalyst for change locally and globally. The Loft Cinema’s programming includes many films, especially those from other countries, that would otherwise not be available on the big screen. 6 COMMUNITY FEEDBACK “I just wanted to say thank you so much for the documentary The Guardians. I grew up adorning crops with wild flowers waiting for the monarchs to arrive each Fall, and I try to go to Mexico each year to wait for them in our forest. I am an immigrant like the monarchs ^_^! We’re still taking care of the forest in Mexico and watching the documentary was very touching. Thank you!!!” - Victoria J. Zadrogra, Re: The Guardians Screening at the 2018 Loft Film Fest “Loft has the best movie selections for Loft Jr. and other screenings. Our family cherishes the memories made while coming! Thank you for all you do!” - Mia Ruiz “The Loft is a movie going experience unlike any other in Southern Arizona. They really try to make sure you have the best time you can have. Highly recommend.” - Nick Trask “The Loft Cinema is a great local theater. I love going for the classic films and wonderful atmosphere. My kids love going for the free kids movies and activities hosted there. It is always a good time for all.” - Jessica Gonzales “Wonderful atmosphere! Friendly people! Great vibe! Classy venue for independent films! Thanks!” - Leslie Messenger 8 9 THE LOFT CINEMA AT A GLANCE 3 SCREENS DIGITAL PROJECTION, SCREEN 1 35MM, 70MM, CLOSED CAPTIONS, AUDIO 376 SEATS DESCRIPTIONS AND LOOP TECHNOLOGY DIGITAL PROJECTION, SCREEN 2 CLOSED CAPTIONS, AUDIO DESCRIPTIONS AND 85 SEATS LOOP TECHNOLOGY DIGITAL PROJECTION, 3D, SCREEN 3 CLOSED CAPTIONS, AUDIO DESCRIPTIONS AND 98 SEATS LOOP TECHNOLOGY ONE OF 23 MEMBERS OF SUNDANCE ART HOUSE PROJECT 1 ONLY AMERICAN MEMBER OF THE SOLAR WORLD CINEMA NETWORK 1 THE CICAE’S ONLY AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 46 YEARS SINCE THE LOFT CINEMA HAS BEEN OPEN 16 YEARS SINCE THE LOFT CINEMA HAS BEEN A NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATION 7439 LOFT CINEMA MEMBERS 139 VOLUNTEERS 3,598 VOLUNTEER HOURS 236 DONATIONS TO COMMUNITY NONPROFITS $21,462 VALUE OF DONATIONS 10 BY THE NUMBERS AGE 235,053 18-44 37% 45-65 29% NUMBER OF ATTENDEES OVER 65 34% POUNDS OF ORGANIC POPCORN 13,650 SERVED 19 35MM SCREENINGS 104 DOCUMENTARY FILMS 30 70MM SCREENINGS 644 TOTAL DIRECTORS 367 FEATURE FILMS 58 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED 99 FIRST RUN FILMS 27 OFFSITE EVENTS 349 SHORT FILMS 5,475 TOTAL SCREENINGS 374 SPECIAL EVENTS 190 COMMUNITY PARTNERS 185 SPECIAL GUESTS 79 FREE SCREENINGS 62 COMMUNITY RENTALS 65 FULL HOUSES IN SCREEN 1 125 EDUCATIONAL EVENTS 53,940 TOTAL FREE ADMISSIONS 11 WHAT WE DO FIRST-RUN FILMS The best new independent, foreign and documentary films, most in exclusive Tucson engagements. GUEST FILMMAKERS Industry professionals, including directors, producers, actors, and writers, interact with audiences and answer questions about the context and artistic content of their work. LOFT FILM FEST The Loft Cinema’s annual international film festival, presented by Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment and National Endowment for the Arts (see page 18 for more details). LOFT KIDS FEST & LOFT JR. A year-round celebration of family-friendly films with an emphasis on underserved families, featuring an interactive program, hands-on activities, free admission and free popcorn (see page 20 for more details). FIRST FRIDAY SHORTS A monthly competition for local filmmakers to win $200 and qualify for the finale in May, when the winners of all 12 months compete for $1,000. ESSENTIAL CINEMA A free series of the most iconic classic art films. NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE Experience the best of British theatre on the big screen, captured live and presented in beautiful high definition! 13 WHAT WE DO CONTINUED JOURNALISM ON SCREEN An ongoing series pairing films that explore the world of journalism with lively discussions with experts and industry professionals. Presented by The New York Times, the UA School of Journalism, the UA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Arizona Inn. SCIENCE ON SCREEN Thought-provoking films, paired with insightful contextual discussions with scientists to create illuminating and entertaining programming that brings the exciting world of science to life on the big screen. Made possible by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS The Loft Cinema collaborates with dozens of nonprofits and other organizations on screenings and events that allow the groups to promote the understanding of specific issues and to raise funds and awareness. LOCAL FILM PREMIERES The Loft Cinema is the venue for premieres of films made in and around Tucson, or by Tucson-based filmmakers, often with the director, writer, producers, cast and crew in attendance. LATE NIGHT CULT CLASSICS The greatest cult classics of all time on the big screen.